Staffers at the Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Saint Paul, Minnesota recently welcomed a male newborn gorilla. Unfortunately the baby passed away only four days after the birth.
Staffers at the Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Saint Paul, Minnesota recently welcomed a male newborn gorilla. Unfortunately the baby passed away only four days after the birth.
The zoo released a statement confirming the gorilla’s passing that reads in part “It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of the baby gorilla that was born at Como Zoo to first-time mother Alice on Wednesday, November 19.”
While the cause of death has not officially been confirmed, at this point it seems like difficulty with feeding played a role. Since the birth, he and Alice were both being monitored and receiving care round the clock.
Up until Saturday night, the newborn was doing perfectly fine. His grip was very strong and he was vocal. Alice had accepted her role as mother and was often witnessed cradling her baby gorilla.
However she would bond with him with her back to watchful zookeepers, making it hard to see if he was nursing. Staffers are trained not to interrupt bonding time unless it’s absolutely necessary.
The baby’s health had drastically declined by Sunday morning. Zookeepers rushed to help and began resuscitating him, but they couldn’t revive him.
This was the first gorilla birth in 55 years at the facility. Another female gorilla named Dara is expected to give birth in the coming months and zoo officials say the recent death will factor into Dara’s birth plan.
