ISRAEL: Two new babies born to a family of gorillas living in Israel

Record ID: 396308

  • Title: ISRAEL: Two new babies born to a family of gorillas living in Israel
  • Date: 20th May 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEREN OR, ZOOLOGIST AT SAFARI ZOO, SAYING: "The first baby was born three weeks ago to Ali, which is only seven-years-old and it is very early for a gorilla to give birth at such an early age. We weren't expecting her to give birth so early and it was a complete surprise to us."
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Nature / Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVAD34AKXKMTQFR83PZUWZ7R6GRG
  • Story Text: Two baby gorillas of the endangered Western lowland specie were born to a family of six apes in Israel's Safari zoo. A family of Western lowland gorillas in Israel's Safari Zoo counter their endangered status with the birth of two new babies.
    The infants were born in recent weeks to the same father but to different females - a twenty-years-old mother and her seven-year-old daughter.
    "We are very thrilled because the western lowland gorilla is an animal which is in critically endangered situation in Africa and we are very happy that we can be a part of breeding programs that take place in zoos all over Europe and the world," said Keren Or, a zoologist from the Safari Zoo outside Tel Aviv.
    The family now consists of a male silverbacked adult gorilla, three females and four immature gorillas.
    The Western lowland gorillas are known for their calm, non-aggressive behaviour within the group. They have broad shoulders, a muscular neck and strong body covered by short, thin hair.
    After more than 250 days of gestation, the mother, Anya, and her daughter, Ali, gave birth one week away from each other.
    "The first baby was born three weeks ago to Ali, which is only seven-years-old and it is very early for a gorilla to give birth at such an early age. We weren't expecting her to give birth so early and it was a complete surprise to us," Or said.
    Females of the Western lowland gorillas reach sexual maturity at the age of six.
    A mother gorilla holds her new-born baby belly-to-belly until the infant develops the strength and co-ordination to cling onto her hair at about two month.
    "We can see behind us Anya now who gave birth two weeks ago and she is already putting her baby on her back, which shows that the baby is in good condition, it is very healthy and strong, and therefor she can afford putting her baby on her back because he can cling to her fur and hold tight, otherwise he would fall," explained Or.
    The double birth was a reason for many Israelis to visit the zoo and watch the family raising the newly born infants, after four years in which there were no births of new gorillas.
    The gorilla family is expecting a third baby to be born very soon.
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