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["Josh Greenman" <josh.greenman AT gmail.com>]

http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2008/12/its-a-gorilla-san-fransisco-zoo-receives-early-holiday-gift-with-the-birth-of-baby-boy.html
(with photos)

SAN FRANCISCO (DECEMBER 9, 2008) – The San Francisco Zoo is proud to
announce the birth of a male baby western lowland gorilla, born
Monday, December 8 at 11:30 a.m. This is the first gorilla birth for
the Zoo in a decade and plays a contributing role to the conservation
efforts taking place for this critically endangered species through
the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan (AZA,
SSP). This is the fourth successful gorilla birth in North America
this year.

The Zoo's veterinary staff report that there were no complications
during the birth and that first-time mother, Monifa, initially showed
text book signs of motherhood. Monifa cleaned-up her elevated nest
after the birth.  However, as the day progressed, Monifa left the nest
and has not climbed back into it since, leaving the infant by himself.
The veterinary and primate teams monitored the infant overnight and at
approximately 4:30 a.m. they decided to pull the infant from the nest
to ensure he had the needed supportive care.

"It's a critical time for the infant and we are having to make hard
decisions," said Jacqueline Jencek, DVM, chief of veterinary services
at the San Francisco Zoo. "Mom was moving as far away as possible from
the nest and was avoiding any eye contact, so it was clear that she
wasn't up for motherhood and that we were going to need to step in and
help her along."

Curators and vets knew the risks were high for Monifa, a first-time
mom, as there is the potential of baby rejection, baby snatching and
aggressive behavior from other females in the troop, namely Bawang and
daughter Nneka. However, the veterinary staff and primate teams had an
extensive birth plan that prepared them for every possible scenario
and they are now moving into the stages of how to try and reunite mom
and infant long-term.

"We've taken every possible step to prepare the gorilla troop for this
birth," said Corinne MacDonald, curator of primates at the San
Francisco Zoo. "The most important element now is to ensure the health
and well-being of the infant, try to reunite him with mom and then, as
quickly as possible, maintain the social dynamics of the troop."

Animal care strategies have evolved with regards to births at zoos. In
the 1970s, the philosophy was to pull the babies and raise them by
hand to eliminate any possible risks. As time progressed, animal
keepers began to separate the female and infant from the troop, to
give the mother more time to focus on her motherly duties and to
ensure infant safety. Now, standard practice is to maintain a birthing
plan that duplicates, as closely as possible, how the birth would
occur in the wild.

 "We are thrilled to have a new addition to the Zoo family," said
Tanya Peterson, acting director and president of the San Francisco
Zoo. "This is a significant birth that demonstrates our commitment to
the conservation of endangered and threatened species. Our team is
looking forward to sharing the gorilla infant with Zoo visitors and
making him an integral part of the Zoo's education program."

The Zoo's gorilla troop consists of one 21-year-old dominant male
silverback, Oscar Jonesy, who is on breeding loan from the Buffalo Zoo
and was hand-raised as an infant. There are four females including
Bawang, a proven mother in the troop and her daughter Nneka who was
born at the San Francisco Zoo, as well as Zura who is a distant cousin
to Oscar Jonesy, and Monifa, who is 10-years-old and on loan from the
Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.