Baby gorilla born at National Zoo - What a way to celebrate Year of the Gorilla!

dawnaforsythe

dawnaforsythe

Active Member
Mandara, a 26 year old gorilla at Smithsonian National Zoo, gave birth at 1:45 pm on Saturday, Jan 10. Her baby was born while she was on exhibit, and visitors watched. Here is a link to the description of the birth and here are photos taken an amateur photographer who happened to be there just moments after the baby was born. Be forewarned: these aren't all cutesy photos -- Mandara is shown eating her afterbirth.
2009 is the Year of the Gorilla, and I believe this little one is the first born to a North American AZA zoo this year. And get this -- the father is Baracka (that's Barack with an "a"). Good omen in the nation's capital, I think! :-)
 
I believe Mandara, who has several offspring, is the only female in the current group who isn't related to Baracka, so its likely the others are on contraceptives to prevent inbreeding. Do they know the baby's sex yet?
 
What amazing photos!! How lucky for the photographer and us.
 
Pertinax said:
I believe Mandara, who has several offspring, is the only female in the current group who isn't related to Baracka, so its likely the others are on contraceptives to prevent inbreeding. Do they know the baby's sex yet?
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There are three females at National Zoo. One is Baraka's mother, the other two are Mandara and her daughter, Kigali. Neither of these 2 are related to Baraka. However, like other AZA zoos that participate in the gorilla SSP, National Zoo uses contraceptives in their breeding program.

As of this morning, I've heard no news on the sex of the little one. The zoo is carrying up-to-date news on their website.
 
dawnaforsythe said:
There are three females at National Zoo. One is Baraka's mother, the other two are Mandara and her daughter, Kigali. Neither of these 2 are related to Baraka.
Click to expand...

I believe Baraka and Kigali share the same father- Augustus, making them half-siblings. Holoko is Baraka's mother, Mandara is Kigali's.
 
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