Bristol Zoo (Closed) Exciting birth at Bristol Zoo today

Good for Salome! (my favourite UK gorilla!;)). So the rumours of pregnancy were true. Its very interesting she conceived naturally this time without any fertility treatment. Lets hope its a female baby though for a genetically important female who has only one other offspring, its just great that she has a 2nd baby now, whatever the sex.

They say this is her third baby at Bristol- they must be counting an earlier stillbirth I think. This event should hopefully also provide the perfect model for the younger females, Namoki and the handraised 'Kera' to observe/learn mothering behaviour.

Good Youtube video-the baby is literally newborn. I think that is Namoki watching her.
 
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A very promising development, especially if the baby turns out to be female - and the fact it seems to have been a natural conception is all the better!
 
Fantastic news, they told us at the ape event a few weeks ago that she'd had positive pregnancy tests but they were not saying anything for sure!
 
Great news, neither Jock nor Salome are anywhere near well-represented. I`d say the gender really doesn`t matter, for such rare bloodlines males may actually even be better. All the female offspring from the Jersey/Krefeld/Frankfurt/Apenheul-lines need unrelated males to breed with...
 
Sharak_Jek said:
Wonderful news. But are the any chances for Romina to breed again.
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I think the situation of 'Salome' and 'Romina' has reversed somewhat. Whereas Salome had a problem conceiving previously, she has now had this 2nd baby while Romina, whose previous offspring (Namoki) is older than Salome's(Komale), would normally have been expected to have a 2nd infant before Salome did. Its possible 'Romina' may need (or even be receiving) fertility treatment now.
 
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Yassa said:
Great news, neither Jock nor Salome are anywhere near well-represented. I`d say the gender really doesn`t matter, for such rare bloodlines males may actually even be better.
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Also one male can father more offspring in a group more quickly than an individual female. The great thing is that this baby is 'back-up' for her genetic line.

I can't help comparing 'Salome's fortunes now with 'Zaire' at London-only a year or so apart in age, and with very similar histories, yet Zaire hasn't had a baby for many years and London seem to regard her now as 'too old' for breeding. Admittedly its not so important as she's from a well -represented line, but I have little doubt which is the more fulfilled animal.
 
I changed my plans and visited Bristol today. Mother and baby are well :)
Salome spent most of her day in her favourite shelter, dozing with the baby cuddled to her breast. I saw the odd glimpse of ear or hand, but not much of the face or anything else.
Unusually, Salome was not much interested in food. She had a look at the 12.30 feed and talk, but I don't think she took anything and she soon went back to her usual place. She did toy with some old browse and a few blades of grass.
Komale was playing with the others for some of the time, but he repeatedly came back to sit beside Salome and at one point he tried to poke the baby (very gently, out of curiosity I'm sure); Salome just put her hand in his way, also very gently.
It took a lot of calling from the keepers to get Salome to come in for the afternoon feed, eventually she did, cradling the baby with one hand. Then she climbed up the timber frame to use the top entrance to the house - at first I couldn't see the baby, then I saw it in her right hand, clinging to her wrist with pink hands and feet, and its little pink face with eyes tight shut. The keepers moved them into the back den, perhaps because the juveniles were rather boisterous, but I saw Kera having a good long look through the bars so I hope she will study them very carefully.
I did notice how many of the zoo staff and volunteers took a couple of minutes to check on Salome as they were passing. Nothing less than would expect perhaps, but good to see nonetheless :cool:

Alan
 
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gentle lemur said:
Then she climbed up the timber frame to use the top entrance to the house. The keepers moved them into the back den, perhaps because the juveniles were rather boisterous, but I saw Kera having a good long look through the bars so I hope she will study them very carefully.
I did notice how many of the zoo staff and volunteers took a couple of minutes to check on Salome as they were passing. Nothing less than would expect perhaps, but good to see nonetheless :cool:
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Did you see if Komale shared the offshow den with her. Probably not?

So pleased they have had another birth from Salome, evidently without any further treatment. And provided all goes well, it is perfect timing for them to have a new baby now, as far as tutoring the two younger females.
 
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Gigit said:
Just out of light-hearted interest, why is she your favourite?
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Its mostly to do with her parentage and history. Her parents were Samson(Bristol) and Lomie(Chessington/London/Howletts/Chessington) both of which I knew from very young ages. Salome was conceived at Bristol when her mother 'Lomie' was sent there from London on breeding loan(she went twice- two babies) after their old male 'Guy' didn't mate her.

Salome had her own first baby in London, a female but it died as a young adult in Belfast, while Salome was later sent to Chessington where she did not breed for many years, in fact not until after she was finally transferred to Bristol and started (with some problems and no living offspring))to breed again. Her father Samson, whom she looks like, has only one other living descendant so she is a genetically important female too.

Bristol say she's their smartest Gorilla too- I always think she looks very intelligent.
 
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Pertinax said:
Did you see if Komale shared the offshow den with her. Probably not?
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No Komale was with the other 2 juveniles in the right hand display section; Salome was with them when she first came in, but I assume she was enticed into the off-show den (under the elevated part). I had left the house to change lenses, so I didn't actually see the move - but I saw a very relieved looking keeper leaving the house as I went back and Kera staring into that den
Jock and Romina were in the left hand side of course.

Alan
 
Beautiful picture of Salome and baby in Melbourne Australia newspaper yesterday.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Incidentally, any more young gorillas expected?
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If Romina is not currently cycling, or pregnant, which I believe to be the case, then the next most likely would be the young handraised(ex Stuttgart nursery) female 'Kera' (aged 7). But I've no knowledge if she is even cycling yet- if not she's likely to start soon I guess.

The fourth female is six year old Namoki (Jock x Romina) who is planned to move elsewhere in the next couple of years.
 
zooman said:
Beautiful picture of Salome and baby in Melbourne Australia newspaper yesterday.
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Not surprised as Bristol have a very effective PR team. When Salome had her first (successful) baby at Bristol in 2006 after the fertility treatment, it got good press coverage, even airing on the T.V. early evening BBC national news! The other female Romina's successful eye cataract operations also made headlines too- clever PR.;)
 
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