Broly Gets Pampered
A wee kitten enjoys some belly caresses; and an update on a zoo gorilla baby-swap that became the ideal arrangement for all involved
There’s something so soothing about watching a small kitten fully relaxed, enjoying some gentle caresses, not a care in the world. Kittens are an antidote to all the bad news and negativity out there. Stay sweet, little Broly!
Speaking of adorable babies, a pair of western lowland gorilla infants at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington are part of an incredible story. The tale starts a few weeks ago: on May 24th, an ultrasound on pregnant Olympia, carrying five days past her due date, found that decreased amniotic fluid combined with an incompletely dilated cervix indicated that a natural labor would not be viable. The zoo called in an obstetrics team to carry out an emergency C-section, a procedure so rare and dangerous than fewer than 12 have successfully been performed. What is more remarkable than the rarity of the procedure is that the medical team was one that typically works on human patients. The team, under obstetrics veterinary specialist oversight, successfully delivered Olympia’s baby, a healthy baby boy weighing a chonky 5.4 pounds (on average, lowland gorilla newborns weigh in at about 4 pounds). The baby was kept in close proximity to Olympia while she came out from anesthesia in order to allow her to see and smell the infant, with the zoo’s care team providing the baby necessary feeding and care to allow her time to rest and recover.
Just a week prior, the zoo had welcomed another infant, a baby boy born to mom Jamani. The father of both newborns is first-time dad Nadaya. The babies are the second infants of both Olympia and Jamani; their previous infants were born in 2012, also coming a week apart. At the time, both were living at the North Carolina Zoo, and both successfully raised their firstborns together.
The day after her C-section, Olympia was reunited with the zoo’s gorilla troop, and a few hours after that the baby was introduced to the troop. While Olympia was interested in her baby, she let Jamani take the infant into her arms to join her own baby, keeping Olympia nearby. Both mothers had been trained to bring their babies to zookeepers if they wanted their infants to have supplemental feedings, and Jamani took both infants to the fence for bottle feedings of infant formula throughout the day. All the while, Olympia stayed near and kept an eye on the proceedings, but the interactions were calm, with neither mother showing signs of jealousy or possessiveness.
Jamani continued to care for both babies over the following weeks, showing excellent maternal skills, keeping the pair fed and cuddled. However, the maternal demands, particularly those of nursing two infants at once (a rare occurrence in the gorilla world), were impacting the health of the older baby, who started showing signs of dehydration. Realizing a bit of extra assistance was needed, the zoo stepped in to medically assess Jumani’s infant, providing extra formula, checking on his suckling abilities, and getting him back to full strength. At the same time, to encourage lactation, Olympia and Jamani are being fed supplements of their daily diets with milk-boosting foods such as electrolyte drinks, avocado and oatmeal.
The first week in June, Jamani‘s baby had recovered enough to be returned to the troop. But with Jamani still caring for Olympia’s baby and nursing him well, the older infant was given to Olympia. Now the two moms are raising each other’s infants—both babies have foster moms that are providing full-time nursing and care. It is a situation that seems to suit the mothering style of both gorillas, as Olympia is more inclined to bring the older infant to keepers for supplemental feedings, ensuring that he stays well fed and hydrated. The two moms continue to stay close to the other, neither showing signs of wanting to take the other’s infant, coexisting harmoniously within the troop.
“We think they are both relieved to each have a baby in their care. We’re so pleased that both babies are doing great!” Says Arden Rober, Animal Care Manager of Primates at the zoo. “Both moms are nursing and the infants are getting stronger each day.”
The source for today’s gif is here.
Our fellow primates seem to be better at community than many of us...
Nice time! 8)