Kera was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a life threatening condition in the later stages of pregnancy and so vets decided to deliver her baby gorilla by cesarean section.
It's the first time a gorilla has been born by cesarean at Bristol zoo and was carried out by a top gynecologist — who has delivered hundreds of babies before by C-section — but never a gorilla.
Baby gorilla born at Bristol Zoo Gardens after rare caesarean…We’re very excited to announce that a baby Western lowland gorilla has been born at the Zoo after an emergency caesarean procedure.The little one was born 11 days ago and was delivered by a rare, emergency caesarean procedure, as her mum Kera showed symptoms of potentially life-threatening pre-eclampsia. The baby needed help from vets before she was able to breathe independently, but is now doing well, being hand-reared round the clock by a small team of experienced gorilla keepers.You can read more about the baby here. http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/latest-zoo-news/Baby-gorilla-born-by-rare-caesarean
Posted by Bristol Zoo Gardens on Monday, February 22, 2016
David Cahill, who delivered the baby gorilla, is a professor in reproductive medicine and medical education at Bristol University and a gynecologist at St Mary's Hospital.
"Having been involved in the care of these gorillas over the years, with some trepidation and excitement, we were invited to the Zoo to assess the well-being of Kera, because she was in late pregnancy and showed some signs of being unwell.
"Along with having my own children, this is probably one of the biggest achievements of my life," Professor Cahill said.
The 11-day-old female infant is being hand-reared by a team of gorilla keepers while her mother recovers.
"The baby needed some intensive care immediately after birth and it is still very early days, but we are cautiously optimistic and will be keeping a very close eye on both her and Kera," said Rowena Killick who works at the zoo and resuscitated the baby gorilla after she was born.
Bristol Zoo says the baby gorilla is getting stronger and more alert every day.
