Gorilla Mom Sweetly Tending to Her Baby at Detroit Zoo Is Giving People the Feels
The Detroit Zoo recently welcomed a new baby gorilla to its family, and new mom Bandia is doing a great job taking care of it! 26-year-old first time mom Bandia gave birth on the morning of Thursday, August 8. The infant, who hasn't been named yet because they haven't been able to determine the sex, and mom are now exploring their outdoor habitat at the Zoo in Royal Oak Michigan, giving all of us our first peek at the baby.
The Zoo posted a video of the mom and her infant on Thursday, August 15th and it's warming hearts. Bandia is holding the baby closely, rocking it back and forth, and patting the baby's back, just like us humans do. It's adorable to watch!
She's such a good mama already! @Lisa pizza agreed, "So like human babies! Even the burping!" Detroit Zoo said in their caption that they're giving Bandia the choice of where she wants to spend her time, so if you visit, there's no guarantee that that the two will be outside to see. But lucky for us, the Zoo posts lots of videos to their social media!
Related: Fort Worth Zoo Shares Most Precious Moment Between Gorilla Mom and Baby
More About Bandia and Her New Baby
Michigan Live reported that this new baby is a first of its kind; the baby is the first gorilla to be born at the Zoo in its 96-year history! The baby's father is 36-year-old Mshindi, and all of them are doing well. The baby is the 5th gorilla to join the gorilla tribe, along with mom, dad, 20-year-old Tulivu, and 11-year-old Nayembi.
Tami Brightrall, associate curator of mammals for the Detroit Zoological Society shared more about the care, "Bandia had a very smooth pregnancy, which is so important for a first-time mom. Throughout her eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy, she continued to participate in routine ultrasounds using positive reinforcement training methods, which allowed our team to check on the baby along the way and ensure everything was going well.”
CBC reported that zoo staff worked for months to prepare the troop. Preparation included carrying a stuffed gorilla around the habitat to demonstrate how to carry the baby, Brightrall said. "Our teams also taught the gorillas how to gently touch the stuffed animal, pick it up off the ground and bring it to a member of the team over at the mesh barrier." Pretty amazing!
Zoo officials will be closely monitoring Bandia and her mother instincts, ensuring she's properly feeding and caring for the baby. The rest of the troop will be monitored when interacting with the little one. I can't wait for more updates as the little one continues to grow. I'll be waiting to hear if it's a boy or a girl, and what they decide to name the little one. Congrats to Bandia and Mshindi!
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