Zookeepers Catch Gorilla Showering Newborn with Sweet Kisses Hours after Giving Birth
The arrival of a baby is cause for jubilation, especially when the newborn is from an endangered species.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservative Biology Institute is celebrating the birth of a male western lowland gorilla named Moke on April 15.
The name means “junior” or “little one” in the Lingala language, a Bantu language that is spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Moke’s mom Calaya was recommended to mate with 26-year-old father Baraka in the summer of 2017 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
“The birth of this western lowland gorilla is very special and significant, not only to our Zoo family but also to this critically endangered species as a whole,” Meredith Bastian, curator of primates, said.
Western lowland gorillas are native to Africa, but are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of disease and poaching.
“The primate team’s goal was to set Calaya up for success as best we could, given that she is a first-time mother. Doing so required great patience and dedication on the part of my team, and I am very proud of them and Calaya,” Bastian added.
In order to prepare Calaya for motherhood, the staff had to teach the female gorilla how to care for her new baby. According to Melba Brown, Calaya learned best by watching other gorillas in action, and she gained the mother-to-be’s trust through that observation.
Calaya was shown pictures of other mother gorillas and was given a stuffed gorilla toy to practice softly touching and kissing the baby. Keepers were also able to get her to “nurse” the plush toy.
From a video that has circulated since Moke’s birth, it seems that all this practice has paid off. Calaya is shown giving her newborn baby slobbery, sweet kisses, cradling him safely in her arms.
“The infant’s arrival triggers many emotions — joy, excitement, relief — and pride that all of our perseverance in preparing Calaya for motherhood has paid off,” Brown said. “We will provide support to her if need be, but I have every confidence that Calaya will be a great mom to Moke.
“I am excited to see how he will fit into the group dynamic. There are a lot of different personalities in this family troop, but they all work well together.”
This video shows that Calaya’s journey into motherhood is off to a great start. We wish her and little Moke all the best as they bond together and with the rest of the gorilla family.
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