A rare baby gorilla was delivered by Caesarean when her 11-year-old mother Kera showed pre-eclampsia symptoms. The baby girl, which has no name yet, weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces when she was born at the Bristol Zoo Gardens in the United Kingdom.
The C-section gorilla birth was the first of its kind in the UK and there are only a few instances of such in the world. According to the zoo's senior curator of animals John Partridge, the baby gorilla has not been shown to the public.
Partridge added that a C-section gorilla birth is unusual but nonetheless rare and exciting. He said the team didn't take the C-section decision lightly. The team needed to act fast to prevent losing the unborn gorilla and to give both Kera and her baby the best treatment possible.
The zoo's in-house team of veterinarians assessed Kera first. Bristol University's Dr. David Cahill provided the expert treatment. Cahill is a medical education and reproductive medicine professor at the university as well as a St. Michael's Hospital gynecologist.
Cahill delivered hundreds of C-section babies in his long career, but it was the first time he conducted the procedure on a gorilla mother. On Feb. 12, Kera showed pre-eclampsia symptoms.
While the exact cause remains unknown, pre-eclampsia is believed to happen when the placenta is problematic. The condition leads to very high blood pressure. The only treatment possible is to give birth.
However, Kera's scans showed that the unborn baby was becoming unresponsive. The only option is to deliver the baby via C-section.
After the administration of a general anesthetic at the zoo's clinic, Cahill and his colleague Dr. Aamna Ali proceeded with the C-section to save both Kera and her baby. Bristol's staff veterinarian Rowena Killic assisted in the procedure.
"This was a very challenging operation and we are immensely grateful for the expert help we received which meant we were able to give care at the very highest level," said Killic.
At first, the newborn gorilla needed external help from the vets to help her breathe, but is now recovering well. Both Kera and the baby, which was fathered by Komale, are being monitored closely by an experienced team of gorilla keepers.
