The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed a newborn baby gorilla earlier this week after a gorilla named Imami delivered a baby girl via cesarean section.
Imami started to labor Wednesday morning but had difficulty giving birth so she was transported to the Safari Park hospital to undergo an emergency c-section.
"An 18-year-old gorilla, Imani, gave birth to a baby girl last night around 6:30 p.m. at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park," the San Diego Zoo said. "The full-term baby, weighing 4.6 pounds, was delivered by a team of San Diego Zoo Global staff and outside consultants, including a veterinary surgeon and human neonatal specialists from UCSD Medical Center."
Female gorillas are often ready to give birth when they are about eight years old but the baby is 18-year old Imami's first baby. Gorillas also usually give birth quickly and easily so the zookeepers decided that a cesarean section is needed when Imami experienced labor distress.
"Yesterday morning, Imani showed signs of labor and was closely observed by animal care and veterinary staff. By evening, she showed no signs of progress and was transported to the Safari Park veterinary hospital for an emergency c-section," the San Diego Zoo said.
The difficult birth has unfortunately resulted in the yet-unnamed baby gorilla to have complications. The vets noticed that the infant had difficulty breathing and attributed her collapsed lung to the difficult delivery. A medical team consists of vets, animal specialists as well as an anesthesiologist and neonatal specialist from the University of California, San Diego Health System, however, has already fixed the baby's collapsed lung and the infant is currently monitored round the clock as she recovers.
"The baby is showing some complications believed to be related to the difficult labor, and she is currently in intensive care receiving oxygen and supplemental fluids at the veterinary hospital," the zoo said. "Imani is recovering from surgery in the familiar surroundings of the gorilla bedroom area."
Cesarean section may be rare among non-human species but the operation was apparently crucial to save the baby. "In retrospect the c-section was the right decision," said Nadine Lamberski, San Diego Zoo Safari Park's associate director of veterinary services. "We think the health of the fetus would have been compromised if we delayed the surgery any longer."
The baby is the 17th gorilla to be born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
