ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta announced the death of its infant western lowland gorilla on Monday, just born days ago.
Kambera, a 25-year-old gorilla, gave birth to her baby on Wednesday, Nov. 13. She was the 26th gorilla born at the zoo.
Just two days after the newborn gorilla's birth, Zoo Atlanta said its Animal Care and Veterinary Teams briefly removed the infant from Kambera to conduct a neonatal exam to ensure she was hydrated and fed. After the exam, Zoo Atlanta officials said the infant was promptly returned to her mother.
Zoo Atlanta said the newborn began nursing, and the animal care teams were pleased to see Kambera's maternal instincts kick in.
But, on Monday morning, the animal care team found the infant dead. Zoo staff said in a statement they were "heartbroken" by not only the loss of a "special little individual," but also because it was a newborn of a critically endangered species.
"Like humans, newborn gorillas are very fragile, and the first few days of life are uncertain for any baby animal,” Zoo Atlanta Vice President of Collections and Conservation Gina Ferrie said in a statement.
“If there is an encouraging takeaway from this sad moment, it is that we were so encouraged to see Kambera, who had not previously reared an infant, display all of the maternal inclinations we hoped to see. Our teams worked tirelessly and with outstanding commitment to help Kambera prepare for the birth and, following the birth, to ensure her and her infant’s wellbeing.”
A necropsy will be conducted to learn more about the cause of the infant gorilla's death.
The infant’s father is Willie B. Jr. He and the rest of the troop, which includes females Shalia and Amari and Shalia’s son, 18-month-old Willie B. III, continue to remain with Kambera.
Zoo Atlanta previously shared that Kambera had rejected another offspring born. Over the last year and a half, Kambera has observed the behaviors of 22-year-old Shalia with her baby Willie B. III.
To learn more about Zoo Atlanta's western lowland gorillas, click here.