Happy news at Berlin Zoo, a baby gorilla has been born for the first time in 16 years.
The zoo announced the big news on its Facebook page Thursday, February 18: “
Magical news!
On the night of February 15, a little dwarf was born among the gentle giants.
The young animal is the first gorilla to be born in 16 years at the Berlin Zoo.
Due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting, these fascinating herbivores are threatened with extinction.
"
Read also: The Lille zoo welcomes a young male red panda to attempt reproduction
"
We are really relieved that the offspring are looking good and that the mother gorilla is taking care of her cub,
" Zoo and Animal Park Director Dr Andreas Knieriem announced on Facebook.
However, due to sanitary rules, wardens and vets are only allowed to observe the baby gorilla from a distance, according to
bz-berlin.de.
Therefore, currently no one knows what their weight is and what their gender is.
The situation is ideal for the little one to get used to their new surroundings in peace, zoo officials say.
The caretakers note that the mother takes good care of her little one.
“
During the first months, the little one depends on his mother for his care.
He breastfed for the first four to five years of his life.
Little gorillas can cling to their mother's fur from the start and are carried everywhere by her, first on her stomach and then on her back,
”explains
Frankfurter Rundschau
, veterinarian Dr Andre Schüle,
to the daily
.
The mother and her cub are western gorillas, a species considered endangered.
There are between 150,000 and 250,000 worldwide, and most live in Central Africa.
In Berlin, visitors still need patience to come and admire this new resident of the zoo.
