Calgary Zoo announces pregnancy of gorilla ‘Yewande’

Article content material

Calgary Zoo and Wilder Institute workers are “cautiously optimistic” as they announce that Yewande, a member of the zoo’s western lowland gorilla troop, is pregnant and anticipated to offer delivery in late spring.

Article content material

That is the second time that Yewande and Jasiri, the troop’s silverback, have conceived since his arrival in Calgary in 2019. Nonetheless, their first conception in 2021 – and Yewande’s first being pregnant ever – resulted in a stillbirth.

Article content material

“It will probably generally occur with first-time gorilla pregnancies although we do all the things we are able to to organize,” mentioned Kim Walker, the zoo’s South America and rainforest space animal care supervisor.

Yewande’s first being pregnant would have been the zoo’s first new child gorilla since Kimani was born in 2016. As a substitute, Dossi’s child, Eyare, grew to become the youngest member of the troop when she was born within the spring of 2022.

Fourteen-year-old Yewande’s child will probably be welcomed to the troop within the spring as 10-month-old Eyare’s half-sister and 25-year-old Zuri’s grandchild, the zoo defined in a information launch Thursday.

Article content material

Article content material

“Child ready” on the zoo begins in Could till the child is born, as she is due in late spring. This consists of in depth coaching with Yewande to assist her be extra snug when the child arrives.

“There are a number of challenges forward of us to make sure Yewande delivers a wholesome child and navigates the dynamics of the troop household, however the Animal Care, Well being and Welfare workforce will assist her each second we are able to alongside the best way,” Walker mentioned. mentioned.

The workforce solely intervenes within the being pregnant if the mom or child’s well being and well-being is compromised, in keeping with the zoo.

Article content material

Western lowland gorillas stay critically endangered

A profitable delivery for Yewande can be excellent news for the western lowland gorilla inhabitants, which stays critically endangered.

Wild gorilla populations are down greater than 80 p.c from the place they had been 30 years in the past resulting from poaching and habitat destruction. Particularly, the mining of the mineral coltan utilized in cellphone manufacturing has had a extreme affect on gorilla habitats.

Jasiri was delivered to the Calgary Zoo in 2019 as a part of the gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), which sees zoos around the globe work collectively to broaden the gorilla gene pool.

After the Calgary Zoo’s earlier silverback, Kakinga, handed away in 2016, bachelor silverback Jasiri was really useful by the SSP as the perfect match for breeding with Dossi and Yewande.

“The profitable conceptions are a optimistic step ahead in conservation efforts to save lots of this unimaginable species,” the zoo mentioned.

sbabych@postmedia.com