The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo said its 14-year-old western lowland gorilla Yewande is expecting a baby. .“We are cautiously optimistic about the birth as this is the second time that Yewande and Jasiri have successfully conceived,” said Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo Animal Care Manager (South America/Rainforest) Kim Walker in a Thursday press release. .“Unfortunately, Yewande’s first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth, which can sometimes happen with first-time gorilla pregnancies despite us doing everything we can to prepare.” .The release said this news means 10-month-old gorilla Eyare might soon be a big half sister, and 25-year-old Zuri will be a grandmother. It said Yewande’s due date is expected in late spring, so its official baby watch will commence in May until he is born. .The Calgary Zoo Animal Care, Health, and Welfare (ACHW) team will provide extensive training with Yewande in advance of the birth to make her comfortable once the baby arrives. Direct intervention will happen if the mother’s or baby’s health and well-being are compromised. .The release went on to say the Calgary Zoo is a proud supporter of gorilla conservation and has had gorillas in its care for more than 50 years. As part of the Gorilla Species Survival Program (SSP), it said the entire captive gorilla population is managed to ensure a wide, well-represented gene pool. .An accredited zoo must first receive a breeding recommendation before the process starts. Calgary Zoo silverback gorilla Kakinga died in 2016 because of a cardiac event. .After a careful evaluation of the SSP’s recommendation by the Calgary Zoo in 2019, it welcomed silverback gorilla Jasiri. Jasiri was given a breeding recommendation with gorilla Dossi and Yewande. .The release said wild gorilla populations have decreased by more than 80% over the past 30 years because of poaching and habitat destruction, mostly due to coltan mining for cellphone production. It added as a critically endangered species, a healthy population in human care acts as an assurance for gorilla survival into the future. .“There are several challenges ahead of us to ensure Yewande delivers a healthy infant and navigates troop family dynamics, but the ACHW team will be helping her every moment that we can along the way,” said Walker. .The Calgary Zoo announced the death of a six-year-old western lowland gorilla in June. .READ MORE: Calgary Zoo euthanizes gorilla fighting liver cancer.“We are heartbroken to share that our ACHW team made the difficult but compassionate decision to euthanize our beloved Kimani this morning,” it said. .“Sadly, her condition deteriorated to the point we were no longer able to maintain her quality of life.”
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo said its 14-year-old western lowland gorilla Yewande is expecting a baby. .“We are cautiously optimistic about the birth as this is the second time that Yewande and Jasiri have successfully conceived,” said Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo Animal Care Manager (South America/Rainforest) Kim Walker in a Thursday press release. .“Unfortunately, Yewande’s first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth, which can sometimes happen with first-time gorilla pregnancies despite us doing everything we can to prepare.” .The release said this news means 10-month-old gorilla Eyare might soon be a big half sister, and 25-year-old Zuri will be a grandmother. It said Yewande’s due date is expected in late spring, so its official baby watch will commence in May until he is born. .The Calgary Zoo Animal Care, Health, and Welfare (ACHW) team will provide extensive training with Yewande in advance of the birth to make her comfortable once the baby arrives. Direct intervention will happen if the mother’s or baby’s health and well-being are compromised. .The release went on to say the Calgary Zoo is a proud supporter of gorilla conservation and has had gorillas in its care for more than 50 years. As part of the Gorilla Species Survival Program (SSP), it said the entire captive gorilla population is managed to ensure a wide, well-represented gene pool. .An accredited zoo must first receive a breeding recommendation before the process starts. Calgary Zoo silverback gorilla Kakinga died in 2016 because of a cardiac event. .After a careful evaluation of the SSP’s recommendation by the Calgary Zoo in 2019, it welcomed silverback gorilla Jasiri. Jasiri was given a breeding recommendation with gorilla Dossi and Yewande. .The release said wild gorilla populations have decreased by more than 80% over the past 30 years because of poaching and habitat destruction, mostly due to coltan mining for cellphone production. It added as a critically endangered species, a healthy population in human care acts as an assurance for gorilla survival into the future. .“There are several challenges ahead of us to ensure Yewande delivers a healthy infant and navigates troop family dynamics, but the ACHW team will be helping her every moment that we can along the way,” said Walker. .The Calgary Zoo announced the death of a six-year-old western lowland gorilla in June. .READ MORE: Calgary Zoo euthanizes gorilla fighting liver cancer.“We are heartbroken to share that our ACHW team made the difficult but compassionate decision to euthanize our beloved Kimani this morning,” it said. .“Sadly, her condition deteriorated to the point we were no longer able to maintain her quality of life.”
