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Baby gorilla arrives at Bristol Zoo a year after mother lost first born

A baby gorilla has been born at Bristol Zoo - a year after its mother, Kala, lost her first born.

The tiny western lowland gorilla arrived in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the zoo's Gorilla House.

Bristol Zoo said in a tweet it was "SO happy" when keepers arrived to find the little gorilla nestling in the arms of its mother Kala.

Mother and baby are "doing well", the zoo said.

Kala, 9, who arrived from Germany in 2018, gave birth naturally with the baby's father, Jock, nearby.

In September last year, Kala lost her first baby after undergoing an emergency caesarean.

Lynsey Bugg, the zoo's curator of mammals, said: "We knew we were having a baby gorilla due and we've been on baby watch fo"On Tuesday Kala looked nice and comfortable and not causing us any concerns or worries.

I came in yesterday morning to find a brand new baby in the house. It was lovely.

"Last year she did have a pregnancy and birth but it didn't go as planned and unfortunately the baby didn't survive.

"We were a bit on tenterhooks this time round and it is so lovely that she was able to give birth naturally and baby and mum are really well. 

Ms Bugg said it would take some time before the sex of the baby gorilla is known.

"They are not all that easy to sex and we want to have a few looks before we are certain," she added.

The new addition joins a troop of six gorillas at the zoo, which are part of a breeding programme to help safeguard the future of western lowland gorillas.

The western lowland is the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The group estimates their numbers have decreased by more than 60% over the last 20 to 25 years due to poaching and disease.

Reference: Sky News: Russell Hope, news reporter 5 days ago:22nd August 2020