The Buffalo Zoo has announced the birth of its newest resident – a western lowland gorilla. The baby was sired by 18-year-old Sydney (mother) and 28-year-old Koga (father).
This is great news for the healthy Buffalo gorilla troop. At the same time, western lowland gorillas in their natural habitat continue to face huge problems and are currently on the critically endangered list due to tropical habitat loss and bush meat trade in central Africa.
The baby was born on Sunday and joined into the gorilla family which includes big sister Amari, half sister Nyah, and Nyah’s mother, Lily. The gender of the baby gorilla is yet to be determined, as zoo keepers are keeping their distance at this time. The gorillas have been granted access to their interior holding areas during this time, which means that visitors may not capture a glimpse of the animals since they are naturally going to be more private and protective.
According to all reports, the mother and her baby appear to be extremely healthy and happy. The baby should be up and about on its own between three and six months of age. The weaning age is around three.
It’s efforts such as this that can give us a semblance of hope that these incredible creatures will not be eradicated off the face of the planet. While the plight of the western lowland gorilla is sad beyond words, at least we can have some optimism that one day Buffalo can take part in a repopulation effort, if the circumstances were deemed appropriate.