Adorable baby gorilla clings to its mum as it is caught on camera just hours after being born at Bristol Zoo
An endangered western lowland gorilla has been born at Bristol Zoo and has been captured on camera cradled in its mother's arms.
The tiny gorilla arrived in the early hours of Wednesday in the Gorilla House at Bristol Zoo.
Nine-year-old Kala, who came to Bristol from Germany in 2018, gave birth naturally with the baby's father, Jock, nearby.
Keepers arrived to find the little gorilla nestling in its mother's arms, and both are doing well.
The sex of the infant is a mystery as it is hard to determine in newborns, so it has not yet been named.
The infant gorilla in the arms of mother Kala in Bristol Zoo. The newborn was delivered safely in the early hours of Wednesday
Nine-year-old Kala, who came to Bristol Zoo from Germany in 2018, gave birth naturally with the baby's father, Jock, nearby
The sex of the baby is a mystery as it can hard to determine in newborns and, as a result, the infant has not yet been named
Nine-year-old Kala, a western lowland gorilla, with her infant, which she gave birth to on August 19 in the Gorilla House at Bristol Zoo Gardens
The infant 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
In September last year, Kala lost her first infant after undergoing an emergency caesarean section.
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 for a little while.
'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.
'She's a very attentive mother and very nurturing and you see lots of suckling from the baby, and the baby looks really strong and a good size.' 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 gorilla 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.
Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered primates from Cameroon, in the west Central Africa region.
Many gorillas in the wild are shot by hunters for the bush meat trade which thrives in towns and cities.
Bristol Zoo Gardens is actively involved in ensuring there is a strong population in human care.
Lowland gorillas, which can weigh up to 400lb as adults and stand 6ft tall, are usually not aggressive - unless disturbed.
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 for a little while. I came in yesterday morning to find a brand new baby in the house. It was lovely'
One of Bristol Zoological Society’s flagship conservation projects focuses on western lowland gorillas in Monte Alén National Park, Equatorial Guinea – an area highlighted by the IUCN as critically important for the conservation of this species. For more than 20 years The Society has also supported a sanctuary in Cameroon which helps look after orphaned gorillas and
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