Update: On September 10, the Audubon Zoo shared the devastating news that the infant gorilla had passed away.
A critically endangered western lowland gorilla has given birth to her first baby at a zoo in New Orleans on September 4.
The Audubon Zoo says 13-year-old Tumani and her baby are doing well. This is the first baby gorilla born at the zoo in 24 years.
“This is a momentous occasion for Audubon Zoo,” said Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman. “We are thrilled to share this birth with our New Orleans community and contribute to the conservation efforts of this critically endangered species.”
The infant’s father is a 27-year-old silverback gorilla who came to the zoo in 2017. The couple is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan that manages 354 gorillas at 48 zoos to ensure the long-term sustainability of the species.
Tumani and her yet-unnamed infant will be off-limits to visitors for now so they can bond.
