Baby Gorilla Expected at Philadelphia Zoo!
There are few things as exciting as a new baby – especially when that new baby is one expected by a member of an endangered species at the Philadelphia Zoo! It was announced yesterday that Honi, one of the zoo’s Western Lowland Gorillas, is pregnant. This is big news with far-reaching implications for the continued species preservation efforts. Honi, aged 21, is expected to give birth in the fall – September, specifically.
Gorillas like Honi are critically endangered. The imminent arrival of a new baby is big news!
Lowland gorillas are pregnant for 8.5 months on average and usually only give birth to one baby at a time. Gorilla babies normally weigh 3 – 4 pounds, or about half the size of a normal human baby. The similarities between gorillas and humans are striking. For instance, the zoo first discovered Honi’s happy news using a human pregnancy test! The pregnancy was later confirmed by ultrasound, which showed that the baby has a strong heartbeat (a great sign for its viability).
Zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo said that the new gorilla will be the first one born at the Philadelphia Zoo in about 20 years. The zoo is closely monitoring Honi’s pregnancy, just as doctors would with a human one. Honi was taken off contraception last fall, in the hopes that she might breed. That happened, and the happy result was what seems like a healthy pregnancy.
Honi is one of five gorillas living at the zoo’s gorilla habitat. Honi is joined by Motuba, aged 31, who is the baby’s father. There are also Louis and Kira, both aged 16, as well as Kuchimba, 13, who was Honi’s first child. Zookeepers say that Honi was a fantastic mom the first time around, so it’s believed she will do well this time as well. Honi and Kuchimba came from the Bronx Zoo in 2007.
Honi has a slender build, so the zoo says that visitors will eventually be able to see her “showing,” even though gorillas have naturally rounded bellies. The baby, once born, will stay with Honi for at least 6 or 7 years, say zookeepers.
