Pregnancy announcement: a baby sister or brother is on the way for popular Zoo gorilla

by | Oct 6, 2020

Nadiri (NAW-dee-ree), the mom of popular gorilla Yola, is eating for two. Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce that Nadiri has completed the first trimester of pregnancy and is expecting her second baby in late February or early March 2021.
 
The gestation period for gorillas is eight to nine months, similar to humans.
 
The new baby sister or brother for Yola, who turns 5 in November, will be the first offspring between 24-year-old Nadiri and 20-year-old Kwame (KWA-may).
 
At birth, Yola endeared herself to animal fans around the globe because her mom didn’t immediately bond with her. Nadiri was partially handraised as an infant and didn’t have experience being a mom. Therefore, she didn’t show strong maternal skills. Yola spent the first several months of her life under round-the-clock care by gorilla keepers and veterinary staff while having daily interactions with Nadiri. The new mom’s maternal instincts eventually kicked in and Yola was reunited with her mom and the other members of her family.
 
The gorilla care team will prepare for every possible scenario for the birth. “We believe things will be different when Nadiri gives birth to her second infant,” said Martin Ramirez, mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “Nadiri has gained valuable experience raising Yola. She has become more confident and has turned out to be an excellent mom to her firstborn.”

Gorillas in the wild typically live in groups of five to 10, composed of a dominant silverback (adult male), several adult females, adolescents, juveniles and babies. Sometimes groups can consist of two to more than 50 family members.

How to Help Gorillas. Every visit to Woodland Park Zoo supports conservation of animals in the wild Join the zoo by recycling old cell phones and other used handheld electronics through ECO-CELL to help preserve gorilla habitat. Reclaiming the minerals in electronics and diverting them from landfills help reduce demand for mining in gorilla habitat. Drop off used handheld electronics including cell phones, smartphones, iPods, iPads, tablets, adapters, chargers, MP3 players, handheld gaming systems and their accessories at drop boxes located at both zoo entrances or the gorilla overlook. Funds generated from ECO-CELL support the Mondika Gorilla Project and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

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