Premature Baby Gorilla Delivered at Fort Worth Zoo in Emergency C-Section, Mom Makes ‘Full Recovery’

The baby gorilla was born four to six weeks early at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas after her mother faced life-threatening pregnancy complications,

According to a Valentine’s Day statement from the Fort Worth Zoo, Jameela, the baby gorilla, was born Jan. 5 by emergency C-section performed by the zoo’s veterinary team with the help of “human medical experts.”

The baby gorilla first weighed 3 pounds 1 ounce at birth, but now weighs over 5 pounds thanks to constant care from zookeepers.

Jameela’s mother, Sekani, has “made a full recovery” from the procedure.

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The Fort Worth Zoo decided to operate after the 33-year-old mother gorilla began showing signs of life-threatening blood pressure called preeclampsia before her due date, according to the zoo’s website.

After consulting with a local obstetrician and neonatologist, zoo staff and veterinarians decided that an emergency C-section would give both primates the “best chance of survival.”

Jameela, a premature gorilla born at the Fort Worth Zoo in January.

TMX/Fort Worth Zoo

The zoo’s veterinary team performed the C-section with the help of Dr. Jamie Walker Erwin, neonatologist Robert Ursprung, MD, and Dennis Ockkiogross, CRNA.

“Participating in the cesarean delivery of Sekani’s child was one of the highlights of my entire career as a gynecologist,” Erwin said in a statement. “It is an honor and a privilege to help care for this endangered species and share my expertise with the veterinary staff at the Fort Worth Zoo. I was amazed at how Sekani’s anatomy matched that of my human patients.”

Jameela, a premature gorilla born at the Fort Worth Zoo in January.

TMX/Fort Worth Zoo

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The zoo noted that Jameela required “resuscitation and stabilization, respiratory support, radiography and serial examinations” after the dramatic birth. Ursprung continued to provide consultations “to help optimize temperature regulation and nutritional strategy, including oral feeding.”

“It was amazing how similar this mother-child pair was compared to what I see in the hospital for babies born under similar circumstances,” Ursprung said in a statement. “The baby required critical respiratory support for several hours after birth, but as she transitioned to life outside the womb, she stabilized quite well.”

“The care team at the zoo was incredible. Their ability to adapt to the care needs of a medically fragile infant was amazing to watch,” the medical expert added.

Jameela, a premature gorilla born at the Fort Worth Zoo in January, is held by Dr. Robert Ursprung.

TMX/Fort Worth Zoo

Baby Jameela — named as a nod to the Swahili word for “beautiful” and to Dr. Erwin — has received around-the-clock care from the guards since birth.

Sekani “showed little interest in caring for her baby,” which experts believe may be related to her lack of pregnancy and birth. To help Jameela grow, zookeepers bottle-fed the baby gorilla every two to three hours.

Zoo staff are also responsible for ensuring Jameela is around other gorillas so she can “learn the smells, sounds and sights of the troop”.

Jameela, a premature gorilla born at the Fort Worth Zoo in January.

TMX/Fort Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo is training 24-year-old female gorilla Gracie, who is already a mother of two, to become a surrogate mother for the baby. The zoo hopes Jameela will eventually join their group of seven gorillas.

“Watching our staff and their continued commitment to this baby and continued surrogacy is a testament to their dedication to the animals in their care,” said Fort Worth Zoo Executive Director Michael Fouraker.

“It was incredibly inspiring to witness and we all hope we can continue to watch this little one grow.”

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Source: HIS Education