Animal care staff tended to a 1-day-old baby girl gorilla who was born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park after an emergency c-section procedure last night. Safari Park keeper Jennifer Minichino carefully held the new baby while a member of the veterinary team, Dr. Jack Allen, examined the newborn gorilla.
The full-term baby gorilla, weighing 4.6 pounds, was delivered by a team of San Diego Zoo Global staff and outside consultants, including a veterinary surgeon and human neonatal specialists from UCSD Medical Center. The baby is showing some complications believed to be related to the difficult labor, and she is currently in intensive care, receiving oxygen and supplemental fluids at the veterinary hospital. Imani is recovering from surgery in the familiar surroundings of the gorilla bedroom area. This is the first baby for Imani and the 17th gorilla to be born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
