Zoo Atlanta western lowland gorilla expecting baby in the winter
Kambera the gorilla (Zoo Atlanta)
ATLANTA - Zoo Atlanta's gorilla population is going to get a little bit bigger in 2024.
The zoo announced on Thursday that Kambera, a 25-year-old western lowland gorilla, is expecting an infant.
The baby will be the second offspring of father Willie B. Jr. His first, named Willie B III, was born in 2023.
The zoo's Veterinary and Animal Care Teams first detected the pregnancy in April and expect Kambera to give birth sometime between mid-November and mid-December.
Kambera has given birth once previously at another organization, but officials say she did not rear the infant. The zoo is hoping her time observing the raising of Willie B III have improved her maternal skills.
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Kambera arrived at the zoo in 2020 with 22-year-old Shalia and 13-year-old Amari in order to create a genetically diverse gorilla population.
"We are thrilled to announce Kambera’s pregnancy," said Gina Ferrie, PhD, the vice president of collections and conservation. "Not only will this infant make an individual contribution to the long-term viability of a critically endangered species, but having two youngsters so close in age in the same troop will be a special joy."
The baby will be the 26th gorilla born at Zoo Atlanta since they open their Ford African Rain Forest - which is now home to one of the largest populations of gorillas in all of North America. All the babies born at the zoo have been reared by their mothers or surrogates.
As well as being a new addition to the Willie B. family legacy at the zoo, the baby will also add another number to the critically endangered western lowland gorilla species. The animals have seen their population plummet in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching, and disease.
Willie B., Jr., whose given name is Kidogo (Swahili for "a little"), is the third child and only son of the late Willie B., who died in 2000. Willie B. was an icon of the zoo who generations of Atlantans grew up visiting.