Endangered western lowland gorilla born at London Zoo

A critically endangered western lowland gorilla has been born at London Zoo.

Mjukuu, the mother of the infant, went into labour on Wednesday after an eight-and-a-half month pregnancy.

The zoo's gorilla keepers monitored the birth via CCTV cameras installed in the dens. Zookeepers are yet to confirm the sex of the infant.

After just 17 minutes, second-time mother Mjukuu could be seen cradling her newborn, before letting the rest of the troop examine it.

The infant was fathered by Kiburi, who arrived at London Zoo from Tenerife in November 2022 as part of an international conservation breeding programme.

The infant will remain in close contact with its mother for about the first six months of its life.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said poaching and disease had led to the number of western lowland gorillas, which are on the critically endangered conservation list, declining by more than 60% over the past 20 to 25 years.

Scientists estimate that even if all of the threats to the subspecies were removed, the population would require about 75 years to recover.

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