Zoo welcomes baby gorilla born through ‘life-saving’ emergency C-section

FORT WORTH, Texas (Gray News) – The Fort Worth Zoo is celebrating the birth of a baby gorilla that was born via emergency C-section by the zoo’s veterinary team.

The zoo said mom Sekani was exhibiting signs of preeclampsia, a serious condition of high blood pressure in pregnancy that can occur in both humans and primates.

Sekani’s condition required necessary intervention, the zoo said, and veterinarians consulted with specialists in human medicine. They agreed that an emergency C-section was necessary to save both Sekani and her baby.

Videos and photos shared by the zoo show the incredible cesarean process behind the scenes.

The zoo said Sekani is recovering from the surgery well, but she has not demonstrated the necessary maternal behavior to care for her premature baby.

Zookeepers have been hand-raising the baby, named Jameela, and provided her with around-the-clock care for the last five weeks.

The zoo said 40 people have been taking care of Jameela, and they even created an on-site gorilla “nursery.”

The zoo said they have had a longstanding relationship with Dr. Jamie Walker Erwin, a local board-certified doctor of obstetrics and gynecology.

Erwin was there during the cesarean to assist veterinarians in the procedure.

Because of her help, the zoo named the baby gorilla Jameela as a nod to Erwin’s first name, Jamie.

The zoo also said Jameela means “beautiful” in Swahili.

The zoo is looking to another female gorilla, Gracie, to possibly step in as a mother figure for baby Jameela.

Jameela now weighs more than 5 pounds and is growing quickly, thanks to her caregivers, the zoo said.