Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Handsome Nadaya! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Do you know silverback gorilla Nadaya and the three females—Jamani, Jumoke and Olympia—that make up his western lowland gorilla family? If you don’t, you should! They may not be as active as Kwame and his family because they don’t have youngsters running around (at least not yet ... more on that later) but the animal keepers tell us this group is one of the most cohesive gorilla groups they’ve ever known, in part because all of them “click” and genuinely seem to like being with each other. Nadaya, who is 24 years old, is a wonderful silverback—a relaxed, calm and mature leader. He is responsible for maintaining a calm and secure atmosphere for his group of females and restoring peace and balance if and when there should be any disagreements between them. He doesn’t like to be without his females for any length of time and seems genuinely determined to be a steady and protective pr...

Posted  by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Baby blep! This 2-week old boy is thriving under the care of our expert gorilla staff Woodland Park Zoo’s newest baby, a gorilla born on June 28, is healthy, growing and thriving thanks to round-the-clock care by his human caregivers. Gorilla Akenji, the newborn’s 22-year-old first-time mother, has not shown any signs of interest in the baby who remains under 24/7 hands-on care by our expert gorilla staff; the baby, a boy, has not yet been named. For months leading up to his birth, the gorilla staff provided maternal behavioral training to prepare Akenji for motherhood. However, within an hour after Akenji gave birth, the animal care team had to intervene for the baby’s safety and well-being. “Despite our attempts over the past couple weeks to unite Akenji and her baby and encourage bonding, she has repeatedly turned away from him. Because of the trust and bonding we have with each of the gorillas, we can read h...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications That face! Welcome to the world, little one! Photo by Rachel Vass/Woodland Park Zoo Following a nine-month gestation period, the release of ultrasound images, a birth watch that began two weeks ago, and a flurry of excitement around its pregnant gorilla, Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce that Akenji gave birth on June 28, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (PT) to her first baby…and it’s a boy! The zoo’s gorilla and animal health staff closely observed the birth and post-birth behaviors in the off-view bedrooms. Unfortunately, Akenji did not show appropriate maternal behaviors despite the months-long maternal skills training the gorilla care team provided. Within an hour after delivery, the animal care team intervened for the baby’s safety and well-being. A neonatal exam was performed to ensure the yet-to-be-named infant was healthy. “The average weight for a gorilla at birth is 4 pounds and we’re pleased to report our new boy weighs 4.4 pounds. His vital s...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Akenji's pregnancy is at full term and she could give birth at any time now! Last month, we shared with you Akenji's ultrasound images and a Q & A with fascinating details about her pregnancy and expected delivery. This week, the birth watch has officially started for her! A birth watch for great apes typically begins a week before the birth window opens and can span two to three weeks. The gestation period for gorillas is about nine months. The birth watch means Akenji is now under 24-hour monitoring. Overnight, zoo volunteers observe Akenji remotely on cams installed in her bedroom, collect data such as behavioral changes and sleeping pattern and look for any telltale signs that might indicate the onset of labor. A gorilla keeper is on call to respond in case Akenji goes into labor in the middle of the night; during the day, routine care for all the zoo’s gorillas continues with an ex...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Akenji is expecting her first baby soon! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Recently, we shared with you that Akenji, one of our female western lowland gorillas who will be 23 years old in July, is pregnant with her first baby With a birth just weeks away now—expected by the end of June or early July—we are thrilled to share for the first time, stunning ultrasound video images and stills of the little gorilla baby that will soon be joining Akenji’s extended gorilla family.  Watch video: https://youtu.be/tNNSdWwqDEQ The ultrasound procedure was overseen by Woodland Park Zoo associate veterinarian Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, and the images from it are just amazing! We can see a little hand (in a sort of “fist-bump” pose), ribs, a beating heart and some general wiggling around. Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, our associate veterinarian who oversaw the successful ultrasound procedure, tells us it's OK to interpret the above image as Akenji's ba...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Kwame shares a "smooch" with daughter Zuna as Yola looks on. We are lucky in Seattle to have two family groups of western lowland gorillas at Woodland Park Zoo—each led by its own silverback male. A couple weeks ago we gave you an update on silverback Nadaya’s group . So now it’s time to check in with silverback Kwame and his family. Kwame, who is 23 years old, lives with females Uzumma (15), Nadiri (27), Akenji (21), and Yola (7), plus the two youngsters, his 3-year-old son (with Uzumma) Kitoko and 2-year-old daughter (with Nadiri) Zuna. Kwame is a wonderful, attentive father and a steady, protective silverback for his family. Over the last few years, Kwame has proven to be a wonderful and attentive father to Kitoko and Zuna as well as a steady, protective, and calming presence for the females in his group—exactly what a silverback should be for his family. Our gorilla keepers describe...