Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher Beautiful Batu is preparing to become a mother! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo In June we shared the happy news that, for the first time in 35 years, one of Woodland Park Zoo’s orangutans is pregnant and expecting a baby soon! Sumatran orangutan, Batu, is 14 years old and is due to give birth any day now. The father is 15-year-old Godek, who is also a Sumatran orangutan. This will be the first offspring for both of them. Thirty-five-year-old male Heran and 43-year-old female Belawan (Bela) round out our orangutan group. They live in a separate but adjacent area from Godek and Batu. Since making this exciting announcement, we have heard from many of you, offering well-wishes and asking for an update on how everything is going. So, without further ado, here are the answers to some of your questions, courtesy of our experts—orangutan keeper Laura McComesky and interim animal care manager Rachel Vass. Beautiful Batu is eating her greens and ge...

Posted by Woodland Park Zoo Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo The newest little gorilla baby is healthy, thriving, and growing! A lot of you have been asking for an update on our baby gorilla. You may recall 22-year-old western lowland gorilla Akenji gave birth to a baby boy on June 28 . She showed no interest in the infant after he was born or in the following days, so our expert gorilla care staff has been caring for the baby 24/7 and providing everything this baby needs to get off to a good start in life. "Our team in the gorilla unit is dedicated to providing this infant with the care, nutrition and safety he needs at this early stage, and we are continuing to assess the female gorilla surrogate options. Having a gorilla mother-figure is critical to his development and wellbeing, and we are committed to finding the right match so that this baby can thrive and grow up gorilla." says Martin Ramirez, Senior Director of Animal Care and General Cur...

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 Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Beautiful Batu is expecting a baby —the first orangutan pregnancy at Woodland Park Zoo in 35 years! For the first time in 35 years at Woodland Park Zoo, an orangutan is pregnant. The expectant mom is 14-year-old Batu and the father is 15-year-old Godek; both are Sumatran orangutans. Batu is due to give birth this summer in late August/early September and this will be the first offspring for both orangutans. The gestation period for orangutans is about nine months. Batu, which means “rock” in Malay, arrived in 2021 from Philadelphia Zoo; Godek, whose name means “sideburns” in Indonesian, arrived in 2017 from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Colorado Springs, CO). The Sumatran orangutans were paired under a breeding recommendation by the Orangutan Species Survival Plan and have been companions in the zoo’s Trail of Vines. Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding programs across accredited zoos to help ...

 Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Akenji in 2020, photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo recently tested one of its western lowland gorillas for pregnancy. Using the same type of an early-detection kit used for humans, the zoo is proud to announce the test results: two pink lines, which means a pregnant gorilla!  The expectant gorilla is 22-year-old Akenji, and this will be her first baby. Akenji is due to give birth the end of June or early July; the gestation period for gorillas is eight to nine months. It's two solid lines for Akenji! Photo by Woodland Park Zoo Is the pregnant gorilla showing a baby bump? “It’s hard to notice a belly bump because gorillas characteristically have big bellies due to the high volume of fibrous vegetation they digest,” said Rachel Vass, an interim animal care manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “However, our gorilla care staff notice she’s a little wider across her upper midsection and chest. Her belly is bigger, bu...