Top video courtesy of Fort Worth Zoo, Texas via Storyful
FORT WORTH, Texas (Storyful) — The Fort Worth Zoo in Texas has announced the rare emergency C-section birth of a premature western lowland gorilla.
The zoo said the intervention came after Sekani, the 33-year-old mother, showed signs of preeclampsia, a blood-pressure condition that can affect humans and primates.
A combined team of vets and doctors was assembled, and the successful procedure saw the birth of baby Jameela on Jan. 5.
“Intervention was necessary to save Sekani and to give her unborn baby the best chance for survival,” John Griffioen, the zoo’s assistant director of animal programs, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Western lowland gorillas are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation.