The Fort Worth Zoo has announced the birth of Jameela, its third gorilla baby and the first to be born via Cesarean section at the zoo.
Jameela’s mother, 33-year-old Sekani, was expected to give birth in early to mid-February, said John Griffioen, the zoo’s assistant director of animal programs and conservation, at a news conference Wednesday. On Jan. 3, keepers noticed Sekani holding her head and exhibiting other symptoms of preeclampsia , a serious pregnancy complication that affects both humans and primates.
“Following testing that supported this diagnosis, we determined that intervention was necessary to save Sekani and to give her unborn baby the best chance for survival,” Griffioen said.
The zoo veterinary team reached out to Dr. Jamie Walker Erwin , a Fort Worth obstetrician and gynecologist, for advice. Erwin quickly assembled a volunteer medical team, including a neonatologist and an anesthesiologist. The team helped the zoo’s veterinarians perform an emergency C-section on Sekani on Jan. 5.