A gorilla at England's Bristol Zoo delivered a baby by caesarean section on Feb. 12, and zoo officials say both mother and child are doing well nearly two weeks later.
"Along with having my own children, this is probably one of the biggest achievements of my life and something I will certainly never forget," said gynecologist David Cahill, who has done hundreds of C-sections but only one on a gorilla,
NBC News reported.
Kera showed signs of life-threatening pre-eclampsia, and zookeepers knew that she would need emergency help.
"I have since been back to visit Kera and the baby gorilla, it was wonderful to see them both doing so well," said Cahill.
The baby gorilla, which has yet to be given a name, weighed just 2 lbs. 10 oz. at birth, and initially needed assistance to help her breathe.
She is now breathing on her own, and is being given round-the-clock care by a team of five. She gets human formula milk every three hours, and is dressed in a tiny cardigan sweater when she gets chilly.
The Guardian U.K. reported that it is unclear who the baby's father is. It could be the 32-year-old Jock, or his 9-year-old son Komale.
Because Kera and the baby were separated after birth, zookeepers are keeping open the option of having the baby girl raised by a foster mother gorilla, but haven't made any final decisions as of yet.
"The birth of any gorilla is a rare and exciting event; but the birth of a baby gorilla by caesarean section is even more unusual," said John Partridge, the zoo's senior curator of animals.
"It wasn't a decision that we took lightly — Kera was becoming quite poorly and we needed to act fast in order to give the best possible treatment to mother and baby, and to avoid the possibility of losing the baby."
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