Ape-solutely gorgeous: ‘Zookeeper Chad’ reveals baby gorilla’s gender

The gender* of a cute and hairy new arrival has been revealed by the owner of a South Coast NSW zoodan, who is no stranger to caring for infant gorillas.

Mogo Wildlife Park’s very own western lowland gorilla*, Kipensi, gave birth to the zoo’s newest addition on February 9, with park owner Chad Staples – better known as Zookeeper Chad to his 800,000 online followers – revealing the baby’s gender exclusively to The Daily Telegraph on Sunday.

“To our absolute best knowledge, we believe it’s a girl,” he said.

Mr Staples said all signs pointed to the fur baby being female, but said Kipensi was still keeping her new baby very close.

“She’s very likely a little girl, which is so exciting,” he said.

A name for the new addition is yet to be chosen. Mr Staples said the human members of the Mogo family needed to see the little gorilla’s personality first.

He also revealed a very important naming rule: all gorillas at the coastal zoo have names starting with “K”.

“There will be some discussions as to what the name will be,” Mr Staples said.

The successful birth comes almost exactly two years after Kipensi gave birth to baby Kaius. Kaius made international headlines following the complicated birth and has since become one of Mogo’s most famous residents.

Mr Staples said Kaius’ mother failed to birth the placenta* and developed pneumonia*, resulting in the baby gorilla’s family abandoning him.

Mr Staples stepped in, temporarily caring for Kaius himself before returning the infant to his family once it was safe.

The zookeeper said the latest birth “could not have gone better”.

“It was a great outcome and a welcome addition to the zoo,” Mr Staples said.

“Knowing what it took to get Kaius through, there were moments of sheer dread that I may have to do it again.”

Mr Staples said any western lowland gorilla birth was significant, with the central-west African species critically endangered due to habitat* loss, poaching* and ebola*.

“Every gorilla born is a huge milestone*,” Mr Staples said.

Mogo Wildlife Park’s newest female addition is now on display for visitors after a quiet first month bonding with her mum.

WATCH VIDEO OF BIG BROTHER KAIUS

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GLOSSARY

• gender: the state of being either male or female
• western lowland gorillas: these gorillas – which can be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea – can be distinguished from other gorilla subspecies by their slightly smaller size, their brown-grey coats and auburn chests
• placenta: a temporary body organ that delivers oxygen and nutrients to a baby during pregnancy
• pneumonia: an infection of the lungs caused by viruses or bacteria
• habitat: the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
• poaching: the illegal the catching and killing of animals
• ebola: a rare but severe illness in humans that is often fatal
• milestone: an important event in the development or history of something

EXTRA READING

Baby gorilla Kaius beats the odds

Baby gorilla hugged back to health

Taking selfies with endangered mountain gorillas

QUICK QUIZ

1. Who is the baby gorilla’s mum?
2. What is the name of the newborn’s big brother and how old is he?
3. All gorillas at Mogo have names starting with which letter?
4. What complications did Kipensi experience after Kaius was born?
5. What three factors continue to contribute to the decline of this gorilla species?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Gorilla girl
“Every gorilla born is a huge milestone” – why is the birth of a baby girl gorilla such good news for the Mogo Wildlife Park and the gorilla population in general?

State three reasons why it’s an important event:

1.

2.

3.

Suggest a possible name for the new baby gorilla. State the name and its meaning.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
After looking at the photos and possibly videos of the new baby gorilla with its Mum, what are some similarities between human Mums and gorilla Mums?

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Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.