Binti Baby

Binti’s baby is a very big boy! Keepers estimate that the active little one weighs in at a very healthy 4 to 5 pounds, and has been nursing very strongly.

Going to Gorilla School
Binti Jua and the father, Ramar, both have unusual upbringings. Binti was hand-raised at San Francisco Zoo. She was never fully accepted by the gorilla group in California, and in 1991 a decision was made to move her to Brookfield Zoo for socialization and breeding purposes. In 1995, she gave birth to her first daughter, Koola, now 10, making her the second youngest gorilla mother in a North American zoo. A year and a half later, Binti became world-renown for picking up a child who fell into the gorilla exhibit and carrying him in a cradling fashion to a doorway where zoo staff could reach the boy.

Ramar, a 37-year-old wild-born gorilla, was raised by a human family and became famous himself, appearing on national television and at major theme parks. He arrived at Brookfield Zoo in 1998 on a breeding loan from North Carolina Zoological Park. Prior to coming to Brookfield, Ramar had not sired any offspring, which makes his genes extremely valuable to the long-term conservation breeding program of this species. At Brookfield Zoo, Ramar has been in the ideal breeding situation among a stable, social group of several adult females. He has thrived in his role as silverback (dominant adult male) and has sired three offspring: Nadaya, 4; Kamba, 8 months; and the baby.

“This birth is a wonderful illustration of Brookfield Zoo’s conservation leadership,” said Melinda Pruett-Jones, curator of primates at the zoo. “Binti and Ramar both came to Brookfield Zoo with a lot to learn about being gorillas. They blossomed in the stable group environment and each found their place within the troop. Now both Binti and her daughter, Koola, are caring for their infants beautifully.”

Ape Ultrasound?
At Brookfield Zoo, gorillas take part in daily training sessions that enrich the animals’ lives and also enable keepers to provide them with the best possible care. The trusting relationship built between Binti and her trainers has allowed staff to offer her a surprising level of neonatal care. Since March of this year, Binti has allowed keepers to apply an ultrasound gel and touch her belly with a probe in preparation for biweekly ultrasounds to allow veterinary staff to closely monitor the health and development of the unborn gorilla. Modifications were made to her off exhibit enclosure to make the sessions easier. The ultrasound images allowed staff to compare the size of the fetus with other zoos and, when the baby dropped, let keepers know that the baby was on its way.

Continued...
More on Binti's baby and some great video on Page 2