FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                

For More Information, contact:

Susan Altrui                                                                                                                                       

(501) 661-7208 direct

(501) 351-0273 cell

saltrui@littlerock.gov

ZOO CELEBRATES BIRTH OF SECOND BABY GORILLA

Baby Shower Set for Saturday, September 25

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (August 23, 2012) – The Little Rock Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a baby western lowland gorilla born Sunday morning, August 19, to gorillas Sekani and Fossey.   

The public is invited to celebrate the new birth at a baby shower set for Saturday, September 25, at 11 a.m. at the gorilla exhibit.  Guests are invited to bring a shower present for the new baby and can view a gift registry online at www.LittleRockZoo.com/gorillababy.

The baby gorilla is the second gorilla born at the Little Rock Zoo and is reported to be in good health, say Zoo officials.  Mosi, the first gorilla born at the Zoo in 2006, recently joined a bachelor group at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago with other gorillas close to his age.

Sekani is in good health and immediately inspected, cleaned, and cradled her new baby and has shown signs of good motherly instinct.  The baby is nursing well and Zoo staff note that while all behaviors appear to be normal, the next few weeks will be critical in the development of the offspring and the bonding of the mother and infant.

The sex of the infant is still unknown and a name has yet to be selected. 

To allow the infant to bond with the entire gorilla family, most members of the family will be off exhibit for the next few days.  Zoo staff expect the family to go outside together Tuesday. 

Sekani, mother of the baby, is a 21-year-old western lowland gorilla acquired by the Little Rock Zoo from the Toronto Zoo in 2004.  Fossey is a 26-year-old gorilla acquired by the Zoo in 1993 from the Columbus Zoo.  The pair was recommended for breeding by the Species Survival Plan (SSP) a breeding and conservation program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).                 

            The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information, visit www.aza.org.

-30-