Breeding programs debated after gorilla death

CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, August 19, 2006

CALGARY -- The sudden death of a baby gorilla at the Calgary Zoo has animal rights groups debating the validity of captive breeding programs.

"It's just a sad commentary on the whole situation of gorillas in zoos, especially the Calgary Zoo," said Rob Laidlaw, executive director for Zoocheck Canada. "It's sad, but I'm not surprised."

The loss demonstrates how challenging it is to breed highly socialized animals such as gorillas in captivity, said Laidlaw.

Zoo staff defend the breeding program, saying it is crucial to the survival of the species. The mortality rate for gorilla births in captivity is 30 per cent. In the wild, it sits at 42 per cent.

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Baby gorilla dies in Calgary Zoo
The Calgary Zoo's female Western Lowland gorilla Zuri clutches her newborn, the first baby born at the zoo in six years. The baby gorilla was found dead on Thursday.

The Calgary Zoo's female Western Lowland gorilla Zuri clutches her newborn, the first baby born at the zoo in six years. The baby gorilla was found dead on Thursday.

Kerry Williamson, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, August 19, 2006

CALGARY -- For eight days, Zuri the gorilla was the perfect mother, cradling and nursing her newborn baby.

But her inexperience, and her inability to stop her half-sister from trying to nurse the newborn, left Zuri unable to keep her young daughter alive.

So, just after 5 p.m. on Thursday, she walked away from her first child and left it to die.

"The first eight days were very, very good. Zuri was showing good nursing behaviour," said an emotional Les Stegenga, one of the Calgary Zoo's gorilla keepers. "But then other events transpired."

The tiny western lowland gorilla -- who was yet to be given a name -- was born Aug. 5, the first gorilla born at the zoo in nearly six years.

She was found dead in the gorilla enclosure at 5:20 p.m. Thursday by Stegenga. Veterinarians tried to resuscitate the infant gorilla, but there was no response.

A post-mortem conducted Thursday evening showed the baby was suffering from low blood glucose levels. Simply, she had run out of energy to survive.

"The baby ran out of the very small store of energy newborns have," said Sandy Black, a staff veterinarian.

Zoo staff -- and visitors -- were devastated by the loss. Trouble began in the baby's second week of life when Tabitha, a half-sister of Zuri, took the baby and tried to nurse it.

Tabitha did not have milk and was unable to feed Zuri's child. Zuri, who was rejected by her own mother as a child and was the lowest ranking of the zoo's six-strong gorilla troop, was not confident enough to grab her child back.

Staff were forced to immobilize Tabitha earlier this week and retrieve the baby, eventually giving her back to Zuri.

However, two days later, Tabitha took the baby for a second time. Again, staff took the baby, this time giving it a small supplemental feeding. The incidents made Zuri anxious and her mothering became more intermittent.

On Tuesday, another female gorilla, Donge, took the baby. Zuri got the baby back, but became even more stressed. The baby was given another supplemental feeding on Wednesday morning, and both Donge and Tabitha were separated from the troop. Zuri seemed to calm down, but no nursing was seen. The baby died before a third supplemental feeding could happen.

When Stegenga returned to the enclosure early Friday, he found the entire troop sitting in a circle around Zuri.

"It was very touching to see them comfort [her]," he said.