Adorable baby gorilla Jameela arrives at Cleveland Zoo to meet new family of ... trends now
An adorable baby gorilla arrived at the Cleveland Zoo to meet her new family of apes, including her 'foster mother.'
Jameela, a western Iowland gorilla that was born pre-maturely, weighing just three pounds and one ounce, is now 11-months-old.
Since her birth, more than 40 Fort Worth Zoo employees in Texas have 'committed to her care' after her birth mother, Sekani started to show signs of preeclampsia just before her arrival.
Veterinarians and zoo staff had to make an executive decision to place the mother in emergency cesarean surgery to ensure that the bay would have the best chance at survival, Fort Worth Zoo said in a post.
Following her birth, the baby ape's mother made a full recovery, but 'was not demonstrating the necessary maternal signs to care for her premature baby.'
On Thursday, Jameela was transferred to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in hopes of bringing her close to a surrogate mother, Fredrika, also known as 'Freddy.'
Jameela, a western Iowland gorilla, was transferred from the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio on Thursday. (pictured: Jameela meeting her surrogate mother Fredrika)
Jameela was born pre-maturely, weighing just three pounds and one ounce after her mother Sekani had preeclampsia and had to be rushed into am emergency cesarean surgery
Though it is hard to know exactly why the baby and her birth mother were unable to bond, Forth Worth Zoo staff think that Sekani did not experience hormonal cues that typically come with a natural and full-term birth
In a heartwarming video, gorilla keepers from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, James Schell and Brian Price, along with Angie Holmes and Lindsay Bryne from the Fort Worth Zoo's gorilla team, welcomed baby Jameela to her new family.
Staff members from the Texas zoo are seen holding her as they transport her on a plane to her new home.
As they hand her off to the new staff, Jameela immediately warms up to her new surroundings.
'The introductions here have gone really well, the troop seems very receptive to her presence, and the staff here has been so wonderful in welcoming her as well as us,' a Fort Worth zoo employee said.
'We're happy to see where this goes.'
Soon after, she met her new surrogate mother as the pair were seen playfully interacting with each other.
At one point, Jameela started to holler at Fredrika and even got to meet another
