Day 5
Our newest addition is doing well. The gorilla care staff have continued their 24 hour holding and tending to the infant. She gets fed every two hours and has adjusted quite well to her daily bottle feeds.
Gorilla staff wear a smock that is furry and offers the infant something to grip onto that would mimic gripping onto mom. Keepers walk around and rest with the infant during their time to simulate the way mom would walk around going about her day as her little one clings.
Thermometers, temperature charts, Similac, feeding charts, a regular household lamp for night time, a rocking chair and a heater decorate the room. The heater is kept at 80 degrees to keep the infant warm. Only keeper staff monitors and a select few are able to enter the room with the infant. All wear masks when doing so.
The care staff meet daily to access her care. There is no timeline defined yet, but next steps will include moving the infant to Gorilla Forest to be cared for so that she can see and smell other gorillas. She will be in a safe and separate area with the keepers. She won’t go in with any gorillas yet, of course. The care staff continues to consult with the top experts in gorilla management and the AZA’s Species Survival Program to determine what is best for this little one.