Baby Gorilla (critically Endangered Species) Born At Twycross Zoo

A western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species, has been born at Twycross Zoo in Atherstone, Warwickshire. The photo shows the baby, who is just a few days old, with Mum Ozala who was born at Twycross Zoo in March 1994. Dad Oumbie, who was born at Howletts Zoo, Kent in 1992 was present at the birth which took place overnight and went very smoothly. Both parents are understandably staying very close to the new arrival so, as yet, it has not been possible to tell its gender. The baby will survive soley on milk from Ozala and will be weaned at approx 2-3 years but start to eat solids from a few months old. Other new arrivals at the Zoo in the past few weeks include a baby bonobo monkey and a baby orangutan. Twycross Zoo East Midland Zoological Society is a registered charity (No 501841) and aims to "care for our world's animals and environments through conservation, communication and integrity" Twycross Zoo is the world's most comprehensive collection of primate species. It is a popular visitor attraction for families and school children welcoming over 500,000 visitors annually. Opening times for visitors are summer 10.00 am - 5.30 pm and winter 10.00 am - 4.00 pm; the Zoo is open 364 days a year only closing Christmas Day. Twycross has informal and formal education programmes for all sectors of society about wildlife conservation. We incorporate our animals wherever possible into regional and global breeding programmes to aid species conservation. We have developed environmental enrichment programmes to give our animals a fulfilled life, both physically and mentally. Twycross Zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and Wildlife Information Network (WIN) organisations which represent their member collections and promote the values of good zoos and aquariums.

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