First gorilla born at Jersey zoo in seven years

Mother Bahasha and baby are recovering well after the birth on 15 November

A zoo has welcomed its first baby gorilla to be born at the park in seven years.

The west lowlands gorilla was born at Jersey zoo during the early hours of 15 November to 25-year-old mother Bahasha.

The newborn has not yet been given a name and its gender is still to be identified.

Keepers say Bahasha and baby are doing well after the birth, but are still being monitored closely.

Gordon Hunt, deputy head of mammals at Durrell Conservation, said they were "thrilled" by the new arrival.

"With this species being severely threatened in the wild, every new-born is an important addition to the captive population," he said.

The last gorilla born at Jersey zoo was silverback Indigo in 2012, who was recently moved to a zoo in Belgium in March 2019.

Keepers at Durrell park said the gorilla indoor area would be closed for certain periods of the day to give the pair some privacy.

The newborn is a western lowland gorilla, a highly endangered species in the wild