Zoo holds baby shower for pregnant gorilla

Ellena Cruse21 August 2020

Baby showers may have taken on a different form during lockdown.

But one zoo in Louisiana has gone one step further by organising a party for a pregnant gorilla.

Audubon Zoo in New Orleans is preparing for a new addition in the form of a newborn critically endangered western lowland primate.

Celebrating the first pregnancy of its kind in more than 20 years, it has appealed for baby gifts including blankets, a teething ring, toy building bricks and food.

The zoo have asked for gifts from the public
Audubon Zoo

A spokesman for the zoo said: "Tumani and Okpara are expecting their first infant any time.

"For the first time in over 20 years, Audubon is preparing for the birth of a critically endangered western lowland gorilla, and we are excited to be a part of this important conservation milestone.

Staff have started to unwrap gifts for the parents
Audubon Zoo

It added: "Audubon Zoo's animal care experts are working with Tumani through daily training and enrichment activities to help prepare her to be a new mom."

The team thanked the public for their help
Audubon Zoo

People can support the zoo in different ways and can donate funds towards feeding the primate or can choose a gift from an online registry.

Employees have begun to receive presents through the post and said the gifts were "greatly appreciated".

It added: "Our Primate team is overwhelmed with joy!

"Thank you to everyone who has donated to Tumani's baby shower thus far, your support is greatly appreciated!

"You can still help shower Tumani and infant by donating nutritious food, engaging enrichment, and training materials."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in