SEATTLE — Woodland Park Zoo’s 18-year-old gorilla, Vip, became a father to a very important primate for the first time. Under the watchful eyes of Zoo staff and volunteers, Vip’s mate Jumoke (juh-MOH-keh) gave birth to a four-pound, seven-ounce female at 12:47 a.m. today. This marks the second offspring for 12-year-old Jumoke and the seventh successful gorilla birth at Woodland Park Zoo.

Jumoke, whose due date was January 7, had been under 24-hour observation over the last week. She delivered the baby in her bedroom without any assistance by Zoo staff. She began showing normal maternal care — holding and cleaning the baby.

However, a couple hours later, Amanda, the third member of Vip and Jumoke’s gorilla group, took possession of the baby. "We don’t know if Amanda actually snatched the baby from Jumoke’s arms or if Jumoke set the baby down and Amanda picked her up," explained Gorilla Keeper Violet Sunde. Amanda steadfastly held onto the infant, prompting Zoo staff to intervene.

At about 11:30 a.m., Zoo animal health staff immobilized Amanda with a tranquilizer dart. Under the effects of the tranquilizer, Amanda set the infant down and keepers reached in to retrieve her. Zoo staff seized this opportunity to perform a neonatal examination of the infant. A volunteer for the Zoo, Dr. Charles French said, "She appears to be in fine health." Jumoke’s condition also is considered excellent at this time. Dr. French is the head neonatologist of the Intensive Care Nursery for Swedish Hospital.

Zoo staff were relieved to confirm that Amanda, who also is expecting a baby from Vip, has milk and seems to have nursed the newborn female. Amanda, due in mid-March, will remain isolated from Vip and Jumoke until further notice.

Reintroduction efforts between Jumoke and her infant began about two hours after retrieving the infant from Amanda. Zoo gorilla keepers placed the baby in Jumoke’s enclosure. However, Jumoke didn’t pick her up at that time. Therefore, Zoo staff will care for her overnight.

They will resume reintroductions tomorrow morning. Should Jumoke fail to re-accept her baby, staff are considering allowing Amanda to raise her.

The newborn gorilla and parents will not be on public view until outdoor temperatures are warmer. In the near future, periodic video footage of Jumoke and the infant will be available for public viewing at the gorilla exhibit. Since this is the first real experience of motherhood for Jumoke, the bonding period is very critical for mother and infant. Neither staff or media can be permitted to photograph them during this period.

The birth of Amanda’s first baby in November 1995 turned to tragedy when it died five days later due to a congenital cleft palate. "During this very short time as a mother, Amanda was a very caring, attentive mother," noted Gorilla Keeper Judy Sievert. "Her strong maternal instincts unfortunately kicked in when she saw Jumoke’s infant. We believe she was simply asserting her mothering skills without intending any harm," added Sievert.

Vip arrived from Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, in October 1996. Captive born in the Netherlands, he has only one relative in North America, his 33-year-old mother. Therefore, his genes are very important for the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP). SSPs are cooperative breeding programs among North American zoos to manage and expand the captive populations of endangered species, while ensuring genetic diversity and demographic stability.

Jumoke made headlines when she delivered her first infant in February 1996. Because of a complicated labor, Zoo animal health staff and a team of physicians intervened to assist with the delivery. Consequently, Jumoke was traumatized and despite attempted reintroductions, never accepted her firstborn, also a female. Additionally, Jumoke suffered another setback when the father of her baby, 36-year-old Congo, died two weeks later from heart disease.

Nadiri (NAW-dee-ree), the first offspring of Jumoke, was hand raised by Zoo staff and volunteers. She was eventually introduced to the Zoo’s other gorilla group with whom she has successfully socialized. In addition to Nadiri, that group consists of: 29-year-old Nina; 29-year-old Pete; and 7-year-old Alafia, Pete and Nina’s daughter.