SEATTLE — After taking temporary possession of another mother’s newborn gorilla, undergoing tranquilization for zookeepers to retrieve the baby, and being isolated from her gorilla companions for a month, 28-year-old Amanda may be reunited with her gorilla group, according to Woodland Park Zoo Director Dave Towne.

Amanda, who is pregnant and due in mid-March, somehow acquired the baby female gorilla about two hours after its January 3 birth to Jumoke, 12. Since zoo animal care staff retrieved the baby from Amanda and reintroduced her to Jumoke the next day, Amanda has remained physically separated from Jumoke and the baby, and been allowed visual access only.

The other member that makes up this gorilla group is the father of the newborn and expectant father to Amanda’s baby, 18-year-old Vip. Vip and Amanda have been given physical access to each other two hours daily.

Zoo animal care staff plan to reunite the gorilla group, including the infant, sometime next week. Reintroductions will take place indoors, which is off view to the public. Sessions will initially last about two hours a day and will be closely monitored by staff. If the group behaves favorably toward one another, staff will re-evaluate the reintroductions and proceed carefully in increasing their socialization periods. At this time, the zoo cannot predict when the group will be on public view.

Progressive signs of stress shown by all three adult gorillas prompted animal care to weigh the risks and benefits of keeping Amanda isolated or returning her to the group. With Amanda’s delivery date just six weeks away, the need to reunite the gorilla group is even more compelling.

"For the sake of her unborn baby and Amanda’s emotional well-being, we need to restore for Amanda as much stability and assurance," said Lead Gorilla Keeper Violet Sunde. According to Sunde, Amanda needs Vip for support and reassurance. "Allowing her to return to Vip and Jumoke will make her feel secure and will give us keepers time to re-build a trust with her so we can better monitor her new infant."

Because gorillas, an endangered species, are highly social animals and live in family groups, "this separation period for the gorilla group has been disruptive to their social and family structure," said Senior Keeper Dana Payne. "We need to avoid unraveling the social fabric of this group. The longer we keep them apart, the harder it will be to reunite them."

Animal care staff kept Amanda separated from the group to assure the safety and well-being of the unnamed newborn gorilla. "Once Jumoke was reintroduced to her baby, it was critical that we gave Jumoke and her baby ample time for them to establish a solid bond," said Sunde.

Jumoke and Amanda have shared an exhibit since 1994, and have since forged a stable relationship. Gorilla keepers still don’t know how the baby gorilla ended up in Amanda’s arms. "For all we know, exhausted from her delivery, Jumoke may have set down the infant and Amanda picked her up. We have no reason to believe that Amanda’s behavior was anything other than a normal, supportive response to a temporary situation," speculated Sunde.

In their family structure, Jumoke has always been the dominant gorilla over Amanda. "We’re cautiously optimistic that any display of aggression between Jumoke and Amanda will be minimal and harmless," said Sunde. Keepers also are counting on silverback (adult male) Vip to play a significant role. "If any threatening gestures occur, his calming influence should help keep peace between the two adult females," maintained Sunde.

Jumoke and her newborn daughter are doing well. "Since Jumoke has been attentive and nurturing, and the baby clings to Jumoke as babies should," said Sunde, "this maternal bond also is a determinate factor in pushing ahead to reunite the group." Moreover, the behavior of all three adult gorillas strongly indicates that they long to be together. Being back together again should be mutually reassuring for the entire group.

In addition to Vip’s group, the zoo has a second gorilla group in a separate habitat: 29-year-old Nina; 29-year-old Pete; daughter to Nina and Pete, 7-year-old Alafia; and daughter to Jumoke, 1-year-old Nadiri.

Western lowland gorillas are native to six countries across west equatorial Africa: southeast Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic; Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The estimated population of gorillas in North American zoos is 325.