Belfast Zoo recently announced the news that Kamili, the Western Lowland Gorilla, welcomed a little bundle of joy on Sunday 30 March 2014. During the early weeks newborn gorillas cling to the mother’s stomach and Kamili was so protective that it was impossible for keepers to find out what sex the infant was.

After weeks of patiently waiting, the zoo can now announce that the infant is a girl and, after much consideration, she has been named ‘Kibibi’ which means ‘little lady’ in Swahili.

Zoo curator, Julie Mansell, is delighted to announce the news, “Kibibi is the second arrival within the last year for dad, Gugas, and she is the first girl! In 2012, with no sign of pregnancies, we tested Gugas’ fertility and the results were not promising. In fact, we feared that Gugas would never father any young. We are delighted that he has proven us all wrong with the arrival of Kibibi and Baako in the last year.”

Julie continues, “All apes are endangered or critically endangered and some professionals have even predicted that all species of ape will be extinct within 30 years. Gorilla populations have declined by more than 50% in recent decades and our role, as a zoo, in their conservation is becoming more and more vital.”