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The Calgary Zoo is planning for the arrival of a baby gorilla sometime in April or May 2022.

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The zoos 20-year-old western lowland gorilla Dossi is expecting her first baby. The father is the troops silverback leader, Jasiri.

We are cautiously optimistic as this is Dossis first baby, said Jamie Dorgan, director of animal care, health and welfare. Gorilla pregnancies are more likely to be unsuccessful the first time. There are lots of challenges ahead of us but the animal care, health and welfare team will be supporting Dossi every moment along the way.

Kim Walker, animal care manager for the Rainforest and South America sections at the Calgary Zoo, said the team working with Dossi will start a night watch in March, where technicians will be monitoring the troop 24/7.

(The night watch is necessary) because she could go into labour a little bit earlier, Walker said.

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Ongoing training is actively happening to ensure the process of Dossis pregnancy runs smoothly.

We are training her to pass the baby to us in case we have to supplement the bottle feed, Walker said. We also have another behaviour where shell put the newborn in a box and we can safely retrieve the baby in case veterinarians need to examine it any closer.

According to Walker, while the team is hoping for a successful birth, there is always the chance something can go wrong.

We are doing everything we can to support her and the troop for a successful birth and pregnancy, she said.

Issues arise within pregnancies due to the process being new for expecting mothers, Walker said. She added there was an unsuccessful birth earlier this year with 12-year-old Yewande.

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There was nothing wrong with the infant, it was just a very long labour for her, she said.

Zoo officials do not plan to intervene in the birth unless the health of the mother or baby is at risk.

The birth will mark a hopefully important milestone, as Walker said the wild gorilla population has declined by 80 per cent a grim statistic considering it comes from only the last 30 years.

There are dwindling numbers out there and we are doing everything we can to help, Walker said. If we have to, we may have to look at possible re-introductions into the wild if they do go extinct.

Through what Walker calls a dating service of sorts, also known as the Species Survival Program, members look at genetics and try to find the best match for a potential mother to ensure success in reproduction.

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Walker said after the loss of Kakinga in May 2016 , it took nearly three years to bring in Jasiri, due to the many factors that go into finding the right suitor.

They really have to look at what male would be best for the troop for the females to be safe, she said. We also have to find out if well have a good diversity of genetics if this male comes in to breed.

Kakinga, who died at age 37 after developing a large tear in his aorta, was successful in siring nine offspring while at the zoo.

He did leave a really good lineage, Walker said.

If Dossi successfully gives birth, it will be the first baby gorilla at the zoo since 2016, when baby Kimani was born.

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Calgary Zoo gorilla 'Dossi' expecting her first baby in the spring - Calgary Herald

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