Only 11 weeks old and baby Jameela has already flown halfway across the United States. But when you’re in need of a mother, no distance is too far to travel.
Jameela, the baby gorilla born via emergency cesarean surgery at the Fort Worth Zoo in January, arrived at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Wednesday, leaving home in search of a female gorilla to provide maternal care. Jameela had been under the care of human zookeepers after her birth mother Sekani and two other female gorillas chosen as potential surrogates failed to bond with her.
Fort Worth Zoo Director of Marketing Avery Elander said repeated attempts were made to reunite the baby with Sekani after she recovered from the emergency delivery, which was performed by the zoo’s veterinary team with assistance from non-veterinary medical practitioners and supporting experts.
“It’s hard to know exactly why she chose not to pick up the baby,” Elander said, “but zoo experts suspect Sekani never experienced the necessary hormonal cues that occur during natural birth, therefore she did not recognize Jameela as her baby.”
But babies need a momma to care for them. And if there wasn’t one in Fort Worth, one had to be found somewhere else. Enter Fredrika (aka Freddy), a gorilla surrogate at the Cleveland Zoo, who seems to be bonding with her newly adopted daughter.
“Thus far, introductions have only been through a protective mesh barrier separating Jameela from the rest of the gorilla troop at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. They are able to see, sniff and touch her and she can do the same through the mesh,” Elander said. “According to the Cleveland staff, her presence has been very well received. We’re hopeful that our ultimate goal of integration will be met.”
Jameela’s departure was best for Jameela, Elander said, but difficult for the people who cared for her in Fort Worth.
“Our goal has always been for Jameela to be raised by gorillas, so this is a necessary next step, but the staff will miss her tremendously,” she said.
Elander said the emergency C-section and subsequent caring for Jameela were both firsts in the Fort Worth Zoo’s 115-year-history. “The ideal scenario is always for the mother to immediately begin caring for and raising their young,” she said. “Thankfully, with the two other gorillas born in Fort Worth Zoo history, we were entirely hands off in the process and our involvement was not needed. We have had to hand-raise different baby animals in the past but not one that required intensive 24/7 care like an infant gorilla.
“From zookeepers to veterinarians to zoo nutritionists and countless others, more than 50 people were involved in the round-the-clock care of baby Jameela – and this includes the live-saving measures needed to keep her alive. She is now a healthy, 8-pound infant gorilla that will hopefully soon be united with a gorilla troop, and that is a testament to the incredible dedication, hard work and expertise from the Fort Worth Zoo team.”
After her widely publicized birth, Jameela developed a following not only among zoo officials and staff but the public as well. To give her fans a chance to say goodbye, the zoo made the gorilla available for public viewing last Saturday and Sunday.
“We’re so glad we had the opportunity to give zoo visitors a chance to see her before she departed,” Elander said. “Their positive comments and interactions on social media have provided a lot of comfort to the zoo team.”
Many of the visitors who showed up at the zoo for a farewell glimpse of Jameela brought cards, posters and hand-drawn illustrations to wish her well.
“We’re grateful to the North Texas community who showed up in a big way to say goodbye and show their support,” Elander said.”
