” The greatest medication on the planet is a mother’s kiss.” Moke, a baby gorilla learned this in his earliest life experience.
Moke’s mom, Calaya, in an endangered western lowland gorilla from the Smithsonian National Zoo and in spite of not being experienced with children, her maternal reaction began, and she managed it like a natural.
You can see in the video over how much love Calaya has for her baby, she expressed it clearly by giving him kisses.
Moke is the first western lowland gorilla born at the zoo in nine years. Baraka, his dad who is a 450-pound gorilla seen along with his gorilla good friends and let out what is described as a ‘pleasure rumble’ when the delivery was complete.
The staff at the zoo are ‘very carefully positive’ of young Moke’s future. They will allow Calaya to nurse him naturally and feel confident that her mothering skills will work out well.
The staff helped her prepare by showing her pictures of other mother gorillas, by giving her a child gorilla toy, revealing her how to nurse the child when it comes and various other relevant parental habits.
” As quickly as a gorilla is born, the mother’s instincts kick in and she will start to groom the child,” Jack Hannam Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo told PEOPLE. “It can look a lot like human kissing! But, it looks like she is actually using her lips to groom the baby and likely did it over the baby’s entire body.”
” Gorillas can be amazing, attentive parents and seeing these babies expand has actually been a highlight of my career.”
The Smithsonian National Zoo had a similar response:
” The birth of this western lowland gorilla is very unique and significant, not only to our Zoo family but likewise to this critically endangered types overall. The primate group’s objective was to establish Calaya up for success as best we could, considered that she is a first-time mom. Doing so needed great patience and dedication on the part of my group, and I am very proud of them and Calaya.”
” All of us saw everything. We saw the birth. We saw the five hours of labor … We were all kind of shaking a little with happiness. It was a remarkable moment to share with the team. We were all truly near to tears.”
