Staff from the Zoo’s in-house vet team made the decision to step-in and give the baby 24 hours of supportive care which meant anaesthetising Kala a second time in order to temporarily remove the baby. Keepers described Romina as a remarkable gorilla, most recently for her vital role in stepping-in as a foster mother to Afia; a baby gorilla born by caesarean section at the Zoo almost three years ago. The baby female had … We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience. During the fine weather she spent a lot of her time outside on Gorilla Island. Salome was given the human fertility drug Clomid – which encourages the ovaries to release eggs – and in 2006 gave birth to Komale. World's first fertility treatment gorilla Salome dies from heart disease aged 41 at Bristol Zoo. Keepers noticed she regularly mated but had not conceived. Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work in the Zoo but also its vital conservation and research projects spanning five continents. Bristol Zoo has been caring for gorillas since 1930. While recovering from cataract surgery, keepers offered Romina blankets instead of straw and wood wool, to reduce the risk of dust affecting her eyes. Romina was the most gentle and nurturing of all our gorillas and she had a lovely and endearing nature. Bristol Zoo Gardens is very sad to announce that one of its most remarkable gorillas has died. A caesarean is a major operation, so we were expecting them to require some recovery time. “Romina quickly took to being a mum to Namoki” added Lynsey. The procedure was carried out by Jo Trinder, consultant in obstetrics and maternal medicine, and Rachna Bahl, consultant in obstetrics and intrapartum care, from University Hospitals Bristol, who were both assisted by the zoo’s in-house vet team. The vets also used this opportunity to give Kala further medication and nutrients to help her heal and build-up her strength. Lynsey Bugg, curator of mammals, said: “The cataract surgery really transformed her. However it soon became clear that the baby wasn’t feeding as well or as often as we would expect.”. Kala the western lowland gorilla gave birth at Bristol Zoo last week - but sadly lost her fight for life. Salome then moved to Chessington Zoo, where she had her first baby in 1988. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Zoo plays a significant role in the coordinated European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, runs a conservation programme in Equatorial Guinea in Africa, raises significant funds for gorilla conservation in the wild and has pioneered fertility treatment for gorillas. The delivery went ahead after Nic Hayward, European specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging, carried out an ultrasound scan that enabled vets to diagnose the issue with the placenta. terms and conditions. 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The baby needed some intensive care immediately after birth and skin-to-skin contact with one of the gorilla keepers to help keep her warm. Our. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Bristol Zoo has been home to gorillas since the arrival of its first young male, Alfred, in the 1930s, and the Zoo has kept them almost continuously ever since. In 2004 she became the first gorilla in the world to be given fertility treatment. She especially liked cooked potatoes which she was given occasionally as a treat. Afia had to be hand-raised behind-the-scenes by keepers for the first eight months of her life because her mother was too unwell following the operation to care for her. A baby gorilla at Bristol Zoo has died just a week after being born through a rare emergency caesarean section. Bristol Zoo has launched a public poll to name a baby gorilla born there - and revealed the animal is a boy. Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work in the zoo, but also its vital conservation and research projects spanning five continents. Vets monitoring the situation found that Kala’s placenta was low-lying and was stopping the baby from being delivered naturally. “Since the birth we had been monitoring the health of mum and baby closely. But in recent months Romina’s health deteriorated and, despite treatment by zoo vets, external specialists and her keepers, her condition worsened. Before the surgery, because she only had peripheral vision, she was quite introverted and wouldn’t interact much with the other gorillas. "She has always been very close to our silverback, Jock, from the day he arrived in 2003. The zoo’s head vet Michelle Barrows led a team which carried out a thorough medical examination. In 2016 a female gorilla, called Afia, was born by caesarean after her mother, Kera, showed symptoms of potentially life-threatening pre-eclampsia. A gorilla at Bristol Zoo, which was the first in the world to receive fertility treatment to help her conceive, has died. explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. The female animal, a western lowland, couldn't be … In 2005 Romina had a daughter, Namoki, who is now at Belfast Zoo where she has had her own daughter, Olivia. Since then she had cared for Afia as if she was her own baby. A team of specialists worked alongside zoo vets to carry out the scan which identified what is believed to be an advanced cancerous tumour. Bristol Zoological Society, which runs Bristol Zoo, helps conserve and protect gorillas in the wild, in Cameroon, where they are threatened by the loss of their forest habitat as well as from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Zoo chief executive, Dr Bryan Caroll, said: “Everyone is extremely saddened by Salome’s death. John Partridge, senior curator of animals, said: “This is a terribly sad day for us. Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest zoo news. Romina was born in Rome and came to Bristol in November 2001 where she lived happily with her fellow western lowland gorillas. “She adopted Afia and treated her as if she was her own baby and has continued to do so every day. Afia’s birth-mother, Kera, was too ill to look after her following her birth, and, after initially being hand-reared by keepers, Romina took over as Afia’s surrogate. Faced with a second closure, we urgently need your support. Romina, one of the Zoo’s eight western lowland gorillas, had become unwell and a CT scan last night revealed that she had a large mass in her abdomen. By signing up to the newsletter, you are agreeing to our Charity registered number 1104986. She was found by her keepers in the gorilla house, which she shared with her fellow primates on Wednesday morning, November 1. She was the first gorilla in the world to undergo cataract operations in 2002 which completely restored her sight. “She had a good life here and we did everything we could to treat her, but we didn’t want her to suffer and because of this we had to make the difficult decision to put her to sleep.”.