A Louisiana zoo eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new baby gorilla has decided to throw the pregnant mamma her very own baby shower, complete with a gift registry!
Tumani , a 13-year-old western lowland gorilla at New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo, is preparing to give birth any day now to her very first baby, and you can help make it extra special by donating a gift!
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The zoo first proudly announced Tumani’s pregnancy back in early July and shared that it’s been 24 years since a gorilla has been born at the zoo.
Her baby is the result of successful breeding efforts between Tumani and a 26-year-old silverback gorilla named Okpara, who’s never fathered any offspring himself before.
“[It] is a huge deal and we want to share that news with the public,” Dr. Robert McLean, the Audubon Zoo’s chief veterinarian, told City News of the impending birth. “It seems to be going well.”
Since this is Tumani’s first baby, zoo officials have been working hard to prepare the critically endangered gorilla for motherhood.
Using a training “doll” to mimic the 4-pound weight of a gorilla baby, Tumani has spent a lot of time learning how to hold the “newborn”, nurse it, and has even been taught how to use a baby bottle, should she be unable to nurse or lactate after the birth.
As zoo officials continue to prepare for the baby’s birth, they’ve decided they want to do something extra special for these first-time parents.
So they’ve taken a page from our own book and are throwing Tumani her very own baby shower!
“Tumani and Okpara are expecting their first infant any time now,” a recent Instagram post from the zoo reads. “As we wait, you can help and get involved by checking out her online baby registry for some much needed items like nutritious food, engaging enrichment, and training materials.”
Liz Wilson, curator at Audubon Zoo, said the baby shower announcement has proven “very popular” with people.
“Our community is really excited about it,” she told WGNO , adding that any gifts or funds received will go towards benefiting the entire gorilla family.
“These guys are eating machines,” she explained. “We spend about $70-thousand dollars a month just on food to feed all the animals at Audubon.”
Wilson said the zoo felt a baby shower was perfectly fitting for Tumani, not only because this is her first baby, but because a gorilla’s pregnancy closely mirrors a human’s.
“Gorillas are pregnant for 8 and a half months,” she explained. “They usually give birth at night. Gorillas also generally nurse right away.”
And the expectant mamma certainly resembles a human mamma ready to give birth any day now.
“Tumani’s quite large,” Wilson shared. “In the last few weeks, she looks like she’s popped a little more.”
If you wish to help Tumani and Okpara prepare for their impending arrival, you can do so in a few different ways.
Using your credit card, you can donate to the zoo’s Toy and Food Fund here , which will be used to provide the primates with such exciting new play things as a Swinger and a Looky Lou Feeder.
You can also donate gifts directly through the zoo’s Amazon Wish List which includes more personalized items like mega blocks, sheets, and teething rings.
Congratulations, Tumani and Okpara!
h/t: Audubon Nature Institute , WGNO
