The baby was born to first-time mother Mjukku on Oct 26, and as the Zoological director David Field reassures us, “‘Aunties’ Zaire and Effie were at the birth and have remained with Mjukuu throughout.”
However, there are some other sensitive family matters to sort still: namely, the baby’s introduction to his stepfather Kesho, the dominant male of the group. The baby’s own father died in March this year. There could be fireworks, but as the zoo put out in a statement, its staff “are making every effort to assist a smooth introduction and hopefully ensure the gorillas form a cohesive family group."
And we thought EastEnders was complicated.
By Chetna Prakash