Baby Gorilla Delivered by Cesarean Section at Seattle Zoo

A western lowland gorilla at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle gave birth Sunday via cesarean section, the zoo said in a blog post Tuesday. The 29-year-old mother, Olympia, was five days past her due date when a medical team performed the procedure after an ultrasound showed decreased amniotic fluid and an incompletely dilated cervix.

4 pounds, more than a pound above the average birth weight for infant gorillas.

Olympia and the infant are reported in good health, though zoo officials described the situation as fluid and fragile. Fewer than a dozen cesarean sections have been performed on gorillas worldwide, and none had previously occurred at Woodland Park Zoo.

After the newborn was introduced to the troop, another gorilla named Jamanji that recently gave birth began caring for the infant. Zoo officials said they plan to allow Jamanji to care for both babies while Olympia recovers.