Baby Gorilla Suffers Facial Injury, Zoo Vets Operate

A 3-month-old gorilla was in stable condition Monday after she reportedly suffered a "serious facial injury" last week, zoo officials said.

The baby gorilla, Nyambe, remained at the Lincoln Park Zoo hospital around 4 p.m. She sustained a face laceration last Wednesday while with her mother, though details were still unclear to zoo staff members.

"We aren’t sure precisely what caused the injury, although it appears to have been inflicted by another gorilla," Lincoln Park Zoo President Kevin Bell said, in a written statement. "We can say there were no prior indications of aggression in the gorilla troop."

The tiny western lowland gorilla is the zoo's latest addition to the primates. Born in November, she is the 52nd in the zoo's great apes program, officials have said, and was the second baby gorilla born within about one month.

READ: Second Gorilla in 1 Month Born at Lincoln Park Zoo and Zoo Area Reopens After Birth of Endangered Gorilla

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Bell said the zoo's staff reacted promptly to the emergency, which was crucial in maintaining Nyambe's safety.

"Thankfully, the planning worked," he said. "Our animal care staff jumped into action, separating the 3-month-old inftant with its mother from the rest of the group, as they'd practice."

The veterinary staff prepped for surgery soon after.

"Her recovery isn’t a certainty—we find few certainties with such fragile infants, nearly a quarter of whom don’t make it through their first year of life," Bell said. "But she’s playing throughout the day and getting plenty of sleep, just like an infant should. These are good signs."

Zoo staff have redoubled group monitoring to ensure a stable environment for the other troop members, which includes Nayembi’s mother, Rollie, and the group’s other infant, Patty, who was in the capable hands Monday of her mom, Bana.

Nayembi will continue to receive full-time care over the next months as she recovers away from her group, officials said.

"It’s been a difficult few days, filled with worry for everyone at the zoo," Bell said, in a statement. "As we reflect on the complexity of caring for wild animals, we’re comforted by our comprehensive planning. We prepared for this sad, unlikely possibility. This preparation let us react with the speed and expertise necessary to give Nayembi the care she needed."

Looking for more Lincoln Park Zoo stories?

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