Watch - Adorable baby gorilla recovers in human icu after two emergency operations at san diego zoo
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This gorgeous little baby gorilla has not had the easiest start to life. After being
born by an emergency Caesarian, she then had to have a critical operation for a collapsed lung.
A team of veterinary staff from San Diego Zoo had to take the unusual step of asking
for help from human neonatal specialists from the University of California.
I never anticipated that I would have to care for a gorilla, but all of my work that I've
done with human babies is identical to what I'm doing with this baby. There's maybe two
things that differentiates her. She's a lot stronger when she grabs your hand, it's very
difficult to release her grip, because she's used to that, that's her instinct, to grab
her mom, and she can grab you with both her hands and her feet. And so, that's been particularly
troublesome, trying to sometimes do procedures and exams on her, but otherwise, she behaves
very well.
Luckily, she seems to have come through fighting - and is making a speedy recovery.
Mommy gorilla is doing surprisingly well too. Despite the complicated birth and surgery,
she's already up and about in her usual habitat. Keepers hope to be able to reunite the baby
with her family when she's strong enough.
