Mystery: Moka, an endangered western lowland Gorilla, plays with her unnamed baby at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium in Pittsburgh. The 3 and a half month old baby male died on SaturdayThe first gorilla to be born at the Pittsburgh Zoo since 2001 has died after just three and a half months.
It is not clear why the baby male gorilla, who had yet to be named, died.
Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium noticed on Friday that the baby was lethargic, sluggish and unable to cling onto its mother.
Barbara Baker, the zoo's president and chief executive officer, says the animal was transferred to the zoo's new Animal Care Center, where the baby’s condition continued to worsen.
He went into respiratory and cardiac arrest and died early Saturday morning. Zoo officials announced the death Monday.
Baker said that a necropsy was performed but the results to determine why the baby died will take several weeks.
Main attraction: The baby was the first baby to be born at the zoo since 2001; his 20-year-old dad was the first gorilla born at the zooIt had been born Feb. 9 to Moka, a 15-year-old gorilla brought to the Pittsburgh zoo from one in Miami in 2007.
Moka, an endangered western lowland gorilla, became pregnant for the first time after a year and a half courtship with the zoo’s lead gorilla, Mrithi.
The gorilla's 20-year-old father, Mrithi (mm-REE'-thee), was the first gorilla born at the zoo.
Being the first gorilla born at the zoo in over a decade made the baby animal a main attraction – he was splashed on billboards across the city.
As a male the baby could have grown to reach 6 feet and weigh 600 pounds; gorillas can live for up to 40 years.
source: dailymail
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