Birth of a baby gorilla in the Vallée des
great apes from the Antwerp ZOO

A new partner for little Thandie

Wonderful news at the Antwerp ZOO: this morning at 7:30 am, a gorilla was born in the Valley of the great apes.
The mother, Mambele, is doing well, and the father is undoubtedly the silver back Matadi.
Little sister Thandie is very curious. For her, this half-brother or this half-sister is a new playmate.
The Antwerp ZOO has been coordinating scientific research on great apes in Cameroon and Congo for 18 years.

Collective choice of a name
The caregivers are not yet able to say whether it is a boy or a girl.
"For the first few days, Mambele holds her cub firmly against her.
We let the mother and her little one get to know each other quietly, "explains the carer Melanie.
The birth announcement does not yet mention the weight of the baby.
The Antwerp ZOO knows, thanks to the studies carried out, that baby gorillas weigh on average from 1.4 to 1.8 kg at birth.

The name of the small animal has not yet been decided.
"2020 is the year of V, so we already know the first letter," said spokeswoman Ilse Segers.
"When we know the sex of the gorillon, we will involve our visitors in choosing a name.

Playmate
It is the second time that a western lowland gorilla has been born in the Valley of the great apes.
On November 26, 2018, the gorilla Mayani gave birth to Thandie.
She is already a year and a half old.
"In the German zoological park in Hannover, Mambele's pregnancies had not gone well.
Here at the Antwerp ZOO, she was able to follow the inspiring example of Mayani who breeds the gorilla Thandie very well.
As the great apes imitate each other's behavior, we have great hopes for Mambele and his newborn baby, "recounts the careful Melanie.

The Antwerp ZOO now houses five western lowland gorillas: Matadi, Mayani, Mambele, Thandie and the newborn.
The group also has an eastern lowland gorilla: Amahoro.
All animals were present in the Valley of the great apes at birth, because the Antwerp ZOO wants to encourage the natural behavior of animals as much as possible.

Collective choice of a name
The caregivers are not yet able to say whether it is a boy or a girl.
"For the first few days, Mambele holds her cub firmly against her.
We let the mother and her little one get to know each other quietly, "explains the carer Melanie.
The birth announcement does not yet mention the weight of the baby.
The Antwerp ZOO knows, thanks to the studies carried out, that baby gorillas weigh on average from 1.4 to 1.8 kg at birth.

The name of the small animal has not yet been decided.
"2020 is the year of V, so we already know the first letter," said spokeswoman Ilse Segers.
"When we know the sex of the gorillon, we will involve our visitors in choosing a name.

Playmate
It is the second time that a western lowland gorilla has been born in the Valley of the great apes.
On November 26, 2018, the gorilla Mayani gave birth to Thandie.
She is already a year and a half old.
"In the German zoological park in Hannover, Mambele's pregnancies had not gone well.
Here at the Antwerp ZOO, she was able to follow the inspiring example of Mayani who breeds the gorilla Thandie very well.
As the great apes imitate each other's behavior, we have great hopes for Mambele and his newborn baby, "recounts the careful Melanie.

The Antwerp ZOO now houses five western lowland gorillas: Matadi, Mayani, Mambele, Thandie and the newborn.
The group also has an eastern lowland gorilla: Amahoro.
All animals were present in the Valley of the great apes at birth, because the Antwerp ZOO wants to encourage the natural behavior of animals as much as possible.