Written by Primate World Lead Keeper, Jon Wild –
In Primate World, there is an abundance of excitement from members, guests and Zoo staff, as everyone hopes to catch a glimpse of 32-year-old Western lowland gorilla mom, Asha, and her one-month-old baby. You can see just how special it is for someone to see a gorilla infant for the first, second or third time. I get it. I feel that excitement, too. The birth of a gorilla baby has always been a highlight of my career as an animal keeper, and I have been lucky to work with six gorilla babies over my career. Still, I think daily how amazing it is that my talented teammates and I get to experience this every day.
Working with Asha throughout her pregnancy and seeing her be a wonderful caring mother is incredible. But, that is not the whole story playing out directly in front of everyone. The animal care team is also watching Goma, the group’s silverback.
Goma makes this particular gorilla birth extra exciting for me because he is a first-time dad! I have worked with many silverbacks, but Goma is the first one I have cared for that has integrated into a family group after spending the majority of his life in a bachelor group.
Bachelor groups are normal social groupings found in wild gorillas. Bachelor groups can also be found in some zoos. Goma, along with his brother, joined a bachelor group at a young age. When he arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2016 to be the silverback of the family group, following a recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, he lacked experience with adult females. It was a challenge for him as he learned to interact with the females of the group.
It took some time, but with the help of the animal care team and the female gorillas, Goma assumed his role as a silverback. He leads the group as their protector, and knows where they are at all times. One of the ways he has recently exhibited his protectiveness is by patrolling the outdoor habitat and barking at construction cranes he can see across the Zoo. The female gorillas also show their respect for him by moving out if his way as he approaches.
Another gap in Goma’s knowledge was his lack of experience with infants. Now, at 34 years old, he is experiencing one for the first time as a new dad, and that makes me smile. We are observing a bachelor silverback join a family group, learning the skills necessary to lead that group and now learning how to be a father. This is a huge accomplishment for Goma.
His behavior has been spot-on. He is quietly looking after Asha and the baby, respecting her position, but always closely in case they need him. On the baby’s second day, Asha and baby rested near the window while guests focused on the baby. What I observed was Goma sitting close by watching over them, keeping his eye on the guests. Prior to the birth, Goma would have been resting as well. But on this day, he sat vigilant for hours while she slept.
Asha is helping Goma learn appropriate skills. She is strong and confident and allows him brief moments to be close to the baby and her. At first, when he reached out to touch the baby she was quick to let him know one brief touch was enough. More recently, she has let him touch and smell the baby’s head. His approaches towards them are kind of sweet, as he appears gentle and careful near them.
For me, it has been a joy to see Goma’s growth as a father run parallel to the baby’s development. I’m very much looking forward to the day Goma and his son start playing together. I think that will probably be one of the most special days of my career. Until then, I will enjoy watching Asha bond with her newborn as Goma continues to learn his new role as a father.