A gorilla at Zürich Zoo has given birth to her first ever child, zoo authorities announced on Tuesday.

"/> A gorilla at Zürich Zoo has given birth to her first ever child, zoo authorities announced on Tuesday.

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ANIMALS

Zürich zoo celebrates gorilla birth

A gorilla at Zürich Zoo has given birth to her first ever child, zoo authorities announced on Tuesday.

Published: 2 March 2011 15:07 CET
Zürich zoo celebrates gorilla birth
Photo: Robert Zingg/Zürich Zoo

A gorilla at Zürich Zoo has given birth to her first ever child, zoo authorities announced on Tuesday.

 

The baby western lowland gorilla, whose sex has not yet been ascertained, was born in the small hours of Saturday morning to the zoo’s gorilla N’Yokumi, who turned 10 on Sunday. The father of the new arrival is N’Gola, a 34-year-old silverback. 

 

Zookeepers say N’Yokumi is caring for the baby well. Other young gorillas in the enclosure are showering attention on the new member of the clan, something N’Yokumi appears relaxed about.

 

The birth is the 29th time a western lowland gorilla has been born at Zürich zoo, which is currently home to members of the species. There are believed to be 150,000-200,000 western lowland gorillas in the wild in equatorial Africa and about 550 in captivity. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as ‘Critically Endangered’.

PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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