The Fort Worth Zoo started the year with the historic birth of a baby gorilla born via emergency C-section after preeclampsia threatened the life of her mother.
The zoo named the preemie Jameela, and she's doing very well even though, Sekani never bonded with her.
"She has had other offspring in the past and was an excellent mom. So, the only thing we could really point to was the preeclampsia, the premature birth, that experience, put something off track for her to actually pick her up," said the zoo's primary gorilla keeper Angie Holmes.
Only on NBC 5, there is a bittersweet update. Surrogacy training with two other female gorillas has ended. Next week, Jameela will be transferred to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Fort Worth Zoo said on Instagram.
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"It's going to be difficult. Just like you've had children who've graduated and gone off to start their own lives, it kind of feels the same. It's like you know it's the right decision for them. You're excited. You're a little disappointed that she's not gonna stay with you but you know, she's gonna have excellent care," said Stephanie Crowson, the zoo's associate mammal curator.
NBC 5 got exclusive access behind the scenes to see how zoo staff members are caring for Jameela.
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The baby, born January 5 and weighing just three pounds, is now up to eight pounds and achieving all the things she's supposed to be doing at this stage.
But she is now cared for solely by humans. Someone is with her 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She is never alone, out of sight, or out of reach.
That constant care and contact, though, means parting ways will be difficult especially for Holmes.
"Very hard. Very hard," a tearful Holmes told NBC5. "It's gonna be tough but this is what we've wanted. We're here for our animals. And what's best for her has got to be what's best for us, too. So she always be a fabric of the Fort Worth Zoo and she's definitely part of who I am as a person and as a keeper. And I won't lose that. And I won't forget it."
The Fort Worth Zoo says they will let the public see Jameela and say goodbye before she leaves early the week of March 25.
