Woodland Park Zoo gorilla rejects newborn

SEATTLE — A baby gorilla born Friday at Woodland Park Zoo was being bottle-fed and cared for by keepers after her mother walked away from the newborn.

Zoo staff remain optimistic that 19-year-old Nadiri, a first-time mother, will soon warm to her new daughter, said zoo spokeswoman Gigi Allianic.

“They hope that she will pick up her baby, start to nurse her and cuddle her,” Allianic said.

The healthy infant was born at 11:30 a.m., after four hours of labor. But instead of immediately cleaning and nursing the baby, Nadiri walked away.

Zoo staff quickly retrieved the infant and fed her the same formula given to human babies.

Mother and child were initially kept in adjacent sleeping enclosures, separated by wire mesh. But staff planned to remove the barrier and give Nadiri access to the baby.

In a promising sign, Nadiri was looking at the infant and uttering “content grunts” — a vocalization that indicates pleasure.