A gorilla from Kent is thought to be the first captive-born father to welcome a baby in the wild.
Djongo, 15, and his partner Mayombe, 13, are believed to have made history when the infant was born on Monday, in Gabon.
The news has been hailed by experts across the world and branded a ‘pivotal moment for wildlife conservation’.
The baby western lowland gorilla’s birth in Bateke Plateau National Park is wildly different to that of its parents.
Djongo was born at Port Lympne Reserve in Kent, before being released in Gabon in 2013 with his father Djala, a wild-born orphan who lost his family to poachers and was later abused by his captors.
Djala was rescued by conservation charity the Aspinall Foundation in 1986, and the two males were released into the wild as part of a reintroduction project supported by the foundation.
Meanwhile, Mayombe was born at France’s ZooParc de Beauval in Saint-Aignan, and released in Gabon in 2019 through a collaboration between the Aspinall Foundation and the zoo.
The new baby is being monitored by rangers, with the young family regularly caught on camera traps, though it was not immediately clear if the infant is male or female.
The Aspinall Foundation believes Mayombe and Djongo are the first gorilla breeding pair where born in captivity to mate successfully in the wild.
Chairman Damian Aspinall said: ‘This is a pivotal moment for wildlife conservation and a hugely emotional day for our entire team.
‘This birth symbolises the foundation of our entire Gorilla Protection Project.
‘Thirty-five years ago, our work saved Djongo’s father and allowed that family lineage to continue after devastating loss.’
He continued: ‘To now see Djongo’s offspring born in freedom, the next generation of this critically endangered species given a full life in the wild, free from human persecution, is a powerful image in a project that has come full circle.’
Delphine Delord, associate director of communications at ZooParc de Beauval, said: ‘The team at Beauval are incredibly excited with this wonderful news.
‘This baby gorilla, offspring of our female Mayombe born in Beauval, represents a huge step for global conservation, of which we are immensely proud.
‘Today, we celebrate the fact that hope is possible for a better future for this critically endangered species, thanks to the work being done both ex-situ and in-situ.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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