Calgary Zoo welcomes newborn gorilla

The Calgary Zoo welcomed a "hairy little bundle of joy" in the form of a western lowland gorilla on Thursday, zoo officials announced in a release.

Mother Zuri gave birth around 3 a.m. MT Thursday.

"We could not be more pleased with the way things are going in this initial phase," zookeeper Garth Irvine said in a release. "Zuri and her newborn are doing very well."

The zoo said the mother and newborn were being carefully watched by gorilla keepers, veterinary staff and the father, silverback Kakinga.

"As with all births, there is a critical period when bonding takes place and any health problems that may exist in the baby will become apparent," said Cathy Gaviller, the zoo's director of conservation, education and research. "So far, Zuri's health is fine and the baby seems to be doing well so we are just keeping a watchful eye on the situation."

The gorilla team said in a release that it is optimistic that the newborn will do well after they provided Zuri with "baby surrogates" to prepare her.

In 2006, Zuri gave birth to a female that died when it was 12 days old after a more dominant female gorilla took away the baby, but was not producing milk and could not nurse it. The zoo tried to sustain the baby gorilla with supplemental feedings, but was not successful.

Zookeeper Les Stegenga said the troupe dynamics have changed since the last birth and Zuri is now the most dominant female in the group.

The zoo's TransAlta Rainforest building will remain closed for the next day or two to provide a quiet atmosphere for the new mother and baby.

It's been a difficult week for zoo officials as they continue to investigate the puzzling deaths of 40 stingrays since Sunday.