Animals are often born in zoos, and sometimes it can help save an entire species, as was the case with Diego, the tortoise. He reproduced so much in captivity that he was credited with saving the giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands. Other times, these animal births bring together the whole world over how extremely precious they are. And this time, it was a chimpanzee’s turn, Mahale, to stun us all with her birth story
The birth and its complications
Fortunately, the adorable newborn recovered well, and following 2 days of medical observation, it was ready to be returned to its caring mother.
The emotional reunion
As soon as the little chimp was healthy enough, the zoo’s staff introduced it to Mahale. In a tear-jerking video, the adult chimpanzee enters her enclosure holding an empty blanket, only to find her baby boy itself wrapped in blankets in the middle of the room. After a few seconds, Mahale notices a tiny hand calling to her and immediately jumps into a loving embrace. The mama holds her baby tightly and even seems to sweetly kiss it on the head
The moment is moving people from all over the world, and even other zoos can’t deny that this is as endearing as it gets. The Calgary Zoo left a comment on the post that reads: “It doesn’t get much sweeter than this. BIG congratulations to your animal care and veterinary teams.”
Since first sharing the reunion online, the Sedgwick County Zoo has posted more updates on the baby, including its name. The newborn is called Kucheza, which means “play” in Swahili.
And as we can see, Mahale and Kucheza have formed a close bond. Until now, they remain inseparable and everything is going smoothly, including breastfeeding. In fact, the new mother is even able to take care of herself without ever putting the baby down, with the zoo’s team going as far as to call her a pro multitasker.
