Baby Announcement: Woodland Park Zoo’s gorilla family growing

SEATTLE — Seattle’s gorilla population at the Woodland Park Zoo is about to grow by one this summer.

The zoo announced Friday that 22-year-old Akenj is expecting her first baby in late June or early July.

Using the same pregnancy kit tests that humans use, zoo veterinarians spotted the two pink lines on the test strip showing she is expecting.

What the test strip doesn’t reveal, however, is the sex of the baby.

The baby gorilla will be the third baby for its father, Kwame. He is the father of two gorillas that were also born at the zoo.

It’s hard to tell if mom Akenj has a baby bump, considering a gorilla’s diet is high in fiber.

“However, our gorilla care staff notice she’s a little wider across her upper midsection and chest,” said Woodland Park Zoo’s Rachel Vass. “Her belly is bigger, but the untrained eye could probably not detect the change.”

The last two baby gorillas born at the zoo were Kitoko in 2020 and Zuna in 2021.

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