Adorable baby gorilla Jameela arrives at Cleveland Zoo to meet new family of apes including 'foster mom' Fredrika

An adorable baby gorilla arrived at the Cleveland Zoo to meet her new family of apes, including her ‘foster mother.’

Jameela, a western Iowland gorilla that was born pre-maturely, weighing just three pounds and one ounce, is now 11-months-old.

Since her birth, more than 40 Fort Worth Zoo employees in Texas have ‘committed to her care’ after her birth mother, Sekani started to show signs of preeclampsia just before her arrival.

Veterinarians and zoo staff had to make an executive decision to place the mother in emergency cesarean surgery to ensure that the bay would have the best chance at survival, Fort Worth Zoo said in a post.

Following her birth, the baby ape’s mother made a full recovery, but ‘was not demonstrating the necessary maternal signs to care for her premature baby.’

On Thursday, Jameela was transferred to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in hopes of bringing her close to a surrogate mother, Fredrika, also known as ‘Freddy.’

Jameela, a western Iowland gorilla, was transferred from the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio on Thursday. (pictured: Jameela meeting her surrogate mother Fredrika)

Jameela was born pre-maturely, weighing just three pounds and one ounce after her mother Sekani had preeclampsia and had to be rushed into am emergency cesarean surgery

Though it is hard to know exactly why the baby and her birth mother were unable to bond, Forth Worth Zoo staff think that Sekani did not experience hormonal cues that typically come with a natural and full-term birth

In a heartwarming video, gorilla keepers from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, James Schell and Brian Price, along with Angie Holmes and Lindsay Bryne from the Fort Worth Zoo’s gorilla team, welcomed baby Jameela to her new family.

Staff members from the Texas zoo are seen holding her as they transport her on a plane to her new home.

As they hand her off to the new staff, Jameela immediately warms up to her new surroundings.

‘The introductions here have gone really well, the troop seems very receptive to her presence, and the staff here has been so wonderful in welcoming her as well as us,’ a Fort Worth zoo employee said.

‘We’re happy to see where this goes.’

Soon after, she met her new surrogate mother as the pair were seen playfully interacting with each other.

At one point, Jameela started to holler at Fredrika and even got to meet another gorilla in the troop, Kayembe, and play with him through the cage.

Before being transferred to the zoo in Ohio, staff members at the Texas zoo tried to see if Jameela would bond with two other surrogate mothers, Gracie and Winifred

Jameela is seen immediately interacting with her new surrogate mother and another gorilla in the troop, Kayembe, who was also raised by Fredrika

Kayembe was also raised by Fredrika, who is the oldest gorilla in the tribe that has raised four other infants.

Though it is hard to know exactly why the baby and her birth mother were unable to bond, Forth Worth Zoo staff think that Sekani did not experience hormonal cues that typically come with a natural and full-term birth.

Prior to being sent to Ohio, zoo keepers tried to see if Jameela would bond with a 24-year-old gorilla, Gracie.

In a post made to the zoo’s Facebook page, surrogacy training with Gracie did not go as planned as the progress they wanted to see was not being ‘observed.’

Staff then tried to get the baby to bond with another gorilla named Winifred who is 33-years-old.

Though Winifred, who also goes by ‘Fred’ does not have any children of her own, the zoo said that the adult gorilla did show ‘some interest in baby Jameela.’

In a post from last week, the zoo gave a ‘bittersweet’ update on the baby’s journey and said that the bonding with Winifred was unsuccessful.

‘While we hoped for a different outcome – one that includes Jameela fully integrated into our troop – our main goal has always been that Jameela is raised by gorillas,’ Forth Worth Zoo said.

As the team tried their best to do so for Jameela, she grew stronger and healthier by the day as she was seen in another video discovering her feet for the first time, and gained an exceptional amount of weight

Before she left, her Texas team held a going away party for the Jameela over the weekend so locals could send her well wishes as she embarked on her new journey

Her journey to Cleveland soon followed as the two zoo’s work together to provide a home and family for the baby.

As the team tried their best to do so for Jameela, she grew stronger and healthier by the day as she was seen in another video discovering her feet for the first time, and gained an exceptional amount of weight.

Before she left, her Texas team held a going away party for the Jameela over the weekend so locals could send her well wishes as she embarked on her new journey.

In a statement, the Forth Worth Zoo expressed their heartache and happiness for Jameela.

‘We are understandably heartbroken. Jameela has left an indelible mark on all of us here at the Zoo and in the Fort Worth community,’ staff said.

‘She will always be a part of the Fort Worth Zoo, and once she is grown and her father is not the silverback, we hope to see her back in Fort Worth one day.’

Zoo staff at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo said that their apes will ‘be on exhibit as normal’ as Jameela grows accustomed to her new surroundings.

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