An infant western lowland gorilla born five days ago on Nov. 13 at Zoo Atlanta was found deceased this morning. A necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, will be conducted to determine the infant’s cause of death.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of not just this special little individual, but by the loss of a newborn member of a critically endangered species,” said vice president of collections and conservation, Gina Ferrie, Ph.D in a press release. “Like humans, newborn gorillas are very fragile, and the first few days of life are uncertain for any baby animal.”
