A baby gorilla has been born at Dublin Zoo.
The zoo said it was pleased to announce the birth of a baby western lowland gorilla to first-time mother Kafi and father Bangui.
Kafi gave birth on April 1 after an eight-and-a-half month pregnancy.
The infant, which is of unknown gender as mum Kafi has been keeping it close to her chest since birth, weighs around two to two-and-a-half kilograms.
The newborn is the first offspring of Bangui since his arrival at Dublin Zoo last year.
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Dad Bangui arrived at Dublin Zoo in 2018 following the death of long-time alpha male 'silverback' Harry.
Bangui was quickly accepted as the new alpha-male of the troop and has begun his transformation into a silverback gorilla, Dublin Zoo said.
Helen Clarke-Bennett, Team Leader of the African Plains at Dublin Zoo, said: "Kafi is doing a fantastic job so far as a first-time mother, keeping the young baby physically close in these crucial early stages.
"Bangui is proving to be an attentive father and at night has been sleeping close to Kafi and the baby.
"Kafi seems comfortable and at ease and we expect her to mix with the rest of the gorilla troop very soon.
"Since she arrived with us back in 2012, Kafi has witnessed other female gorillas give birth and raise their young which has been a huge help in teaching Kafi how to look after her own baby.
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"This new birth is a great step forward for this critically endangered species."
Western lowland gorillas are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
The numbers of these primates living in the wild is expected to fall by over 80% between 1980 and 2046 with deforestation, commercial hunting and a highly contagious virus called Ebola being the three main threats facing their survival.
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