Bristol Zoo Gorilla Gives First Fertility‑Drug Birth, Faces C‑Section

• by Arlen Fitzpatrick
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When Salome, a 20‑year‑old female western lowland gorilla residing at Bristol Zoo Gardens, was diagnosed with a diminished ovarian reserve, the answer came from an unlikely source – a human obstetrician.

Veterinarians at the zoo consulted Dr. David, a Cork‑born specialist who’d previously helped human patients with complex fertility issues. The plan was simple on paper: mix a low‑dose fertility drug tablet into Salome’s daily ration to coax her ovaries into releasing an egg. The twist is that such a protocol had never been attempted on a great ape.

Background: Assisted Reproduction in Primates

Conservationists have long wrestled with the genetics of captive gorilla populations. With fewer than 1,100 western lowland gorillas left in the wild, every birth counts. Artificial insemination has been used sparingly, but hormonal stimulation to induce ovulation is a newer frontier. The challenge lies in translating human endocrinology to a species that lacks a menstrual cycle and can’t report pain the way a person does.

Previous attempts at hormone therapy in orangutans and chimpanzees produced mixed results, often causing ovarian cysts or behavioral stress. That history made the Bristol team cautious, yet the stakes—preserving genetic variance—pushed them forward.

Salome’s Fertility Treatment and Historic Birth

In early 2023, Dr. David prepared a regimen of clomiphene citrate tablets, the same drug prescribed to women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Each tablet was pulverized and folded into a banana mash that Salome eagerly devoured. Within weeks, ultrasound monitoring—performed by a portable veterinary scanner—showed a follicle maturing.

“We gave her tablets to get her to ovulate, mixed in with her food, and she got pregnant,” Dr. David recalled in an interview with the Irish Examiner. By October, Salome was visibly pregnant, a rare sight for zoo staff accustomed to natural conceptions.

The world‑first moment arrived on an unpublicized morning in late November when Salome gave birth to a healthy male infant she named Komale. Staff described the newborn as "robust" and already displaying the characteristic dark eyebrows of his mother. Photographs captured the tiny gorilla clinging to Salome’s chest, a scene that quickly circulated among conservation circles.

Surrogate Care and Infant Development

Just weeks after Komale’s arrival, the zoo introduced a surrogate arrangement for a different infant, Afia, a six‑month‑old female gorilla whose mother was still nursing another sibling. Veteran resident Romina was chosen as the surrogate mother, a practice common in primate management to ensure the weaker infant gets ample milk and protection.

According to zoo spokesperson Carroll, "it is expected Afia will remain with Romina until she is five," mirroring the natural weaning age in wild groups. The plan gives Afia a five‑year window to develop social skills under Romina’s watchful eye, improving her chances of successful integration into the troop.

Kera’s Pre‑Eclampsia and Emergency C‑Section

Two years after Komale’s birth, another drama unfolded. Kera, a mature female who had been pregnant with Komale’s first‑generation offspring, began showing signs of pre‑eclampsia—a hypertensive condition rarely diagnosed in non‑human primates.

Dr. David was called back on a Tuesday for a crisis call. "She was about 38‑39 weeks pregnant, but I can’t be certain—apes don’t have a last period and you can’t ask them," he told the press. An emergency ultrasound the following Friday revealed severe fetal distress, prompting the veterinary team to schedule an urgent cesarean section.

On the day of surgery, Kera vomited a "smelly green mess" just before induction, a complication that mirrored what human patients sometimes experience. The operative suite was a flurry of activity: the abdomen was shaved, iodine scrubbed, and sterile drapes laid. Photographers documented every moment, turning the sterile theater into a makeshift studio.

The C‑section proceeded without major hitches, yet the Irish Examiner did not release details on the newborn’s birth weight, sex, or immediate health. What is clear is that the zoo’s rapid response—leveraging the same human medical expertise that saved Salome’s pregnancy—saved both mother and child from a potentially fatal outcome.

Implications for Conservation and Veterinary Medicine

Salome’s successful conception via a fertility drug marks a turning point in how zoos can manage genetic bottlenecks. By expanding the reproductive toolkit, institutions can pair genetically valuable individuals who might otherwise be unable to conceive.

Meanwhile, Kera’s emergency highlights the need for specialized obstetric training among zoo veterinarians. The collaboration with human obstetricians like Dr. David demonstrates a model where cross‑disciplinary knowledge accelerates lifesaving interventions.

Looking ahead, Bristol Zoo Gardens plans to refine dosing protocols, conduct longitudinal health monitoring of drug‑exposed offspring, and share findings with the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). The ultimate goal? To keep the western lowland gorilla’s gene pool as diverse as possible while ensuring each individual receives the best possible care.

• First gorilla birth via fertility drug – Salome (2023)
• Birth of Komale – healthy male infant
• Surrogate care: Afia with Romina until age 5
• Kera’s pre‑eclampsia leads to emergency C‑section (2025)
• Ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration between zoo vets and human obstetricians