GERMANY: Eight week old gorilla Mary Zwo looks a little shy as she appears for the first time in front of visitors to Stuttgart zoo

A wrinkled little face, curly hear and huge wet eyes currently have visitors of Stuttgart's Wilhelma Zoo cooing: the eight weeks old gorilla girl Mary Zwo is charming visitors and staff alike. Her fate did not always look rosy after she almost died having been abandoned by her mother, said the zoo's curator, Marianne Holtkoetter on Friday (July 13, 2007). But after having been treated at a pediatric intensive care unit nearly two weeks ago and then having been transferred to the ape rearing station at Stuttgart Zoo, Mary Zwo is thriving and getting stronger by the day. "She is doing well compared top how she was ten days ago, keeping in mind she only got here a week ago" Holtkoetter told Reuters. "She has developed really well... At first, she couldn't move her arms and legs properly, she needed to sleep loads. She was drained physically and mentally. But now, she drinks up to 500 milliliters of milk a day, she kicks about and makes herself known if she doesn't like something. She actually smiles at her keeper. She is well on the way of becoming a proper gorilla." Mary Zwo had been admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit at Muenster University Hospital on July 01 at only six weeks old. She was taken into intensive care after Muenster zoo staff feared for her life having found her dehydrated, with low blood sugar levels and on the verge of hypothermia the day before. Mary Zwo's mother Gana who appeared to care for her baby very well at first, had started neglecting Mary Zwo after she was separated from other Gorillas at the zoo, following several incidents were Mary Zwo's father N'Kwango had attacked the baby gorilla severely, the zoo said in a statement. According to the hospital, Mary Zwo's condition is currently stable, although she still has some difficulties drinking from a bottle. The zoo said that the little ape was admitted to a hospital for humans because a veterinarian clinic would not have been able to provide Mary Zwo with the level of care she required. As human and gorilla babies were very similar, Mary Zwo admission to Muenster University hospital was only natural.

ITN Source | July 19, 2007

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