Riverbanks Zoo expecting birth of baby gorilla

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is preparing to welcome another baby animal this spring. Macy, one of the zoo's female western lowland gorillas, is pregnant and due in late May, the zoo announced Tuesday. It will be the first gorilla born and raised at Riverbanks.

The pregnancy is the first for 10-year-old Macy. The gestation period for gorillas is about 36 weeks. Macy is believed to be 13 to 14 weeks along, the zoo said.

"Macy is in good health, and her pregnancy appears to be progressing well," said John Davis, curator of mammals at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. "First-time gorilla mothers are, however, more likely to experience challenges related to birth and child-rearing, so we are cautiously optimistic moving forward."

Riverbanks welcomed Macy and male silverback gorilla Cenzoo, along with two other female western lowland gorillas in 2015 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Gorilla Species Survival Plan.

This story was originally published November 29, 2016 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Riverbanks Zoo expecting birth of baby gorilla."