Recently, Mahale entered her gorilla enclosure at the Sedgwick County Zoo a little out of sorts. The 28-year-old chimpanzee had just given birth to her third baby — a son — but she hadn’t seen him in two days.
Mahale wanted to hold her baby boy, which is why she was elated to reunite with him.
And the beautiful moment was caught on camera.
When Mahale’s labor stopped progressing, the medical team intervened and performed an emergency C-section. Unfortunately, her baby wasn’t breathing well on his own and had to stay for observation until he was deemed healthy.
Mahale didn’t know when or if she’d see her sweet baby again. As the tired mama took inventory of her enclosure, a tiny hand raised up out of a blue blanket. At that moment, Mahale realized her boy, now named Kucheza, was safe.
You can watch the heartwarming reunion between mother and son here:
When Mahale realized it was indeed her baby in the blanket, she rushed to him, scooped him up and, trembling with emotion, pressed him to her chest in a tight hug. The relief on her face was evident to everyone watching.
The loving Mama has not put down her baby since their reunion, and they are now enjoying their time together as they heal.
According to zoo employees, Mahale and Kucheza are both thriving. Mahale is attentive and loving, and Kucheza is a calm, happy baby, spending most of his time sleeping and eating. In the wild, chimps will nurse until they are 4 years old, and will continue to rely on their mother for support for up to 10 years after.
It’s clear these two are building a bond that will last a lifetime.