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by Larry Neild
LONDON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Afia, the miracle gorilla who survived a high-risk caesarian birth, has delighted zoo keepers in Bristol after becoming stroppy if she doesn't get what she wants.
The latest Afia blog issued Monday by Bristol Zoo Gardens shows how the hand-reared Western Lowland gorilla is showing how determined she has become at just 20 weeks of age.
Earlier this year Afia, meaning "Friday Born Child" in Ghanaian, became the first gorilla ever to be delivered in Britain by a caesarean section procedure after her mom Kera developed pre-eclampsia that put both their lives in imminent danger.
Surgeons and a medical team successfully carried out the procedure to save their lives.
"She is starting to interact with the rest of the troop by going towards them and often climbs on the mesh in front of them. The females will often touch her, vocalize positively towards her and show good interest in her behaviors," says Monday's blog.
Each week, her keepers have been setting goals for behaviors they want to see and encourage in Afia, such as walking and climbing.
They have put up more ropes to chivvy her to climb and have built a climbing frame, complete with mesh, to help her become more confident.
Her devoted keepers also offer her different foods all the time to help her learn about the variety of food that the adults get. Some food is left hard for her to chew on and others are steamed to soften them a little. Her current favorites are avocado and steamed sweet potato.
Keepers have seen an increase in the amount of food she has been eating over the last couple of weeks and say she is beginning to master her hand-eye-mouth coordination in order to feed herself.
Lynsey Bugg, curator of mammals at the zoo, said Monday: "We have started training her to come to us for her bottles. If we are successful in reintroducing her to the group, it's important she understands being called to keepers for her milk as she will continue to receive it from us until she is around four years of age."
"Afia is getting to the stage where she is into everything -- she loves investigating anything she can get her hands on," says her blog.
Her mother Kera is still recovering from her pre-eclampsia as well as severe anemia and for a time was fighting for her life, but is now making good progress.
A spokeswoman at the zoo told Xinhua Monday: "Both Afia and her mom are doing well. No date has yet been announced for when Afia will make her public debut at the zoo, but it could some months away. She continues to be hand reared by our zookeepers." Enditem
