Just over two years ago, billions of people around the world saw the viral video of chimpanzee Mahale reuniting with her newborn Kucheza following his emergency C-section birth. SCZ took fans both new and old along on the journey of mom and son with daily updates on social media, until Kucheza passed away due to an accidental injury at just five weeks old.
The entire SCZ family mourned with Mahale, celebrated her healing, and cheered her on as a loving “auntie” to now 1-year-old chimpanzee Alizeti. Now SCZ is thrilled to share the news that after a healthy pregnancy, Mahale has successfully delivered another baby – and this time it’s a girl. The baby was named Kyansa (key-AHN-sah), after a peak in the Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania.
Because she previously delivered an infant via C-section, another surgical delivery was prescribed in order to reduce the risks sometimes associated with natural births after C-sections. Once again, Drs. Laura Whisler and Janna Chibry of College Hill OB-GYN in Wichita, Kansas, performed the cesarean section alongside the Zoo’s veterinary and animal care teams. The pair have consulted with Sedgwick County Zoo veterinarians on all great ape pregnancies for more than a decade – having delivered Kucheza in 2022 as well as orangutan Lily in 2018.
Mahale spent the night recovering from anesthesia and was able to be reunited with baby the following morning – just 14 hours after delivery. Positive signs of bonding have been immediately visible through constant observation by their caretakers. The pair will remain behind the scenes to allow time for Mahale to heal from surgery and for mom and baby to develop their bond.
This is the fourth offspring for Mahale, 30, and an important birth for the chimpanzee population. Be sure to follow SCZ on social media (Facebook, Instagram) to watch their story unfold.