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January 6, 2006
2006 is off to a good start for Kuchi, the twins and the rest of Taz’s group. The beautiful weather has allowed the group to be outside and provided great opportunities for the public to see all three babies. Kuchi and the twins are still the recipients of much attention from the rest of the group. Kuchi can usually be found napping with either Sukari or Lulu or both resting at her side. Kudzoo has been spending a lot of time near Taz, who was actually observed grooming her—a very rare sighting! Kudzoo is also starting to spend more time with the females and the keepers observed her playing with Kuchi the other day. Playing while holding one baby let alone twins is a challenge and so this was quite an interesting and at times a comical sight.
Dr. Tara Stoinski
Manager, Conservation Partnerships

	Kudzoo and Macy B.

December 26, 2005
Our new gorilla babies had their first Christmas and saw their first Christmas tree today. All the gorillas stayed inside this past weekend where they were warm. Kuchi put the twins on the ground for a little bit on Saturday. She still had her hand on them, but they enjoyed some extra space, even if it was only for a little while. Today, I watched Kuchi play with the girl twin. 

Kudzoo's still doing a great job at being a first time mother, such a great job that we still can't get a look to see if the baby's a girl or a boy! All in all it was a good Christmas weekend and all the gorillas enjoyed the holiday music we played.
Jodi Kissinger
Primate Keeper

December 23, 2005
Taz's family was all outside this afternoon getting some long awaited fresh air and sunshine. We find that the presence of the babies has had a remarkable effect on the silverback Taz. He seems to have mellowed out considerably which happens to many males that become fathers. Kudzoo's new baby is only 10 days old and looks very strong and active to be so young. The twins are beginning to develop the early stages of hand eye coordination; reaching out and picking up small bits of food and hay around them.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

Kudzoo and baby

December 19, 2005
The girls were able to get outside for a few hours on Sunday and today. All the babies are still as cute as ever! The boy twin reached out to grab his big sister, Lulu, on Sunday. 

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue visited today to assist our veterinary staff in doing an exam on one of our elephants. While here at Zoo Atlanta, he visited Taz's group and had a chance to see both Kuchi's twins and Kudzoo's new baby. 
Jodi Kissinger
Primate Keeper

December 16, 2005
A few of the characteristics during infant development that occur in the first few weeks are the ability to focus on and localize the source of a sound, following objects and other animals with their gaze, looking at their own hands and co-ordinated reaching. The last trait is really evident in these two since they have been frequently reaching for their sibling neighbor, usually each grabbing the other's head. The mother Kuchi has settled into a very relaxed daily routine with the two babies.

The arrival of Kudzoo's baby last Monday has not been disruptive to the group in any way and all the other girls in the group have taken it in stride. Kudzoo loves to make enormous nests to rest in while she very attentively nurtures her infant. Kudzoo is a first time mother is a natural when it comes to maternal care.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

December 14, 2005
Things have been fairly quiet as the weather has kept the gorillas indoors much of the time. Taz’s group went outside briefly yesterday; Kudzoo was very accommodating and let us get some excellent views of the baby. Although we were not able to determine its sex, we did see the infant nursing and it appears very strong and alert for being two days old. Kudzoo was showing excellent maternal behavior, providing support for the infant with one arm while walking tripedally. We have started data collection on Kudzoo and her new infant using the same protocol we use for Kuchi and the twins. This will enable us to directly compare mother-infant behavior and infant development for a single infant versus twins. We are also very interested in how Kudzoo’s relationship with the other females in the group will change as a result of her new status. For example, Choomba, Kudzoo's mother, spent much of their time outside following her and was protective of her on several occassions when other females approached.
Dr. Tara Stoinski
Manager of Conservation Partnerships

December 12, 2005
It was a cold weekend and Kuchi and the twins only went outside in the afternoon for a few hours each day. Although, Kuchi seemed to enjoy catching up on some rest while inside. In between naps, she was seen taking the twins over to the door to see Taz and in return Taz would vocalize to them. On Sunday, Taz tossed his food enrichment item through the door. Kuchi was more than happy to scoop it up and work on it for an extra snack. The twins are getting bigger everyday.

The twins got a new playmate today when Kudzoo had given birth to her baby overnight. Mom and baby are doing great! The baby is nursing and was seen holding onto Kudzoo with both hands and feet without any assistance. The baby is big, strong and has lots of hair! The group was inside all day and mom seems to be enjoying her rest. They will most likely be going outside sometime tomorrow. It will be sometime before we determine if the new baby is a boy or a girl.
Jodi Kissinger
Primate Keeper

	Kudzoo and baby

December 9, 2005
Kudzoo, Firstborn Child of Willie B., Gives Birth Zoo Atlanta welcomes second-generation offspring of the late Willie B.

Kuchi and the twins have not been outside much this week because of the colder temperatures. Kuchi has however enjoyed making large nests and catching up on her rest. She also is catching up on her eating. While inside the gorillas do get lots of seeds, cereals and bamboo to forage on. Today Kuchi was seen carrying the twins to the door near Taz and he vocalizes in deep rumbles when he hears the babies squeak or whimper. It is a very reassuring sound.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

December 2, 2005
This week was Taz’s first introduction to Kudzoo’s new infant. Immediately after Taz entered the exhibit, Kudzoo approached him with the infant. She proceeded to follow him throughout the exhibit for the next 30 minutes, continually approaching him and submissively vocalizing. Kudzoo was often accompanied by other females in the group who formed a protective core around her. We saw a similar set of behaviors when Kuchi and the twins were first introduced to Taz. This is unusual, and we believe it is related to the fact that Taz and the females have been separated for several days after the birth of infants. Normally, we do not separate females from the male when they are about to give birth. But Kuchi was separated to allow her to adjust to the twins, and Kudzoo was separated so we could closely monitor her maternal skills given that she is a first time mom. Upon reuniting with Taz, it is our interpretation that the females approach and follow him essentially to show or ‘introduce’ the infants to him. This seems like a good strategy, given that males can be aggressive towards infants that are not their own. After about 30 minutes, the group settled down and spent time resting and eating. But we did see Kudzoo approach Taz again in the afternoon, and he was able to gently touch the infant with one finger, which he then proceeded to immediately smell--a behavior gorillas often do when investigating something new.
Dr. Tara Stoinski
Manager of Conservation Partnerships

Kuchi and twins

December 2, 2005
Kuchi and the twins have been doing really well and we celebrated their one month birthday this week. They are developing more strength in their hands and feet and are able to cling to Kuchi without her support for brief periods. They been on exhibit in their habitat this week on the warm sunny days of 50 degrees and higher, but kept indoors during colder windy days like today. We are now in the home stretch of Kudzoo's pregnancy and expect her to deliver within the next 5 weeks. It is fortunate that our first time moms Kudzoo and Sukari have the opportunity to watch the more experienced Kuchi being such a good mother.

Kuchi's sister gorilla Kishina, who lives in Tampa at Busch Gardens, has also proven to be a remarkable gorilla mother. Due to complications her newborn was delivered by caesarean section. The gorilla staff there took care of the infant for 10 days and successfully introduced him back to his mom after she had recovered from the surgery. She was very excited to get him back.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 30, 2005
Today was exceptionally warm so we were able to have all of Taz's family on exhibit when the zoo opened. Kuchi got very comfortable down by the viewing window for the majority of the morning.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 21, 2005
With today's inclement weather, Kuchi and the twins remained inside, along with the rest of the gorilla collection. However, they were on exhibit over weekend and Kuchi was observed several times sitting immediately adjacent to the visitor window, which offered excellent views of the babies. Now entering their third week of life, the twins are becoming increasingly alert and active and spend much of their awake time looking around or at their mother. The other group members still show considerable interest in the twins, although Kuchi is appropriately protective. It will be quite some time before the other gorillas are permitted to do anything besides observe the twins from a close distance. This pattern of maternal behavior is fairly typical for primates. However, there are some species where not just the mother, but all family members participate in the rearing of infant. This could involve the father and older siblings carrying and/or providing food for infants. Golden lion tamarins, a species that can be observed here at Zoo Atlanta, show this type of communal infant rearing behaviors.
Dr. Tara Stoinski
Manager of Conservation Partnerships

November 18, 2005
We were able to let Kuchi and the twins into their habitat today for a couple of hours during the warmest part of the afternoon. She foraged about for sunflower seeds and cereal, ate fruit and seemed to be getting very adept at moving about with her armful of babies. The keepers commented that she did not seem to look as tired as the first two weeks since the birth of the twins. She more actively foraging for food and her appetite is increasing. In the first two weeks the normal diet did not fully appeal to her; so, we fed her high protein liquid supplements and nutritional bars along with cooked potatoes and whole wheat bread. Over the last few days, Kuchi seems to be interested in the regular diet of raw veggies and primate chow. We will continue her supplements; but, it is good to see her getting back to a normal routine and not being so finicky.

The twins are nursing frequently and looking great. Today marks day 18 of Kuchi raising her twins, which is longest that any gorilla mom in North America has successfully managed twins.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 16, 2005
Previously only one other set of gorilla twins among the North American zoos has been raised by the mother. Unfortunately this was only for a period of seventeen days and the infants were taken from the mother due to inadequate care. Kuchi's maternal skills are very strong and she has now equaled this record and we see no reason to expect that she will not continue the outstanding care she is giving them. We frequently see both infants nursing and often at the same time. She cuddles them, vocalizes to them and grooms them carefully. One more day and she will have set a new record!
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

	Kuchi and twins

November 15, 2005
As we typically do with any young offspring, we are closely monitoring the weather to ensure that the temperatures will be conducive to having Kuchi and the twins in their habitat.

Fortunately the rain held off today and they were on exhibit for their two week anniversary. There will be weather conditions which may warrant that we keep Kuchi and her infants inside. The lowest temperature they may be out in is currently 50 degrees Fahrenheit with very light wind and preferably with exposure to sunshine. If at any time Kuchi seems uncomfortable, we are prepared to provide access to the indoor enclosure which is unfortunately not visible to the public. The twins appear to be getting stronger every day and more alert to the world around them.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 14, 2005
The Zoo was very saddened by the loss of Lulu’s infant on Saturday morning. However, we are very encouraged by the success of Kuchi and the twins, who are now back on exhibit, and we continue to monitor them closely. Data collection during the first few months of life is relatively easy, as Kuchi will maintain constant contact with her infants during this time. We know from studies done here at the zoo that females generally do not put their infants down for at least the first four months of life and are rarely more than a few feet from their infants during their first year of life. One of our research questions is whether these behavioral patterns, which are for females with a single infant, will remain the same with twins. Perhaps Kuchi will begin to put the infants down at an earlier age because of their increased weight and thus greater energetic carrying costs. We look forward to finding out, although it will be some time before we have results. Studying development in a slowly maturing species like the gorilla is a long-term commitment; gorillas are considered infants through 3 years of age and continue to grow physically and develop behaviorally through at least the first decade of life (females) and well into the second decade (males). 
Dr. Tara Stoinski
Manager of Conservation Partnership

November 11, 2005
We have been very busy the last few days with a new gorilla birth in addition to Kuchi's twins. Six year-old Lulu, Kuchi's first daughter and offspring of Willie B., gave birth to Willie B.'s first grandchild on the evening of Monday, November 7. However, it appears that she may have not been prepared to take care of him. With Kuchi (Lulu's mother) being nearby and having a very strong maternal drive as a result of the recent birth of her twins, the staff found Kuchi with three infants on Tuesday morning. All three infants were retrieved by the staff for examination, which also allowed us to attempt the reintroduction of Lulu's infant back to her. Kuchi's twins were returned to her the same day and Lulu's baby was cared for by the staff in a nursery setup that included bottle feeding, weighing and round the clock care. Over a two-day period we attempted to reintroduce the new baby to Lulu without any interference from the other gorillas in the family. She did not show the interest we hoped for. After careful deliberation, we decided to allow Kuchi to raise the new baby, in addition to her twins, as long as they appear healthy and are nursing regularly. We are monitoring the situation very closely.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 7, 2005
Kuchi and the twins continue to thrive—we have started collecting systematic behavioral data to supplement the observations made by the animal care staff. Infant development and maternal behavior in western lowland gorillas has been a focus of research at Zoo Atlanta since the first gorilla births at the zoo in 1989. We are very excited to be adding data on the twins to our database, particularly as no scientific information on twin development exists for this species.

We are not only collecting data on Kuchi and the twins but also on the behavior of the rest of the group members towards them. One noticeable change is an increased interest in Kuchi by the other females in the group. Increased interest in a new mother is a very common behavior among primates, particularly among young females who have not yet had infants of their own. Kuchi can often be observed sitting next to her 6 year old daughter Lulu and a 7 year old female named Sukari, both of whom will occasionally try to touch the infants. Both Lulu and Sukari are pregnant with their first offspring, and we hope that observing Kuchi will help ensure they also have good mothering skills.
Dr. Tara Stoinski
Manager of Conservation Partnership

Kuchi and twins

November 4, 2005
Taz's family including Kuchi and the twins were back in their usual habitat today and will be on exhibit there as long as weather permits. It was a perfect day for gorilla watching! Kuchi spent much of her day lying on a bed of straw by the window of the Willie B Conservation Center and hundreds of visitors got a closeup view of the new babies. We are expecting more of the same through the weekend and into next week as a result of the beautiful weather.

Before coming outside today, Kuchi and all the females greeted Taz enthusiastically. They also were seen following him about. Each of them began vocalizing loudly as Kuchi was showing him the twins. Taz ,who is a 16 year old male and a first time dad, seems to have stepped up to a new level of maturity this week. We are very pleased at how he is adapting to his expanding family.

Gorilla trivia: With the new twins, Taz's group now has 7 gorillas. With the exception of Kuchi, who was 4 years old when she arrived at the zoo, all of the gorillas in the group were born at Zoo Atlanta
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 3, 2005
Since the birth of the twins on Halloween, we have given Kuchi a nice sunny outdoor habitat with her daughter, Lulu, and the other female gorillas in the group including Kudzoo, Sukari and Choomba.

Today we introduced the father Taz back into the group. Taz is a first time dad and is behaving very well around Kuchi. One of the keepers actually observed her showing the babies to him. Gorilla males don't play an active role in parenting small infants; but, their presence can offer stability and security to the group. Females with infants regularly spend time near the male. Silverbacks often interact and play with their offspring once they are of juvenile age (between 4-7 years).

Today, the other female gorillas were often seen accompanying Kuchi and occasionally peering in at the twins and gently trying to touch them.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

November 2, 2005
Kuchi continues to be an excellent mother to her new twins which we have temporarily dubbed "Lefty" and "Righty," depending on which side of mom they are carried. It appears that each of them have remained on the same side for the first day. They both appear to be nursing normally and look strong. One sign of strength we look for is how well they grip while Kuchi is carrying them about. Although gorilla moms do support their babies with an arm while they walk about, the babies cling with both hands. Bright eyes, strong grip and alertness are a few of the signs that indicate a gorilla infant is doing well. Kuchi is very hungry and is getting all she wants to eat as well as nutritional supplements and vitamins. The other females in the group are being very supportive and protective of Kuchi. Although they are curious about the new babies, they are respectful and if they come to near to her, Kuchi will extend a hand- as if to say-that's enough.
Charles Horton
Curator of Primates

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