AN EXTRA SPECIAL FIRST BIRTHDAY AT BLACKPOOL ZOO!

(Broadcast quality video of baby gorilla available to view and download*)

Blackpool Zoo is getting ready to celebrate a very special birthday! The first ever critically endangered Western Lowland Gorilla to be born at the Zoo will turn one on May 7th 2011.

The beautiful bouncing baby girl, who was named Meisie, which is Afrikaans for 'baby girl', came into the world overnight almost a year ago and was found by keepers suckling from proud new mum Miliki. Her father is the zoo’s resident silverback gorilla Bukavu.

Charlotte Pennie, Senior Primate Keeper at Blackpool Zoo, said: “We were overjoyed when we confirmed Miliki’s pregnancy and it was wonderful to arrive at work and find Meisie had been born and that mother and baby were doing so well.

“As the birth was uncomplicated and Miliki took to the role of mother straight away we have not needed to become involved and the whole process from birth to now has been completely natural, which is perfect.

“Meisie has positively flourished and is a very confident and inquisitive. She began to walk at around six months and is now climbing on the ropes and easily reaching the different levels in the gorilla house.

“As Miliki is such a confident mother she has allowed Meisie to become more independent and, whilst she does keep a watchful eye on her, it is great to see that both are relaxed and happy enough to spend some time away from each other.

“Since January she has been getting her first teeth through and is proudly displaying the twelve she has already has to keepers and visitors alike.

“She will not be fully weaned from her mother until she is between two and three years but is already enjoying eating lots of solid foods like fruit, vegetables, eggs and cheeses.

“Blackpool Zoo has been waiting a long time to welcome its first ever Western Lowland Gorilla baby and I am sure I speak on behalf of all my staff as well as our visitors that Meisie was well worth the wait.”

Miliki, who was born in 1994 and Bukavu, who is 14, are both first time parents. The other two members in Blackpool’s troop of gorillas are Miliki’s half-sister Njema and the eldest female is Kena.

A special birthday party will be held at Blackpool Zoo on Saturday 7th May.

Celebrations will kick off at 11am with gorilla poo throwing, birthday card and gorilla badge making and a name the toy gorilla competition.

Visitors will also be invited to enter a draw to win an exclusive behind the scenes tour to meet either the gorillas or lemurs.

A specially crafted birthday cake will be given to Meisie at 12.30pm, followed by edible gifts, which will be thrown into the paddock at 1.30pm.

The education team at Blackpool Zoo will also be holding public talks to explain how Meisie has developed in her first year and increase awareness about the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) Ape Campaign, for which Blackpool Zoo is raising money throughout 2011.

Western Lowland Gorillas are critically endangered in the wild as the threat from humans and deforestation continues to grow in their homelands of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

-Ends-

Pictures show:

Meisie the Western Lowland Gorilla from birth to now (numbered accordingly). Please contact 01772 679383 or email paula@icgonline.co.uk if you experience difficulties downloading images.

*Video footage for download (please note, you can view the footage without download by clicking the lower resolution link):

High resolution video footage with voiceover and captions for download: http://rcpt.yousendit.com/1112957667/192e47f3dbf112ebefa8dbea409916e1 

(Please note: This link will expire on 19.05.11 – after this time please contact Paula Holden and it can be sent direct to you) 

Lower resolution video footage with voiceover and captions for viewing and download: http://vimeo.com/23181802

(To download please scroll down and click on ‘join’ under ‘about this video’, which will enable you download it free of charge)

Raw footage for your own editing: Raw footage will be available from 1.00pm today, please contact Paula Holden to receive this link)

Please contact 01772 679383 or email paula@icgonline.co.uk if you experience difficulties downloading images. Copies of all are also available to be sent on DVD.

More information about Blackpool Zoo

A bumper year of momentous first time births, huge investment and a hat-trick of awards saw Blackpool Zoo’s visitor numbers hit new record heights in 2010.

An investment of over £1million during the year led to the grand opening of the UK’s biggest sea lion pool, which completes the zoo’s Active Oceans attraction, a brand new Wallaby Walkabout and a redeveloped home for the zoo’s resident Aardvarks Laurel and Arnie.

Further investment for 2011 year includes a new, indoor and outdoor children’s farm and an extension and complete refurbishment of the site’s main restaurant.

Blackpool Zoo won three prestigious awards during 2010. Visit Blackpool crowned Blackpool Zoo its Visitor Attraction of the Year, The Be Inspired Business Awards hailed it Tourism Business of the Year and it was also voted Large Visitor Attraction of the Year at Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards.

Blackpool Zoo is owned by Parques Reunidos, the second largest European leisure parks operator and a leading world-wide player. The zoo is home to over 1,500 mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates set amidst thirty-two acres of mature woodland and lakes. 

The zoo’s signature animals include elephants, giraffes, big cats, gorillas, orang-utans, sea lions, primates, zebras and kangaroos. It is open every day, apart from Christmas Day from 10am.

More information about the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Ape Campaign

The campaign, which will run throughout 2011, aims to make a significant and lasting contribution to the survival of apes and their habitats. Almost all of the apes - gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gibbons - are either Endagered or Critically Endangered, facing threats from hunting and trade, habitat destruction, and the spread of disease.

The EAZA Ape Campaign will raise awareness of the plight of the apes and will use funds raised to create an EAZA Ape Conservation Fund, providing grants to in situ ape conservation projects. Find out more at www.apecampaign.org. 

For further information please contact:

Paula Holden, Julie Hackett or Denise Dawson at ICG on 01772 679383,

paula@icgonline.co.uk, julie@icgonline.co.uk or denise@icgonline.co.uk.