Adorable baby gorilla rejected by mother is hand-reared at Oklahoma City Zoo

THIS gorgeous baby Western lowland gorilla is being hand-reared by vets at Oklahoma City Zoo after her mother abandoned her.

Supplied Editorial 22082014 GORILLA

IT’S difficult to imagine any parent abandoning this gorgeous baby gorilla.

The newborn Western lowland gorilla is being hand-reared at Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanic Garden in America after being abandoned by her mother.

The as-yet unnamed primate was born on August 16, weighing a healthy 1.8kg, to mother Ndjole and father Togo.

Ndjole has not demonstrated any signs of maternal care toward her baby since giving birth, according to staff at the zoo.

Zoo veterinarian Dr Jennifer D’Agostino said the little gorilla’s life was at risk.

“She was given several opportunities to bond with her baby within the first 24 hours and didn’t show any interest in her, putting the newborn’s life at risk,” she explained in a statement.

The baby is the second born to Ndjole, 18, who arrived at the Oklahoma Zoo from San Diego in 2010.

Zoo are providing around-the-clock care for the infant and hope to one day reintroduce her to the other gorillas.

Native to the lowland forests of Central and Western Africa, Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered due hunting and habitat loss.