Another gorilla at the Sedgwick County Zoo is pregnant

Another baby gorilla is on the way at the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Deputy zoo director Ryan Gulker confirmed the zoo has another pregnant gorilla, with a baby expected sometime in February.

Gulker said they got indications several months ago that a female gorilla was pregnant.

“We’ve subsequently confirmed it with ultrasound,” Gulker said. “So far so good.”

The expectant mother is Kigali, a 22-year-old female who came from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. to Wichita in October 2013.

The father is Matt, a 23-year-old male gorilla who was also the father of the first gorilla born at the Sedgwick County Zoo earlier this year.

That was Alika, a female Western lowland gorilla born in early August. Her mom was Barika.

Gulker said that experience would help Kigali in motherhood since gorillas learn how to care for their offspring from other gorillas.

“The good news is that Kigali has been able to watch her, Barika, and her baby and get some experience on how to care for a baby,” Gulker said.

“We’ll always be very mindful that she’s a first-time mom and keep an eye on that,” he said of Kigali.

The newborn Alika is on public display now, although mainly indoors because of the weather.

“We still have an over-abundance of caution,” Gulker said.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Another gorilla at the Sedgwick County Zoo is pregnant."