A mother's love: Intimate snaps show the bond between gorilla and her newborn baby

By Sara Malm


Chelewa is seen sharing a loving kiss with her young baby girl

A mother gorilla cuddles her newborn baby in photos which truly show how closely related these big primates are to humans.

A mere 24 hours after becoming a mother for the first time, mountain gorilla Chelewa kisses and cradles her little girl.

The intimate photos were taken at Cabarceno Natural Park in Cantabria, Spain.

Like any new mother Chelawa does not want to let her baby go for one moment, keeping her safe in her arms only pausing to keep an eye out for possible dangers

The snaps show the closeness of Chelewa and her baby who has yet to be given a name.
The big ape is clearly smitten, barely noticing the photographer's presence.

Photographer Marina Cano, who captured these precious moments from only feet away, said that she was impressed by the love Chelewa showed her child.

While her mother tips the scales at 11 and a half stone, the baby weighed just under five pounds.

Strong bond: Mother and daughter locked in a loving embrace

Cabarceno is the largest park in Europe, covering over 750 hectares. Gorillas live in semi-wild conditions in natural, open space.

Marina said: ‘The young mother was full of love for her first baby and carried her everywhere she went.

‘I was so impressed with how she touched and kissed her. They looked just like humans.

‘It was really sweet and heart-warming and I felt lucky to be able to capture the images on my camera.

‘The baby was always looking for her mother's breast, and Chelewa seemed so proud of her.’


The photographer also got snaps of the other gorillas at the park. This is the proud father of the newborn gorilla baby, Nicky


A gorilla at Cabarceno Natural Park looks straight into the camera



source:dailymail