The Sedgwick County Zoo welcomed a newborn baby chimpanzee on Tuesday.
The chimp was delivered via C-section performed on the animal’s mother, Mahale. Zoo officials said Mahale is recovering well behind-the-scenes.
On Thursday, the newborn was reunited with his mother, and has been named Kucheza (koo-CHAY-zuh), which means “play” in Swahili.
This is the third offspring for 28-year-old Mahale. Officials said that Kucheza marks an important birth for the chimpanzee population, as the animals are listed as endangered due to habitat loss and poaching.
