05/27/2026
From monitoring a pregnant gorilla… to helping save her newborn’s life. 🦍 🦍
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At Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, veterinarians and human clinicians from Team Gorilla Doctor used Butterfly ultrasound to monitor two western lowland gorillas throughout their pregnancies. The gorillas were trained by the amazing WPZ gorilla keepers to voluntarily participate in their own ultrasound scans. 🦋
When the team used Butterfly to detect a high risk condition at the end of Olympia’s pregnancy, an emergency C-section was performed and Butterfly became a critical tool during the neonatal resuscitation.
C-sections on gorillas are EXTREMELY rare, with under a dozen documented around the world!
“The little one arrived with a beating heart, but was initially limp and not breathing well,” shared Sachita Shah, head of our Global Health efforts and emergency physician. “For the baby’s resuscitation, the key vital sign was the probe on the heart. The OB, neonatology and WPZ Animal Health teams worked so closely to ensure that Mama and Baby recovered well.”
Moments like this remind us how accessible, portable imaging can extend beyond traditional care settings and support lifesaving efforts in extraordinary ways.
Congratulations to the Woodland Park Zoo veterinary team, Team Gorilla Doctor, Nichole Hamilton for capturing the moment and everyone involved in this incredible effort to support the health and future of this endangered species. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Read about it here: https://www.popsci.com/environment/gorilla-emergency-c-section/
