Concerned about the quality of Freddy’s milk, including that it might not be nutritious enough for sustenance, the primate team contacted Michael Power, who studies the composition of animal milk at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and agreed to analyze it.
It turned out that his milk met all the calorie and nutrient requirements.
“To our knowledge, this was the first time that a female of this age took the place of a biological mother in terms of breastfeeding,” says Kristen Lukas.
Michael Power attributes this ability to induce lactation to her years of experience as a mother. “She has had several babies and knows what to do. Just like an experienced athlete has muscle memory, their brain and body know how to transition back into parenting mode. Oxytocin is released to nourish the bond, then prolactin [pour produire du lait] ».
“I think Freddy is a mother. I think that’s what she is,” he adds.
Craig Stanford, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Southern California, points out that gorillas don’t go through a pronounced menopause like humans do, which could explain Freddy’s ability to breastfeed at such a late age.
“If humans have been subject to this major evolutionary change that is menopause, this is not really the case for their parent species. Great apes don’t live as long as humans, but their reproductive systems age at the same rate as the rest of their bodies. »
Freddy’s role in his family group also highlights the importance of elders.
” Somehow, [son comportement] is a reflection of our society as a whole, reinforcing the value of older females in extended families,” notes Kristen Lukas.
“What someone like Freddy shows us and teaches us is that you should never underestimate an older woman,” she continues.
The word “wisdom” is indeed the one that Kristen Lukas most readily uses to describe Freddy.
“With Koko, [le gorille qui parlait la langue des signes]we have learned to know and appreciate gorillas in our own way. With Freddy, we learn to [les] to know and to [les] enjoy in their own way and we learned a lot about [leur] behavior thanks to it. »
For example, the team observed that Freddy carried her babies on her back much earlier than other gorilla mothers, allowing her to move freely while providing her babies with a safe place to build confidence.
“Our mission is not only to make sure we take good care of the animals here at the zoo, but also to connect their experiences with what’s happening in Africa right now,” says Kristen Lukas, who oversees the conservation of the animals. gorillas in the wild and in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums of North America.
“We are grateful to be able to tell some of these stories through [celles] of gorillas like Freddy.”
Although people who visit the zoo “often focus on the babies because they’re so adorable…I tell everyone to look at Freddy,” she adds.
“His eyes are among the most beautiful and expressive I have ever seen among gorillas, and I[en] know a lot. Every chance I get, I look into her eyes. [C’est une expérience qui] changes you. »
