A team of south coast health professionals have saved Mogo Wildlife Park's first baby gorilla

Mogo Wildlife Park director Chad Staples said the birth of a gorilla was "absolutely huge" for the park, but the process did not come without hiccups.

All was travelling well for first time parents mum Kipenzi and father Kisane, with the baby delivered smoothly and the mother carefully grooming, cleaning and caring for her new infant.

However, her contractions stopped and she didn't pass the placenta.

"Gorilla's are so close to humans that any complications that can happen with a human pregnancy can happen with a gorilla too," Mr Staples said.

"We had plan after plan after plan."

However, eventually it became apparent Kipenzi would need to be anesthetised so the placenta could be removed.

A second problem arose when Kisane decided to become involved and took the baby himself.

"We will never know why he intervened like this," Mr Staples said.

While Kisane was being nurturing and gentle, he couldn't provide the new baby with the life-giving food it required.

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The zookeepers tried desperately to coax Kisane to return the baby, but for 14 stressful hours, he kept the newborn.

Eventually he put the baby down to fetch some food, and zookeepers were able to reclaim the young gorilla.

However Kipenzi was still undergoing the operation, and so the infant stayed the night at Mr Staples' house.

"We set up my bedroom as his bedroom," Mr Staples - who previously hand-reared a motherless lion cub - said.

All the equipment to monitor the little gorilla's heart rate, oxygen and glucose levels and other vitals was moved in, and Mr Staples had to wake every two hours to feed him.

However the problems didn't end there.

The baby gorilla started crashing.

The young gorilla developed sepsis pneumonia, and needed life support.

"We needed instant medical intervention to bring him back," Mr Staples said.

He sent out a call for help, which was heeded by neonatal medical professionals - doctors, nurses and midwives - along the south coast, who flocked to Mogo to provide support.

Doctor Lisa Hyde was just one to answer the call.

She's been a GP for 25 years and was formerly on the obstetric team at Moruya Hospital.

She said being able to help a young gorilla was a "once in a lifetime opportunity".

"You have a minute where you think 'oh it's a gorilla', but the similarities were such that after a little while, he is just another baby," she said.

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With the help of local vets and a paediatrician from Bega on video call, she ran neonatal resuscitation "just like we have done many times before," Ms Hyde said.

"It was just how we do it at the hospital."

The little gorilla was on feeding and oxygen tubes, with the medical team closely monitoring his progress.

Mr Staples said the little gorilla wouldn't have made it without the team of medical professionals.

The little week-old was eventually deemed strong enough to start feeding. As he grows stronger, he is being fed near the gorilla troop, so they can become more accustomed to his presence.

It's the start of a "very long introduction process," Mr Staples said.

The young gorilla has not yet been given a name.

"I was frightened to name him," Mr Staples said.

"There were multiple times we almost lost him.

"It's been such an emotional time.

"Now I've spent so many hours with him I feel guilty he doesn't have a name."

The gorilla family at Mogo Wildlife Park all have names beginning with K, so it is likely the new addition will continue the tradition.

"He is such a strong-willed little fighter," Mr Staples said.