Females give birth to one infant after a pregnancy of eight and half months, only a couple of weeks shorter than a human. Adults can weigh up to 28 stone but newborns usually weigh only 4lb.

Kera, 11, became pregnant after mating last year with one of the zoo’s six other gorillas, Komale, nine.

She began to show signs of pre-eclampsia - a condition which effects gorillas in the same way it does pregnant by causing them to suffer high blood pressure and fluid retention, endangering their babies.

Out she comes: Professor Cahill was called in from the local NHS maternity hospital to perform the procedure at Bristol Zoo

Newborn: The team rubbed the baby’s chest, cleared her mouth and to everyone’s relief she took a deep breath

Having a cuddle: It is believed that this is the second or third time a baby gorilla has been born by caesarean section in the UK