Isn't she clearing the fluid away. As most animals do when they give birth not kissing although I love the gentleness of her actions in doing so
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I wondered that, too. Clever animals
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Especially clearing round the nose and mouth perfect midwife technique

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Oh, don't go ruining it for us! I'd rather think she was doing both :)
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mea culpa 
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One might guess that there’s an oxytocin-related feedback mechanism related to the evolution of this behavior. So in addition to clearing the airway of fluids, the action likely strengthens the mother-infant bond.
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Other animals experience the world much the way we do; they have rich emotional lives and love their children. This is not only an interesting scientific discovery, but a moral revelation. It means it is wrong to imprison them for our amusement. They don't exist for us to gawk at
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But they need to be protected from the people that are out to capture them or kill them because they are worth more dead then alive



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Breeding animals who will be destined to live a life of deprivation in captivity does nothing to aid their counterparts in the wild, who do indeed face very real threats from poaching and habitat loss.
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But breeding animals to thwart extinction is a good thing! We really don’t have “zoo’s” anymore, there are sanctuaries, habitats, that treat and care for injured wildlife, and aide in the prevention of a species becoming extinct.
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Yes! The National Zoo isn't about exploitation. Their mission is conservation and education.
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That's great. Thanks.

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Just hooked on animals
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That is literally me watching her with him lol


#MomsOfBoys
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Sad that the gorilla is caged in a zoo for human amusement and lot living free in the wild. Sorry, can't celebrate the birth of an animal that will live its entire life in a zoo.
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Well, while we are destroying habitats and wildlife, zoos remain pivotal to wildlife awareness and conservation efforts. I do wish zoos would create better, larger and more stimulating environments for their animals though.
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