Poor Okanda’s mother could not provide enough nutrients in her milk for him, so he began to get poorly. It was up to zoo vet Sarah Chapman to take over and act as surrogate mum for the gorilla.

In order for a successful reunion between mother and son, Chapman has been instructed by Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire, to impersonate his mother, by grunting at him and grooming him whenever she handles him.

Luckily this strategy has been a success, and Okanda is going from strength-to-strength, building up a strong body and cheery personality.

When Okanda first arrived at the zoo’s hospital, he was put on a drip and fed through a tube. Since then, he has been fed powdered milk and, over the past few days, been introduced to solid foods.

Sharon Redrobe, director of life sciences at the zoo, said that she is pleased with his progress.