Monkey-definitely cute! Watch the incredible moment a baby gorilla is born at a Texas zoo via a rare C-section

Human doctors stepped in to perform a rare caesarean section on a gorilla after she gave birth five weeks prematurely.

Pregnant mother Sekani showed signs of preeclampsia identical to human mothers: she held her head as if she had an extreme headache.

Zookeepers at the Fort Worth Zoo, Texas, called in a team of gynecologists who usually spend their time caring for pregnant women to assist in the emergency delivery.

Together with veterinarians, they performed a rare emergency caesarean section on January 5, five weeks earlier, saving the lives of the mother and baby gorilla – now named Jameela.

Doctors who used to care for premature babies had difficulty resuscitating the little one – just as they would for premature babies.

And photos show the little gorilla being cared for in an environment almost identical to that of a human baby.

After the birth, Sekani has struggled to bond and care for the newborn, who is cared for 24 hours a day by zookeepers.

Experts hope that another female gorilla, Gracie, could be a possible surrogate for the baby.

This is the third gorilla birth in the zoo's 115-year history, but the first gorilla to be born by caesarean section.

Dr. Jamie Walker Erwin led the operation along with neonatologist Dr. Robert Ursprung and Dr. Dennis Occkiogrosso – all more accustomed to human patients than animal patients.

The baby was named Jameela, partly after Jamie.

Dr. Erwin said: 'My participation in the delivery of Sekani's baby via caesarean section was one of the highlights of my entire career as a midwife.

“It is an honor and privilege to assist in the care of this endangered species and to share my expertise with the Fort Worth Zoo veterinary staff.

“I was amazed at how Sekani's anatomy matched that of my human patients.”

The child needed immediate intervention and Dr. Ursprung assisted the Fort Worth Zoo team with CPR and stabilization, respiratory support and x-rays.

“It was incredible how similar this mother-child pair was compared to what I see in the hospital for babies born under similar circumstances,” said Dr. Ursprung.

'The baby required critical respiratory support for a few hours after delivery, but as she transitioned to life outside the womb she stabilized considerably.

'She had so many features typical of a slightly premature human baby.

“The zoo's care team was incredible. Their ability to adapt to the healthcare needs of a medically fragile child was amazing to see.”

Fort Worth Zoo primate keepers, along with veterinary and nutrition staff, began caring and feeding the little gorilla around the clock while Sekani recovered.

Despite repeated attempts to reunite the mother and baby, Sekani showed little interest in caring for her baby, they said.

Zoo experts suspect that Sekani never experienced the necessary hormonal signals that occur during a natural and full-term birth.

After two weeks and several failed reunification attempts, staff began training 24-year-old female gorilla Gracie to become a surrogate mother.

Gracie has two offspring of her own, including one-year-old Bruno, and has already been trained to 'present' her baby to caregivers for a visual examination.

Jameela's birth has delighted animal lovers on social media, with many flocking to the zoo's Instagram this week.

In response to a post about her birth, one user wrote, “Thank you so much for the great work everyone at the Fort Worth Zoo is doing!! It brings tears of joy to see this beautiful girl'

Another added: 'Look at that face! Grow strong, baby.”

And someone commented: 'My daughter was born prematurely, an emergency caesarean section too, because I had pre-eclampsia!

'Absolutely amazing that the same procedures and complications can be performed/found in gorillas!'