NEW ORLEANS - A gorilla born at the Audubon Zoo last week has died, the nature institute announced Thursday.

The baby, a critically endangered western lowland gorilla, was born Sept. 4 and was the first gorilla born at the zoo in 24 years.  

According to a statement, Audubon staff had noticed the baby seemed weak and lethargic in its mother's arms Wednesday and transferred it to the zoo's animal hospital, but veterinarians were unable to revive the infant. The gorilla's mother, Tumani, is currently being monitored by zoo staff.

“We are heartbroken over the loss,” Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman said in the statement. “This has been a work in progress for many years, from the introduction of the new troop members to the announcement of the birth, everyone involved has worked tirelessly. I am incredibly proud of our team. We will continue to contribute to the conservation of this amazing species.” 

The cause of death is undetermined at this time, but the zoo said "it appears that there was a lack of adequate lactation from Tumani to support the infant." Audubon plans to perform a necropsy to determine what happened.