A female gorilla who came off the contraceptive pill on Valentine’s Day last year has had a baby in front of thousands of fans live on the internet.

Asili gave birth to the youngster on February 23 at Chessington Zoo while 27,000 fans watched on Facebook thanks to webcams streaming live footage from the enclosure.

Animal keepers took the Western Lowland gorilla off contraception last February to encourage some monkey business between Asili and partner Damisi.

But as naughty teenager Damisi becomes a father for the second time he might have to clean up his act after been repeatedly caught on camera picking his nose in front of visitors.

Mother and baby are said to be doing well after the 30 minutes natural birth, which is the second at the zoo in the last three years.

The sex of the as yet unnamed gorilla will not be known for a couple of months but it is hoped that the youngster will make friends with half brother Mbula, also fathered by Damisi, who was born at the zoo in 2009.

James Mackie, gorilla keeper at Chessington Zoo, said: "We've been waiting for what seems like forever for Asili to give birth, but it seems that - thanks to the unseasonably warm weather - spring has finally sprung.

"Damisi is turning out to be something of a stud in the gorilla enclosure. We introduced him as a new breeding male in 2008, and he immediately successfully bred with Buu.

"Now, only three years after the birth of Mbula, he has fathered a second baby following a romance with Asili.

"The Western Lowland gorilla is a vulnerable species which reproduces slowly.

"Females tend to produce only one baby every five years on average, so for Chessington to have welcomed two babies in three years really is cause for celebration.

"We're expecting an influx of visitors keen to catch a glimpse of our new arrival when the resort opens for the new season on 23rd March."

The new arrival comes in the same year Chessington celebrates its 25th anniversary as a theme park this year.