Dudley Zoo Chimpanzees. » Dudley Zoo

14-10-2008

What they really need may not be quite so easy to find- two (even 3?) strong adult males which are socially well balanced and preferably already live together(to avoid them being strangers and able to provide a solid 'front' to the bigger female group.) Dudley's original male 'Pepe' was a typical dominant male in the old house with just the two females he grew up with, but when they introduced him to the larger ZSL female group I think it was too much for him as he was completely outnumbered. The few times I saw them he sat quietly on his own in a corner and screamed in fear when females came up and displayed at him( it should be the other way round) Males go around together in the wild and like each other's company- all good zoo groups nowadays contain several males, not a single one.

chimps outdoor area
05-04-2009

Wondering if anyone seems to know the long term plans for the chimps at the zoo as I have visited today & this is the second time I have been & the chimps are inside. A beautiful sunny day but still they are kept inside. Then I took a look at the outside enclosure & are saddened to see what probably was a good outside area is now very poor.
Picture in gallery

05-04-2009

the outdoor chimp enclosure has never been much different than this- very large but flat and devoid of much equipment. Maybe there was a 'technical' reason to do with the enclosure which resulted in tthem being shut inside?
I think they plan to move them to one of the old carnivore pits. Keeping just these females seems pointless and bad socially for them too.