Paignton Zoo Gorillas. » Paignton Zoo

Paignton Zoo Gorillas.
10-10-2007

This is really a question for Gigit...

Are the two male gorillas 'Damisi' and 'Mapema' still at Paignton or have they left for their new groups yet? (Chessington & Duisburg, Germany)

paignton zoo gorillas
10-10-2007

They were still there last week ~ I'll check sometime this week.

10-10-2007

Thanks- maybe you can find out when they're due to go?

paignton zoo gorillas
11-10-2007

They were still there today - lying on their backs in their half of the Ape House while Chinta slept under a pile of woodwool in the other. The small gorillas were more active outside. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anybody to ask about departure dates. I'll try again.

paignton zoo gorillas
12-10-2007

I've been told that Mapema is off to Germany on 30 October and Damisi to Chessington in 9 weeks. They'll be getting two little ones to replace them in due course.

12-10-2007

What is their genetic line ...........? Who are the sire and dam in Damisi and Mapema? Are they genetically valuable at all?

12-10-2007

Thanks for the information.

I think the next two small ones at Stuttgart(the nursery) are destined for the French batchelor group at La Boissiere in France. So it won't be them.

Paignton staff perhaps don't know yet where the next two will come from.

This is the best batchelor group I know of- it has worked really well so far with(soon) five males having left to join breeding groups(Klaus, Asato, Asili, Mapema and Damisi) Apart from Pertinax and Klaus, they have managed to avoid any aggression between silverbacks by only having the one mature male.

12-10-2007

Damisi- the one going to Chessington, is unfortunately from a very well represented line. He was born in Frankfurt, parents; Matz x Rebecca. Rebecca is the full sister of two breeding silverbacks; Apenheul Jambo and Basel Kisoro. Matz, his father, has many offspring too.
Also Damisi is the full brother of Richard/Ricky- breeding in Prague. So you can see he isn't genetically valuable BUT he was probably chosen as being the right age and not related to any of the Chessington group.

Mapema- to Duisburg- was born at Jersey, parents; Ya Kwanza x H.Kahilli. Genetically speaking his father's side is important, YK being the only offspring of Rigo x Yuska at Melbourne, and Mapema is the elder of(so far) only two offspring in the next generation. Interestingly at Duisburg he'll meet Safira, from Taronga Park.
(Mapema couldn't go to Chessington as the breeding females there are related to him on the Jersey side of their pedigree).

14-10-2007

[quote=grantsmb;24264]

Mapema- to Duisburg- was born at Jersey, parents; Ya Kwanza x H.Kahilli. Mapema is the elder of(so far) only two offspring in the next generation. [quote]

Now Mapema is even more important. I just saw on another thread that his younger sister at Jersey has just died, so he's currently the ONLY offspring of Ya Kwanza...

14-10-2007

Hopefully he'll take an interest in the females!!

14-10-2007

He was mother-raised so I have every confidence in him. Its (normally) only some of the handraised males who create problems breeding.

05-11-2007

I thought I would reactivate this thread as we have been talking about them in the 'Bulu' thread which should be kept for orangutan really.

Gigit- if you talk to the Ape keepers at Paignton, can you find out if they know if any changes have been made to the Chessington gorilla enclosure in order to accomodate 'Damisi' ?

Following some fairly severe critisism of the overcrowding situation at Chessington,(particularly in the dens) there was some talk of an 'extension' being made, but I can't find any indication as to whether it has happened or not...

05-11-2007

I'll do my best!

05-11-2007

Thankyou. I had a dream last night that Chessington had built a lovely fancy extension to their cage.... I'm sure the reality is rather different- maybe no change at all

06-11-2007

Maybe your dream should feature in the "I think zoos are taking over my life" thread! Of course, I never dream about orangutans