Lowland gorillas in Europe

29-02-2008

News for you Pertinax! Astra (ex-Rotterdam, now Shanghai) gave birth to a healthy baby some days ago. Father is Dango.

29-02-2008

That's good news. China's first baby gorilla- hope it survives okay. 'Dango' is one of the few descendants of Frankfurt's old 'Makulla' so its quite an important baby genetically.

01-03-2008

Well now ... that will put paid to all these China mobsters that lamented the gorillas would slumber and ... out in Shanghai. Not so and a good one too.

Shanghai Zoo - if you care to look at their site or best visit it - is one of the best zoos in mainland China (lots of modern and animal-oriented exhibits). The gorilla exhibit was build last year with advice from Blijdorp Zoo, Rotterdam staff. Both zoos have strong coop links between them.

Newborn at Beauval Zoo, France
01-03-2008

Beauval Zoo has just had a newborn gorilla infant to female Shella on the morning of 26/27 February 2008. They think she is female again, so a welcome addition to the gorillas in Europe.

Another is expectant and due before the summer is out.
That means all 4 females will have an infant before long ......!!!

Quite an achievement from a previously non-breeding "difficult" silverback don't you think?.

01-03-2008

I believe Shanghai had a single male Gorilla previous to the trio of Dango/Astra/Quenta. He was a nonbreeding silverback 'Bulu'(or Buluman) and also came from another Eurpean Zoo(saarbruken?) I don't know if he is still alive there or what sort of conditions he had...?

01-03-2008

great news- 'Sheila' was a very nervous, socially inept female and I didn't think she would breed. Their original silverback 'Yangu' doesn't breed.
So they got a 2nd male 'Asato' from the Paignton group. I knew that he would be a good breeder - he is the last offspring of famous Gorilla' Jambo at Jersey and raised in their group. I heard that when he arrived at Beauval he was mating with a female as soon as he was put in with them...

19-03-2008

Does anyone know if Warsaw is receiving gorillas?


John

19-03-2008

Male M'Tonge is due for Warsawa Zoo. But he will first be shifted to Apenheul before travelling on to Warsawa. The youngster Loango can then be reintegrated with his family at Gaiapark.

19-03-2008

I heard at the end of last year, the new house for gorillas nad chimpanses is "almost complete" in Warszawa, I do not know any exact opening date but I suppose it should be in the fist half-year 2008.

19-03-2008

Wow, will they get an all-male.group or females right away? Which othe gorillas are scheduled to go to Warszawa?

Another question - why can`t Loango be integrated with the family group as long as M`Tonge is in Gaiapark?

19-03-2008

Howletts have had a Gorilla birth, which is having to be hand raised.

19-03-2008

I believe M'Tonge acted roughly toward him when he arrived and they can't be together. I heard M'tonge is quite an aggressive young male...

Anybody have any news on the current Gorilla situation at Berlin Zoo?

20-03-2008

I think it is a stand still for now. I have not seen the gorilla group mentioned for months now, so it is retain the imported male. No indication either that the group will be split up between some older and younger individuals. Perhaps Yassa may know more ...

20-03-2008

I don`t have any new info about Berlin, sorry... they are currently in process to make changes in the great ape house and outdoor enclosures. The two orang utan enclosures at the entrance are being enlarged and remodelled for the chimp group. The corresponding outdoor enclosure will also be changed for the chimps (no longer a moat, but a cage-like structure, which will be much better for the animals if you ask me). There are also plans to change the gorilla enclosures but I have no idea what kind of changes will be done. I have read that the size of the outdoor enclosure will triple but that`s all I know. No idea if they will also do work at the indoor quarters and I am not sure when the work will be carried out.

I doubt that a new male will arrive before all is finished, though. Ivo is mating some of the females but no pregnancies, which is what was to expect, given that he never sired a baby at Artis with females who all 3 got pregnant within weeks after a new male arrived. I guess no one really expected him to sire any babys in Berlin.

20-03-2008

I would be interested to know if Ivo mated the females at all when he was at Artis(Jelle- can you find out this?) If he did, and none became pregnant by him and he is also mating at Berlin, then its seems his problem is infertility. I had previously thought he showed little or no sexual interest...

I think the plan is now to keep Ivo(eventually) with the two old ladies- Fatou & Gigi, and bring in a new male(possibly Yeboah) to restart breeding again. As you said, maybe not till after all the enclosure work is finished though.