Australasian Common Chimpanzee Population There are currently six holders of Common chimpanzee in the Australasian region. Only one is known to be purebred (Galatea at Monarto Zoo is a purebred Western chimpanzee) and none are managed at subspecies level. Many of the chimpanzee descend from Taronga and Wellington Zoo. Cassius at Rockhampton is the son of Mary (half sister of Shiba); while Holly is the granddaughter of Bebe (mother of Peter, Boyd, Marty and Snowy) and great granddaughter of Molly (mother of Bobo). The founders of Taronga’s community were 1.0 Sailor (imported 1949), 0.1 Susie (imported 1953), 1.0 Bobby (imported 1954), 0.1 Biddy (imported 1954), 0.1 Fifi (imported 1954), 0.1 Mary (imported 1964), 0.1 Lulu (imported 1965), 1.0 Snowy (imported 1986) and 0.1 Koko (imported 1993); as well as recent imports 0.1 Ceres and 0.1 Naomi (both imported 2015). The founders of Wellington Zoo’s community were 0.1 Yoka (imported 1956), 1.0 Tom (imported 1957) and Sarah (imported 1970); followed by 0.1 Cara, 0.1 Samantha and 0.1 Sally (all imported 1992). Hamilton Zoo: 1.0 Lucifer (16/06/1988) Mike x Lucy 1.0 Luka (28/02/1993) Mike x Lucy 0.1 Sally (19/10/1970) Charlie x Sissy 0.1 Lucy (24/11/1975) Bobby x Lulu 0.1 Sanda (10/04/1985) Peter x Fimi 0.1 Chiku (15/02/2016) Luka x Sanda 0.1 Unnamed (17/12/2020) Luka x Sanda Wellington Zoo: 1.0 Marty (28/01/1987) Tom x Bebe 1.0 Alexis (20/08/1998) Boyd x Cara 1.0 Bakari (11/06/2012) Sam x Sally 1.0 Kitwe (15/11/2014) Sam x Keza 0.1 Jessie (10/07/1978) Tom x Yoka 0.1 Cara (10/09/1981) Jojo x Chiki 0.1 Samantha (25/12/1983) Jojo x Sutu 0.1 Sally (13/01/1985) Jojo x Spitter 0.1 Keza (06/07/1998) Marty x Samantha 0.1 Malika (27/10/2010) Sam x Samantha Taronga Zoo: 1.0 Shabani (14/09/1994) Monte x Shiba 1.0 Samaki (27/11/2001) Lubutu x Shiba 1.0 Furahi (28/02/2003) Lubutu x Kuma 1.0 Shikamoo (25/07/2003) Lubutu x Sacha 1.0 Sule (04/04/2008) Lubutu x Sacha 1.0 Fumo (16/10/2013) Shikamoo x Kuma 1.0 Sudi (09/08/2014) Shikamoo x Kuma 1.0 Liwali (22/09/2014) Samaki x Lisa 1.0 Niambi (07/10/2020) Unknown x Naomi 0.1 Spitter (01/06/1960) Sailor x Biddy 0.1 Lisa (23/08/1979) Jojo x Lulu 0.1 Sacha (11/06/1980) Jojo x Spitter 0.1 Shiba (22/05/1981) Jojo x Susie 0.1 Shona (09/10/1987) Danny x Sutu 0.1 Ceres (19/09/1990) Toto x Jenny; Imported 2015 0.1 Kuma (06/12/1991) Snowy x Ficha 0.1 Kamili (02/09/1995) Snowy x Koko 0.1 Naomi (25/01/2001) Toto x Jenny; Imported 2015 0.1 Sembe (27/02/2008) Lubutu x Shiba 0.1 Cebele (14/11/2017) Samaki x Ceres 0.1 Safiri (16/05/2019) Unknown x Shiba Sydney Zoo: 1.0 Fritz (26/03/1982) Unknown x Unknown; Imported 2019 1.0 Maike (18/05/1990) Unknown x Unknown; Imported 2019 1.0 Timmy (09/11/1991) Unknown x Cindy; Imported 2019 1.0 Charli (29/04/1994) Tommy x Cindy; Imported 2019 1.0 Jerry (04/12/1995) Unknown x Mzde; Imported 2019 1.0 Mani (04/06/2000) Unknown x Cindy; Imported 2019 1.0 Moggli (01/10/2009) Unknown x Mzde; Imported 2019 0.1 Babsi (10/09/1984) Tommy x Chita; Imported 2019 0.1 Julchen (14/04/1985) Unknown x Unknown; Imported 2019 0.1 Mary (18/12/2002) Unknown x Mzde; Imported 2019 0.1 Sile (03/07/2006) Unknown x Julchen; Imported 2019 Monarto Safari Park: 1.0 Boyd (29/10/1978) Tom x Bebe 1.0 Tsotsi (25/06/1989) Peter x Fimi 1.0 Gombe (04/02/1993) Boyd x Jodie 1.0 Sandali (26/02/1996) Snowy x Sacha 1.0 Enzi (19/10/2015) Sandali x Zombi 0.1 Zombi (15/03/1993) Ayo x Zola; Imported 2010 0.1 Hannah (28/11/1993) Andy x Annie; Imported 2015 0.1 Galatea (24/02/1999) Fons x Gaby; Imported 2010 0.1 Lani (26/05/2002) Lubutu x Lisa 0.1 Zuri (21/08/2012) Sandali x Zombi 0.1 Hope (19/02/2019) Tsotsi x Hannah 0.1 Zola (08/09/2019) Unknown x Zombi Rockhampton Zoo: 1.0 Cassius (18/10/1971) Chiko x Mary 1.0 Alon (29/01/2008) Abshalom x Avigail; Imported 2015 1.0 Gandali (03/02/2020) Alon x Holly 0.1 Samantha (01/11/1983) Charlie x Coco 0.1 Holly (25/05/1988) Peter x Deanne 0.1 Leakey (30/12/1994) Chuck x Lilli; Imported 2015 0.1 Capri (11/02/2018) Alon x Leakey Total regional population: 30.38 Note: Year of import is year imported into the region.
We all were! In researching dates, I was surprised to learn keepers had discovered Naomi’s infant was in fact a male. While it’s not been newsworthy enough to make the media; it will benefit Naomi long term, who will benefit from the lifelong support and status she’ll get from having a son in the community! There’s a recent video on Taronga’s Facebook page that clearly shows Niambi is a male: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=433825447739360
They were imported from Schwaben Park, Germany in April 2019. They initially received twelve chimps but one of the females Melli has since died due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
That's sad. Was she a young female as most of the females they have are getting on in their years. You'd have throught they would have imported younger females for breeding.
According to an article I found she was 19 years old when she died: “Sadly, Grossfeldt said, one of 12 chimpanzees who had come from Germany in April died suddenly. An autopsy showed 19 year-old Melli, had suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition. “It was a sad time for our team,” she said.”
That’s sad news, but the positive is they still have four females and at least three of them are all reproductively viable. Two are young (aged 14 and 18); and at least one of the older females (aged 35) has successfully bred before, so should be able to do so again if they get a move on. Sydney Zoo avoided the question of whether they plan to breed with their troop when I emailed them on this matter, but I’d imagine they’ll be happy to allow small increases to the troop size via the small number of females they have. The exhibit isn’t huge, so three to five infants over the next decade would be ideal.
1.0 Moggli at Sydney Zoo has unexpectedly died. He was the youngest chimp at Sydney Zoo and was found dead in their exhibit this morning. This leaves their group at ten individuals: Log into Facebook | Facebook
There’s indications via the media he drowned in the exhibit moat: 'Deep shock' at Sydney Zoo after beloved chimp Mogli's sudden death Looking at overhead shots of the exhibit (including footage of a staff member in the moat with water up to his neck), it’s clear the moat poses a significant hazard to the chimpanzees given that their high muscle density means they simply sink. While I feel for the team, who are now grieving the loss of a beloved member of their zoo family; I wish zoo’s worldwide would review the use of deep water moats as a barrier in chimpanzee exhibits. Before modifications were made, Taronga Zoo lost two chimpanzees to drowning in 1996 and 1999. If similar modifications aren’t made to this exhibit, it’s inevitable there will be more tragedy to come.
I would of thought that the moat would of been made sloping away from the edge so they could get out of it ok. I am wondering if its a drop off to deep water?
Very sad news. By the looks of it, it looks like there is no slope going into the moat and so, if Mogli fell in, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. The rock barrier around the moat, won’t make much of a difference, if a chimp slips whilst walking or being chased near the rocks, it’s a slip and they’re in the moat. Maybe it’s time for them to rethink the use and safety around these deep water moats.
Yes, it’s a drop off to deep water. If you pause the video at 0.22, the staff member is still in very deep water only centimetres from the grass. Your idea would be ideal if there was a solid perimeter fence to back it up; but without that, the chimps could wade into the ankle deep water and use it as a springboard to leap out the exhibit. In my opinion, glass windows are the way to go for enclosing chimps. It’s interesting to note all three drowning deaths (assuming this was) involved young males. Adolescent males are full of testosterone and prone to high energy displays, involving running and leaping off things. It’s possible this is what happened here.
My opinion is that he was playing around near or on the rocks next to the moat when he fell in. Moats are preferred in zoos these days as a more naturalistic barrier to keep their chimps in. If glass windows, or high steel fences are the only way to keep chimps in safely, then by all means, zoos should revert back to building their enclosures that way.
I think moats are wasted exhibit space at best; a fatal hazard at worst. Their sole purpose is to make the exhibit asthetically pleasing. My favourite chimpanzee exhibits are multi level exhibits with high platforms, which the chimps seem to love. Overhead bridges like the one they used to have at Hamilton Zoo are a health and safety risk, but negate the need for a moat; and the chimps weren’t phased by people looking down on them like felids are.
This is a photo of Wellington’s chimpanzee moat (dried out), courtesy of @Chlidonias. As you can see, it’s very shallow; reinforced by a boundary fence (out of view). They’ve never had a drowning in the almost 30 years this exhibit has been open:
Agreed. Very unfortunate circumstances. By the looks of the video in the article, the worker was in extremely deep water that he couldn’t stand in, only two or three metres from the bank! Once Mogli had fell in, there was pretty much no way he could have gotten out, which is very unfortunate.
Thats a very good and reinforced moat. Not very deep, and the chimps have the chance to get out if they fall in. If they get past the moat as well, there’s a fence behind which is brilliant. If zoos want to incorporate moats into Chimp enclosures, than this kind of moat is the safest way to do so.
