ZOO Antwerpen How are the Antwerp chimps?

I am coming over to Antwerp in the next few weeks, I have not been there for 2 years. I was wondering how the chimps and gorillas are?

Any info would be great, Many Thanks

 

Antwerp have 9 chimpanzee and 3 gorilla; the last 2 eastern gorillas and 1 western.

 

Not much has changed in the group composition in the last two years. All females are on birth control, so no births. But since last year the chimpanzees have access to the former orangutan enclosure, so they have more space available. It is still an amazing group full of wonderful chimps. And in both enclosures the climbing structures have been changed and new enrichment has been installed.
The gorilla group is also the same as two years ago, in their enclosure too new climbing frames have been installed.

 

Thanks for the info. I am pleased that the chimps have more space. Do you know if Jamie and Cheetah (not sure if that is the correct spelling of his name, hope he won't mind!) are still part of the group?

 

Yes, Chita (but his name is spelled in many different ways ;-) and Jamie are still in the group. Jamie has made great social progress and amazes me whenever I see him now and remember the little hand-reared chimp he used to be. He's still a bit awkward sometimes and no match for the young, mother reared males Tuma and Tambuzi. But he seems to be a good companion for Arnold, the group's alpha male (they play together and sit together quite often) and for Chita, who will always be a bit of an outcast in the group, I guess.

 

Thanks Yero, all good to hear. I have known Jamie for many years as a little hand reared in Dublin I came over to see him when he first arrived in Antwerp when he was in with little Siri? I wonder how she is? She was always so sweet. I am so pleased that he has settled in very well. Sorry to hear that Chita is not so intergrated. He is such a character. What is the weather like there, I am thinking of coming over soon, the snow has been quite bad!

 

Siri is doing fine too. She's wonderfully integrated now and has pretty good relationships with most of the chimps. Funny enough she does not spend that much time with James any more. But she can be very playful, even the groups dominant female Shirley can be enticed by Siri to play funny games. Her attitude to people is not so nice however. While she can be very friendly to people behind glass, she is also the first chimp to try and grab people when they go in the keeper's area. Or she spits on them. Or does the "ain't-I-sweet-when-I-offer-you-a-straw"-trick and then grabs you.
Wheather is as always in Belgium. There's been a bit of snow these days and cold wind. Now it's just grey and rainy.