Hello everyone, I'm new to this site, so please be patient with me. I'm beginning a novel that is set in a zoo, and is written from the point of view of the animals. The main character is a chimpanzee, and I want him to be able to interact with other animals. So do you know if any other animals would be in the same enclosure as a chimpanzee's? Thank you in advance for your help! Brendan
Welcome! Chimps are practically never mixed with other animals. This is because either the chimps will eat the other animals or vice versa. I only know of one time in recent history chimps were mixed with other animals. One zoo attempted to keep chimps and jackals in the same enclosure. It did not end well for the chimapanzees.
I agree that it is extremely unusual for chimpanzees to be housed with other species in a mixed exhibit. Although back in 1938, London Zoo housed the young eastern lowland gorilla "Meng" with the chimpanzee "Jacqueline". (At the time, "Meng" was considered to be a mountain goriĺla.) There was also the eccentric Dr. Butter who had a private animal collection (which, surprisingly, included a fossa). Bizarrely, to provide his chimpanzee with a companion, Dr. Butter used to keep an ocelot in the same cage as the chimp. (I think there is an article about these unlikely cage mates in one of annual reports of the old Amateur Menagerie Club.)
Thank you all for your responses - they're extremely helpful. As it's highly unusual for chimps to be in a mixed enclosure, I'll have to work on an alternative way for them to interact/talk with the other animals. But it's all part of the fun.
Bristol Zoo, your local, was actually the first place to breed Chimps in the UK (I think); The offspring was called Adam. @Tim May can confirm, he's hotter on things like this.
Thanks for your kind comment about me. Indeed "Adam", born Bristol Zoo, 1934 was the first chimpanzee to be born in the UK. (I think it was actually the first to be born in Europe.) The follwing year, 1935, the chimp "Jubilee" was born in London Zoo. Interestingly "Adam" and "Jubilee" both had the same father.
Thanks Thomas and Tim. That's good to know, and also quite a fortunate coincidence. Next time I visit Bristol zoo, I'll ask them about it.
