“It is also important for the baby to hear chimp noises and be exposed to all their sounds and smells as early as possible to help with the transition to the surrogate mom and normal chimp life when she is ready.” “The nursey is set up in the staff observation room so that the troop can see the baby and start to learn who she is,” noted Grimm. “We also wear a shirt and blanket that have fringe material sewn on that helps the baby learn to grip.” “She drinks baby formula every three hours, sleeps, and gets a little bit of playtime to help strengthen her muscles,” continued Grimm. The chimp arrived at the Zoo in late September and is being cared for by the Chimp Forest Animal Care team who work in three shifts around the clock to provide her constant care. “We worked out a travel plan with our colleagues in Oklahoma City to drive and meet halfway between our zoos so we could pick up this little chimp and provide her with constant care the entire way from Oklahoma to Maryland.” “A baby chimp is held by its mother 24/7 and is completely reliant on her to not only nurse, but also to learn how to be a chimp,” said Grimm. Moving animals from one accredited zoo to another is routinely done, but there is nothing routine about providing transportation for a month-old-baby chimpanzee. We are confident in Abby’s mothering skills to help this little one become a solid part of this troop.” “It’s also important to note that chimp Abby is a proven surrogate mother who has helped raise several other baby chimps without mothers. “As this new baby is integrated into the troop, she will have two companions to play with, which is essential to her development,” continued Grimm. The chimp baby will bring the Maryland Zoo’s chimpanzee troop up to fifteen, which includes one-year-old Lola and ten-month-old Violet. “Maryland Zoo has had tremendous success introducing infants to foster mothers who can raise them as part of an integrated group, which is absolutely the best thing for the infant.” As humans, we can’t give an infant chimp all it needs to develop into a well-functioning member of a group,” said Judy McAuliffe, curator of primates at Houston Zoo and Chimp SSP Program Leader. “It’s very important for chimpanzees to be raised by their own species. “However, it was quickly apparent that Nia was not adapting to motherhood appropriately and we made the difficult decision to remove and hand-rear the baby while searching for a suitable home with a nurturing surrogate.”įor several weeks, Oklahoma City Zoo staff cared for the infant 24/7 in a behind-the-scenes area while working with the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s (AZA) Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan (SSP), to determine a new home for her where she could be matched with a surrogate chimpanzee mother and raised within their troop. “The birth seemed to be without complication and the baby appeared to be healthy,” stated Pace Frank, lead primate caretaker at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The infant, who has yet to be named, was born weighing approximately four pounds to first-time mother “Nia,” a 12-year-old chimpanzee. Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion.
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