In honor of the great Jane Goodall, here are new chimpanzee babies at the L.A. Zoo:
The LA Zoo gave this statement:
The first unnamed female infant was born to 35-year-old female Yoshi (YO-shee) and 26-year-old male Pu’iwa (P/ʊ/-ee-vuh) on Aug. 20, which also happens to be Pu’iwa’s birthday. This is Yoshi’s third offspring and Pu’iwa’s first. The second yet-to-be-named female infant was born on Sept. 9 to first-time mother eighteen-year-old female Vindi. Animal caregivers report that Yoshi and Vindi and their infants are all doing well and bonding.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the newest members of the troop!” said Candace Sclimenti, curator of mammals at the L.A. Zoo. “These are significant births for the Zoo and both are welcome additions to the dynamic, multi-male, mixed-age troop which closely mirrors the species’ natural social structure in the wild. Not only are these births vital for the well-being and social composition of the chimpanzees in our care, but they also play an important role in supporting the broader population in AZA accredited zoos both genetically and demographically.”
Chimpanzees are native to the forests and grasslands in east, central, and west Africa ranging from Senegal to Tanzania. Along with gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos, chimpanzees are great apes. They are one of the closest genetic relatives to humans. Chimps communicate using a wide variety of facial expressions, gestures, and vocalizations. Chimpanzee height ranges from 3.5 to 5 feet; weight ranges from 70 to 150 pounds. Males can be up to 20 percent larger than females. Their life expectancy is 50 to 60 years.
Chimps in the wild live and travel in troops of 30 to 80 individuals led by a dominant male. Challenges to the dominant male are common and the group leader typically changes every three to five years. Chimps live in a “fission-fusion” society, breaking into smaller temporary subgroups (fission) during the day. Smaller groups have a better opportunity to find sufficient food. In the evening, they reunite (fusion) to build nests and sleep. Larger groups offer better protection against predators. At the L.A. Zoo, chimps practice their own fission-fusion, breaking into subgroups during the day to either lounge in the penthouse or head out into the main habitat to enjoy the waterfall. They reunite at night in their sleeping quarters.
Chimpanzees are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Threats include human-wildlife conflict and other human activities including poaching, hunting, deforestation, and more. Although chimpanzees are protected in 34 national parks and reserves, those laws can be difficult to enforce in remote regions.
Also this… go Dodgers!