Australasian Common Chimpanzee Population

[Zoofan15]

It's a shame as Shikamoo was initially such a popular male amongst the girls. It's really interesting to see how some males go from having potential to losing it (eg. Shikamoo and Shabani). Wheras other males have come out of nowhere, such as Sule, to grab a high ranking position.

So since the move back to the current enclosure (in 2011), 6 offspring have been born. Sires are the following:

Fumo (2013) - Shikamoo
Sudi (2014) - Shikamoo
Liwali (2014) - Samaki
Cebeli (2017) - Samaki
Safiri (2019) - Unconfirmed (predication is Samaki)
Niambi (2021) - Unconfirmed (predication is Sule)

It feels like Shabani and Shikamoo have both followed a similar path where they were just edged out the alpha position by a male slightly older and then surpassed in turn by their respective younger brothers.

When Sule was a juvenile, there was a lot of buzz around him being excessively extroverted and highly social with all members of the troop compared to the other juveniles of the 2000’s. Many were even predicting he’d be alpha someday.

In addition to the six surviving infants; there’s been eight non surviving infants since 2011:

Unnamed (2012) Kuma (predicted sire: Shabani)
Unnamed (2013) Kamili (predicted sire: Shabani)
Unnamed (2014) Kamili (predicted sire: Shabani)
Unnamed (2014) Koko (predicted sire: Shabani)
Unnamed (2017) Lani (confirmed sire: Samaki)
Unnamed (2017) Naomi (confirmed sire: Samaki)
Unnamed (2019) Naomi (predicted sire: Samaki)
Unnamed (2020) Kamili (predicted sire: Shabani)

Shabani is well represented in the list through his close relationship with Kamili (he was also predicted to have sired her 2005 deceased infant). She adores him; while as a low ranking female, she’s of little interest to the higher ranking males.

 

[Zoofan15]

Auckland Zoo Chimpanzee Infants

I came across some articles which offer an interesting insight into Auckland Zoo’s tea party chimps and their offspring.

The first chimpanzee born at Auckland Zoo was Suzie. She was born to Charlie and Sissy 27/08/1964. The article following her birth notes her mother initially appeared fond of her offspring, but later began dragging it about the floor of its cage. Interestingly, the exact same account appears in A Tiger by the Tail - a History of Auckland Zoo, with a note the infant later died. We now know that to be mistake as Suzie survived to adulthood, transferring to Hamilton Zoo in 2004, where she died in 2011.

The Australasian studbook notes an infant was born 24/11/1965 and died 16/02/1966, but doesn’t note it’s parentage. It was likely born to Charlie and Sissy.

Sally was born at Auckland Zoo 19/10/1970. She was hand raised and survived to adulthood. She transferred to Hamilton Zoo in 2004, where she died in 2021.

Now here’s where it gets really interesting! I was shocked to discover that a previously unrecorded infant was born at Auckland Zoo in July 1971 to Sissy, who collapsed and died the same month (presumably from birth complications). The infant was a male and died the following day 27/07/1971.

What’s really sad is that Sissy was noted to have been protective of this last infant and reared him up until her death. After rejecting her previous infants, it looked like she’d finally got the hang of motherhood. One can only imagine how the zoos troop would would have turned out if she’d survived.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/n...page=10&query=Auckland+zoo+chimp&snippet=true

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/n...page=10&query=Auckland+zoo+chimp&snippet=true

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/n...page=10&query=Auckland+zoo+chimp&snippet=true

 

[Swanson02]

Sadly Chimpanzee Galatea at Monarto Safari Park lost her infant on Sunday . She would have been a first-time mum and this birth would have been extra special as her genetics are of high importance to the region.

 

[Zoofan15]

Sadly Chimpanzee Galatea at Monarto Safari Park lost her infant on Sunday . She would have been a first-time mum and this birth would have been extra special as her genetics are of high importance to the region.

That’s devastating news. Galatea took several years to conceive and has been noted to have strong maternal instincts. She would have made an excellent mother. As an unrepresented founder, this infant would have been highly valuable - especially if sired by Tsotsi.

My thoughts are with Galatea’s keepers during this difficult time. I hope Galatea makes a full recovery and is successful on a subsequent attempt to fall pregnant.

 

[Jambo]

30/03/2022 visit update:

I visited Taronga on Wednesday and excitedly the chimps had full access to the main enclosure for the first time in quite some time! It was a rainy day, so all were huddled under the shelter in the netted enclosure. The rain then stopped and the chimps slowly made their way back out to the main enclosure.

Samaki appeared to be following around a female (not sure which but it had to be Lisa or Kuma).. At one point another older male came (I believe it was Shikamoo) and attempted to interact with the female but Samaki chased him away. It was great to see Safiri rolling around, interacting with a young baby right up close in front of the glass; Shiba then attempted to do the same to gain attention right after, but didn't get the same response Safiri did.

A brawl then started in the main enclosure when Sudi started chasing Fumo; Furahi then stepped in to defend Fumo and this encouraged Samaki to attack Furahi. The drama unfolded over five minutes, and Sudi appeared to have injured his hand. He had relatively no support during the conflict unfortunately due to his mother, Shiba being with Sembe and Safiri under the shelter; and Samaki mainly focusing his intentions of the female who was presumbly cycling. I left and came back a little later and the Chimps had been moved indoors rather early...possibly due to the conflict.

 

[Zoofan15]

30/03/2022 visit update:

I visited Taronga on Wednesday and excitedly the chimps had full access to the main enclosure for the first time in quite some time! It was a rainy day, so all were huddled under the shelter in the netted enclosure. The rain then stopped and the chimps slowly made their way back out to the main enclosure.

Samaki appeared to be following around a female (not sure which but it had to be Lisa or Kuma).. At one point another older male came (I believe it was Shikamoo) and attempted to interact with the female but Samaki chased him away. It was great to see Safiri rolling around, interacting with a young baby right up close in front of the glass; Shiba then attempted to do the same to gain attention right after, but didn't get the same response Safiri did.

A brawl then started in the main enclosure when Sudi started chasing Fumo; Furahi then stepped in to defend Fumo and this encouraged Samaki to attack Furahi. The drama unfolded over five minutes, and Sudi appeared to have injured his hand. He had relatively no support during the conflict unfortunately due to his mother, Shiba being with Sembe and Safiri under the shelter; and Samaki mainly focusing his intentions of the female who was presumbly cycling. I left and came back a little later and the Chimps had been moved indoors rather early...possibly due to the conflict.

As the alpha male, Samaki will have priority access to fertile females in the troop; but with multiple females soon coming off contraception, it’s likely other males will get sneaky matings in. The paternity results will be interesting! The highest ranking females have the most allure, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sticking to Kuma like glue.

Interestingly, Kuma’s currently being challenged for the position of beta female by Naomi. My friend who visits Taronga monthly advised Naomi has made a series of challenges, with Kuma struggling to maintain her status. Kuma’s adult son, Furahi, has also dropped in status and Kuma is disinterested in networking.

In constrast, Naomi has shown ambition from the beginning, with keepers previously noting her likelihood of becoming the alpha female one day. Naomi is in her prime and is highly social, ferocious, powerful (despite her shorter build) and has a son.

 

[Jambo]

As the alpha male, Samaki will have priority access to fertile females in the troop; but with multiple females soon coming off contraception, it’s likely other males will get sneaky matings in. The paternity results will be interesting! The highest ranking females have the most allure, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sticking to Kuma like glue.

Interestingly, Kuma’s currently being challenged for the position of beta female by Naomi. My friend who visits Taronga monthly advised Naomi has made a series of challenges, with Kuma struggling to maintain her status. Kuma’s adult son, Furahi, has also dropped in status and Kuma is disinterested in networking.

In constrast, Naomi has shown ambition from the beginning, with keepers previously noting her likelihood of becoming the alpha female one day. Naomi is in her prime and is highly social, ferocious, powerful (despite her shorter build) and has a son.

It seems she was the only female being followed around; so that'd indicate she was probably the only female cycling at the time.

The paternity tests will definitely be quite exciting! There's an array of males who could be fathers ranging from Shabani, the lowest ranking male all the way up to Samaki the alpha. Fumo, Sudi and Liwali could also be outside chances, considering Lubutu sired his first infant at the age of seven.

Naomi (and Ceres) are both supported by Shiba's family which would in affect help Naomi up the rankings due to Samaki being the alpha male. Furahi seems to be the next Shabani! Once had a lot of potential but is now low ranking and is not highly viewed by the rest of the troop. Furahi seems very tyrannical to me, and during the brawl I highlighted earlier he was banging doors ect. creating quite a commotion.

When they were initially sitting under the shelter, they appeared to be in two groups (one with Shiba, Shona, Ceres, Naomi, Cebeli, Niambi, Sembe, Shikamoo- which were closer to the viewing window. The other group further away included Sacha, Sule, Samaki, Kuma, Fumo, Shabani, Lisa, Kamili, Sudi and Liwali. It looked like Sudi was growing much more independant as he ventured out into the main enclosure first, and was soon followed by Kuma and then of course, Samaki.

 

[Zoofan15]

It seems she was the only female being followed around; so that'd indicate she was probably the only female cycling at the time.

The paternity tests will definitely be quite exciting! There's an array of males who could be fathers ranging from Shabani, the lowest ranking male all the way up to Samaki the alpha. Fumo, Sudi and Liwali could also be outside chances, considering Lubutu sired his first infant at the age of seven.

Naomi (and Ceres) are both supported by Shiba's family which would in affect help Naomi up the rankings due to Samaki being the alpha male. Furahi seems to be the next Shabani! Once had a lot of potential but is now low ranking and is not highly viewed by the rest of the troop. Furahi seems very tyrannical to me, and during the brawl I highlighted earlier he was banging doors ect. creating quite a commotion.

When they were initially sitting under the shelter, they appeared to be in two groups (one with Shiba, Shona, Ceres, Naomi, Cebeli, Niambi, Sembe, Shikamoo- which were closer to the viewing window. The other group further away included Sacha, Sule, Samaki, Kuma, Fumo, Shabani, Lisa, Kamili, Sudi and Liwali. It looked like Sudi was growing much more independant as he ventured out into the main enclosure first, and was soon followed by Kuma and then of course, Samaki.

The preference of the female certainly comes into play when it comes to paternity. Samaki is popular and his leadership secure, so I'd expect the majority of infants to be sired by him going forward. The alpha male will often permit his right hand man to mate with females if there's more than one cycling at once, so Sule is a strong possibility.

Because Safiri was conceived during the period where there was no clear alpha, I'd assume Shikamoo was the sire considering he was a high ranking male until his recent fall in status and that females usually avoid making with their son if there's other options.

Naomi was one of Samaki's king-makers. She's highly ambitious and not afraid of a fight. Ceres is less social and doesn't command the same respect from Shiba as Naomi does. Ceres adores Samaki, but he's largely dismissive of her (likely due to her ranking). If Samaki has other females to mate with, I'd expect him to allow Sule to mate with her.
Early on, Naomi formed a friendship with Shiba and Sembe, which has drawn her into Shiba's social group. Having an infant around the same time as Shiba has also been useful.

Kuma remains high ranking for now, by virtue of her size and ferocity, but as she ages and declines in physical condition (she's lost a lot of muscle tone due to the main exhibit being closed for a year), she'll fall in ranking. Her biggest source of support are Furahi and Kamili, neither of which hold much sway.

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga Zoo - Breeding Plan

Exciting news! I FINALLY have confirmation of Taronga Zoo’s breeding plans for their chimpanzee community.

The following have been given a three year contraceptive implant:

0.1 Sacha (1980) Last infant 2008 (Surviving)
0.1 Shiba (1981) Last infant 2019 (Surviving)
0.1 Sembe (2008) No offspring

The following are not on contraception:

0.1 Lisa (1979) Last infant 2014 (Surviving)
0.1 Ceres (1990) Last infant 2017 (Surviving)
0.1 Kuma (1991) Last infant 2013 (Surviving)
0.1 Kamili (1995) Last infant 2020 (Deceased)
0.1 Naomi (2001) Last infant 2020 (Surviving)

Additional notes:

This will likely result in the addition of two infants to the community over the next year or so to Ceres and Kuma. These females are both in their early 30’s and are experienced mothers, each successfully raising two offspring prior.

Lisa is an excellent mother. The challenge here will be her age. She turns 43 years old in August and even if she conceives, infant mortality in this species is high in mothers over the age of 35 years.

Kamili is in her prime. However, given her history, it’s probable she’ll reject her infant. Given she has no other chimps in her family unit, it would be of great benefit to Kamili to successfully rear an infant.

Naomi has a 19 month old infant and it would be statistically unusual for her to conceive this year. A revised decision will be made next year whether to administer contraception, likely influenced by the results of this cohort.

 

[Zoofan15]

Hierarchy Update

Males:

Samaki remains in the alpha position for now, supported by Sule; though has proved a reluctant leader and is unlikely to hold the position for long. Furahi and Shikamoo have each made challenges, though neither have sufficient support to take over at this stage.

The catalyst for change will likely come via the adolescent males - Fumo, Sudi and Liwali. Their support of one of Samaki's rivals could easily see Samaki displaced.

Females:

Shiba remains the alpha female. Shiba is a large powerful female with five offspring in the community, including two adult sons and an adolescent son. Shiba invests a lot of effort in networking via mutual grooming and is well respected by the troop.

For now, Kuma remains the rank of second highest ranking female. However, her status is at risk. She's lost a lot of physical condition (muscle mass) due to their confinement over the past year and has little interest in networking. Her status relies on the remnants of her success as a prime aged ambitious female in the early 2010's.

Naomi is now the third highest ranking female and is a highly ambitious female in her prime. Naomi has forged strong relationships with Shiba and her family, which has been assisted by her infant son being close in aged to Shiba's youngest daughter. Naomi has a long standing rivalry with Kuma and is her biggest threat for status.

Ceres is the fourth highest ranking female. She has a weaker relationship with Shiba, but through Naomi, has maintained a secure position in the hierarchy. Ceres is one of Samaki's main supporters.

Its difficult to place Lisa, Sacha and Kamili in relation to each other. Lisa and Sacha have little interest in networking, but Sacha has adult sons in the community; and Lisa has an adolescent son and past status via her deceased son, Lubutu. Kamili has no offspring or family support, but is more ambitious than both these females. Kamili has a close relationship with Kuma.

Shona and Sembe are the lowest ranking females. Shona has low confidence and receives no family support. She clings to Shiba's family and is usually seen associating with them and Sacha's family; while Sembe is unplaced in the hierarchy. Likely due to never having an infant, Sembe is experiencing an extended adolescence and remains close to Shiba.

Expected changes:

The decisions made regarding contraception are expected to have an effect on the hierarchy. Having an infant will likely give Kuma the support she needs to maintain her status; while Lisa could potentially increase in status if she was to welcome a new infant - even if it merely cements her position above Sacha and Kamili.

Sembe will not be breeding in the next three years, which will likely extend the uncertainty surrounding her status.

 

[Zoofan15]

Historical Records

For those interested in the history of chimpanzees in the region, I will be uploading complete historical records for the following zoos: Adelaide Zoo, Melbourne Zoo and Auckland Zoo. This will be a relatively simple task given much of this is already on ZooChat and that all three zoos have long since phased out chimps, meaning my 2015 records comprehensively cover all events.

After this, I will upload complete records for Wellington Zoo and Taronga Zoo, which have each had a few events since 2015 which will need to be added.

Taronga Zoo Chimpanzee Records (Introduction)

As promised, I will be uploading records of Taronga Zoo’s chimpanzee community detailing the family lines of the following founders:

0.1 Fifi (1947-2007)
0.1 Susie (1948-1995)
0.1 Biddy (1950-1989) Exported 1982
0.1 Lulu (1960-2014)
0.1 Koko (1972-2019)
0.1 Ceres (1990)
0.1 Naomi (2001)

Complete historical records are already listed in this thread for Adelaide Zoo (Post #71), Melbourne Zoo (Post #72) and Auckland Zoo (Post #73).

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga Zoo Records (Part One)

================================

Fifi (1947-2007)

Fifi was imported in 1954:

0.1 Fifi
Born in the wild 01/01/1947
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 19/11/1954
Died at Taronga Zoo 19/07/2007

Fifi gave birth to 8.3 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Chiko
Born at Taronga Zoo 23/05/1961
Fate Unknown
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Jojo
Born at Taronga Zoo 18/09/1964
Sent to Jackson Zoo 16/10/1986
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 14/06/1967
Died at Taronga Zoo 14/06/1967
Sire: Bobby

1.0 James
Born at Taronga Zoo 15/03/1968
Died at Taronga Zoo 27/07/1968
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 05/12/1969
Died at Taronga Zoo 05/12/1969
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Mali
Born at Taronga Zoo 02/12/1970
Died at Taronga Zoo 26/02/1971
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Flint
Born at Taronga Zoo 01/12/1971
Sent to Singapore Zoo 08/09/1982
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Faye
Born at Taronga Zoo 06/04/1978
Died at Taronga Zoo 06/07/1978
Sire: Jojo

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/09/1979
Died at Taronga Zoo 25/09/1979
Sire: Jojo

0.1 Ficha
Born at Taronga Zoo 29/04/1981
Sent to Taiping Zoo 28/07/1998
Sire: Jojo

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 23/12/1987
Died at Taronga Zoo 23/12/1987
Sire: Danny

Ficha gave birth to 1.2 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 11/01/1991
Died at Taronga Zoo 11/01/1991
Sire: Danny

0.1 Kuma
Born at Taronga Zoo 06/12/1991
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Snowy

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 19/08/1995
Died at Taronga Zoo 19/08/1995
Sire: Snowy

Kuma has given birth to 2.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Furahi
Born at Taronga Zoo 28/02/2003
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Lubutu

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 27/10/2012
Died at Taronga Zoo 27/10/2012
Sire: Shabani

1.0 Fumo
Born at Taronga Zoo 16/10/2013
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Shikamoo

================================

================================

Susie (1948-1995)

Susie was imported in 1953:

0.1 Susie
Born in the wild 01/01/1948
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 26/03/1953
Died at Taronga Zoo 29/05/1995

Susie gave birth to 1.8 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Mary
Born at Taronga Zoo 10/01/1960
Sent to Great Moscow Circus 31/05/1968
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Swappie
Born at Taronga Zoo 17/02/1962
Sent to Great Moscow Circus 31/05/1968
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Lola
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/11/1964
Sent to Ridgeways Circus 24/03/1971
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Val
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/08/1967
Sent to Silver’s Circus and Zoo 26/03/1969
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Gemini
Born at Taronga Zoo 16/10/1970
Sent to Singapore Zoo 08/09/1982
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 16/10/1970
Died at Taronga Zoo 16/10/1970
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Sutu
Born at Taronga Zoo 28/12/1974
Sent to Hyderabad Zoo 16/10/1992
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Sonny
Born at Taronga Zoo 24/02/1978
Died at Taronga Zoo 20/04/1989
Sire: Jojo

0.1 Shiba
Born at Taronga Zoo 22/05/1981
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Jojo

Gemini gave birth to 0.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Georgie
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/11/1981
Sent to Singapore Zoo 08/09/1982
Sire: Jojo

Sutu gave birth to 0.3 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Samantha
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/12/1983
Sent to Wellington a zoo 24/04/1992
Sire: Jojo

0.1 Shona
Born at Taronga Zoo 09/10/1987
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Danny

0.1 Sumu
Born at Taronga Zoo 18/05/1991
Sent to Hyderabad Zoo 16/10/1992
Sire: Danny

Shiba has given birth to 4.2 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Kibale
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/04/1990
Died at Taronga Zoo 05/12/1992
Sire: Danny

1.0 Shabani
Born at Taronga Zoo 14/09/1994
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Monte

1.0 Samaki
Born at Taronga Zoo 27/11/2001
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Lubutu

0.1 Sembe
Born at Taronga Zoo 27/02/2008
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Lubutu

1.0 Sudi
Born at Taronga Zoo 09/08/2014
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Shikamoo

0.1 Safiri
Born at Taronga Zoo 16/05/2019
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Unknown

================================

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga Zoo Records (Part Two)

================================

Biddy (1950-1989)

Biddy was imported in 1954:

0.1 Biddy
Born in the wild 01/01/1950
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 07/07/1954
Sent to Singapore Zoo 08/09/1982

Biddy gave birth to 3.5 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Jordie
Born at Taronga Zoo 30/03/1957
Sent to Sydney University 29/07/1969
Sire: Sailor

0.1 Spitter
Born at Taronga Zoo 01/07/1960
Died at Taronga Zoo 02/03/2022
Sire: Sailor

0.1 Joanna
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/02/1966
Died at Taronga Zoo 15/08/1966
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Johno
Born at Taronga Zoo 04/07/1967
Died at Taronga Zoo 25/05/1969
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 28/07/1971
Died at Taronga Zoo 30/07/1971
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Dennis
Born at Taronga Zoo 20/03/1973
Died at Taronga Zoo 12/07/1973
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Danny
Born at Taronga Zoo 22/07/1974
Sent to Hyderabad Zoo 16/10/1992
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Bianca
Born at Taronga Zoo 09/11/1979
Sent to Singapore Zoo 08/09/1982
Sire: Jojo

Spitter gave birth to 3.4 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 28/01/1972
Died at Taronga Zoo 28/01/1972
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 06/07/1973
Died at Taronga Zoo 06/07/1973
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Speedy
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/05/1975
Died at Taronga Zoo 21/07/1975
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Sheba
Born at Taronga Zoo 11/06/1978
Died at Taronga Zoo 25/09/1978
Sire: Jojo

0.1 Sacha
Born at Taronga Zoo 11/06/1980
Still at Taronga Zoo:
Sire: Jojo

0.1 Sally
Born at Taronga Zoo 13/01/1985
Sent to Wellington Zoo 24/04/1992
Sire: Jojo

1.0 Gombe
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/12/1988
Died at Taronga Zoo 04/05/2001
Sire: Danny

Sacha has given birth to 4.2 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Sokwe
Born at Taronga Zoo 14/08/1989
Died at Taronga Zoo 14/10/1989
Sire: Sonny

0.1 Kike
Born at Taronga Zoo 11/04/1991
Sent to Perth Zoo 19/06/1998
Sire: Danny

1.0 Sandali
Born at Taronga Zoo 26/02/1996
Sent to Adelaide Zoo 27/12/2008
Sire: Snowy

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/09/2002
Died at Taronga Zoo 03/09/2002
Sire: Lubutu

1.0 Shikamoo
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/07/2003
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Lubutu

1.0 Sule
Born at Taronga Zoo 04/04/2008
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Lubutu

================================

================================

Lulu (1960-2014)

Lulu was imported in 1965:

0.1 Lulu
Born in the wild 01/01/1960
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 31/03/1965
Died at Taronga Zoo 02/05/2014

Lulu gave birth to 4.4 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Pongo
Born at Taronga Zoo 29/05/1969
Sent to Ridgeways Circus 07/06/1972
Sire: Bobby

1.0 Alfie
Born at Taronga Zoo 13/06/1973
Died at Taronga Zoo 11/07/1973
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Lucy
Born at Taronga Zoo 24/11/1975
Sent to Auckland Zoo 23/10/1985
Sire: Bobby

0.1 Lisa
Born at Taronga Zoo 23/08/1979
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Jojo

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 09/04/1983
Died at Taronga Zoo 22/04/1983
Sire: Jojo

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 09/04/1983
Died at Taronga Zoo 17/05/1983
Sire: Jojo

1.0 Lewis
Born at Taronga Zoo 12/12/1985
Died at Taronga Zoo 08/12/1996
Sire: Danny

0.1 Leakey
Born at Taronga Zoo 14/08/1989
Died at Taronga Zoo 16/09/1989
Sire: Sonny

Lucy gave birth to 0.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Loanda
Born at Taronga Zoo 06/08/1985
Sent to Auckland Zoo 23/10/1985
Sire: Jojo

Lisa has given birth to 3.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Lobo
Born at Taronga Zoo 26/06/1989
Died at Taronga Zoo 28/11/1996
Sire: Sonny

1.0 Lubutu
Born at Taronga Zoo 05/06/1993
Died at Taronga Zoo 03/12/2019
Sire: Snowy

0.1 Lani
Born at Taronga Zoo 25/05/2002
Sent to Monarto Zoo 02/03/2018
Sire: Lubutu

1.0 Liwali
Born at Taronga Zoo 22/09/2014
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Samaki

Lani gave birth to 0.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 23/09/2017
Died at Taronga Zoo 23/09/2017
Sire: Samaki

================================

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga Zoo Records (Part Three)

================================

Koko (1972-2019)

Koko was transferred in in 1993:

0.1 Koko
Born in the wild 01/01/1972
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 23/02/1993
Died at Taronga Zoo 02/05/2019

Koko gave birth to 0.4.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 10/08/1994
Died at Taronga Zoo 10/08/1994
Sire: Snowy

0.1 Kamili
Born at Taronga Zoo 02/09/1995
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Snowy

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/06/1999
Died at Taronga Zoo 03/06/1999
Sire: Snowy

0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 08/02/2003
Died at Taronga Zoo 08/02/2003
Sire: Lubutu

0.0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/09/2014
Died at Taronga Zoo 03/09/2014
Sire: Shabani

Kamili has given birth to 2.0.2 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 02/07/2005
Died at Taronga Zoo 02/07/2005
Sire: Lubutu

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 26/03/2013
Died at Taronga Zoo 26/03/2013
Sire: Shabani

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 29/06/2014
Died at Taronga Zoo 29/06/2014
Sire: Shabani

0.0.1 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 01/09/2020
Died at Taronga Zoo 01/09/2020
Sire: Samaki

================================

================================

Ceres (1990)

Ceres was imported in 2015:

0.1 Ceres
Born at Givskud Zoo 19/09/1990
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 04/11/2015
Still at Taronga Zoo

Ceres has given birth to 0.1 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Cebele
Born at Taronga Zoo 14/11/2017
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Samaki

================================

================================

Naomi (2001)

Naomi was imported in 2015:

0.1 Naomi
Born at Givskud Zoo 25/01/2001
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 04/11/2015
Still at Taronga Zoo

Naomi has given birth to 3.0 offspring at Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 31/10/2017
Died at Taronga Zoo 31/10/2017
Sire: Samaki

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Taronga Zoo 17/04/2019
Died at Taronga Zoo 17/04/2019
Sire: Samaki

1.0 Niambi
Born at Taronga Zoo 07/10/2020
Still at Taronga Zoo
Sire: Unknown

================================

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga Zoo Records (Conclusion)

That concludes the records for the seven founder females currently represented within Taronga Zoo’s community.

Two additional founders had descendants born across several decades - Bessie (1950-2011) and Mary (1956-1989). Their complete records can be found on Post #128 and Post #140 of this thread: Chimpanzee Troop [Taronga Zoo]

In the case of infants that died as neonates or were born prior to paternity testing becoming commonplace (pre-1990’s), paternity was often assumed by staff based on the hierarchy. Paternity testing will soon be carried out on Safiri and Niambi, though the assumptions are Shikamoo and Sule respectively.

Hannah didn’t remain at Taronga Zoo long enough to establish a family line, but her records are as follows: born at Belfast Zoo 28/11/1993; arrived at Taronga Zoo 05/11/2015; sent to Monarto Zoo 02/03/2018.

 

[Zoofan15]

Susie (1948-1995) was a Central Chimpanzee

In researching gorillas, I came across an article detailing an expedition to French Cameroon that resulted in the capture of eight gorilla infants and three chimpanzee infants. The gorillas and one of the chimpanzees died before reaching the zoo, but two chimpanzees arrived at Fremantle 20/02/1953. These were sent on to Taronga Zoo.

According to the studbook, Taronga Zoo received a male and a female chimpanzee. 25/03/1953. The male died 26/05/1953; but the female survived and was named Susie. She lived at the zoo until her death 29/05/1995 and gave birth to nine offspring - including Shiba.

I thought this would be of interest to people as the part of Cameroon that was controlled by the French at this time is part of the range of the Central chimpanzee. Many of us have speculated that Shiba’s line contained a decent percentage of this subspecies based on physical traits of this line (large size, long limbs etc.) and this confirms Susie was indeed a Central chimpanzee.

Shiba’s sire was the son of another two founders, so her genetic make up is unconfirmed; though via her mother, she would be a minimum of 50% Central chimpanzee.

 

[marmolady]

It’s possible that a chimp imported from Cameroon could have been P.t.ellioti, but P.t.troglodytes does indeed seem more likely going by the look and build of Shiba’s line. I’d put money on it!

 

[Zoofan15]

It’s possible that a chimp imported from Cameroon could have been P.t.ellioti, but P.t.troglodytes does indeed seem more likely going by the look and build of Shiba’s line. I’d put money on it!

I also considered P.t.ellioti, but from what I can tell, the English controlled the area of Cameroon that bordered Nigeria; while the French controlled the larger area of Cameroon that bordered the Congo etc. Since this is where Susie (as well as the gorillas and Mandrill) were sourced, this would mean she was P.t.troglodytes.

Interestingly, I also found an article detailing the arrival of Bobby and Biddy via a Singapore animal dealer in 1954. Taronga Zoo stated they were “probably originally from the French Congo.” I didn’t want to report the latter article as fact as “probably” is an ambiguous word, but if this assumption was accurate then Spitter was half Central chimpanzee; as was Jojo (son of Bobby via Fifi), who sired several infants including Shiba. This would make Shiba a minimum of 75% Central chimpanzee (baring in mind we don’t know Fifi’s background). Potentially an interesting revelation, considering I’d previously assumed a larger percentage of Western heritage in the community - bar Shiba and possibly Kuma, who’s also a large female.

 

[Swanson02]

Potentially an interesting revelation, considering I’d previously assumed a larger percentage of Western heritage in the community - bar Shiba and possibly Kuma, who’s also a large female.

So as far as we know right now, our region only contains Chimpanzees of either Western (P. troglodytes verus) or Central (P. troglodytes troglodytes) origin? With no Nigeria-Cameroon or Eastern genetic admixture?

What percentages would we be looking at? Would our population on average be about 60% Central and 40% Western?

 

[Zoofan15]

So as far as we know right now, our region only contains Chimpanzees of either Western (P. troglodytes verus) or Central (P. troglodytes troglodytes) origin? With no Nigeria-Cameroon or Eastern genetic admixture?

What percentages would we be looking at? Would our population on average be about 60% Central and 40% Western?

Although we can’t rule out the other two subspecies, it would appear that the collection of Western chimpanzees was most prevalent due to Freetown and Dakar being main ports at this time (ease of access); followed by Central chimpanzee, which were collected as part of expeditions to source species like gorillas and Mandrill.

Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee may have shipped out via Lagos (Nigeria), which was also a major port, though their range was smaller and not as accessible as that of the Western chimpanzee.

Eastern chimpanzee (which were found in landlocked countries) would otherwise have had to have been transported across long distances making them the least likely subspecies.

Early photos of Wellington’s troop suggest a heavy Western influence and if these assessments are accurate, chimpanzees like Boyd and Gombe could even be purebred Western chimpanzee. Through inbreeding, they descend from just two founders who I believe were both Western chimpanzee.