Animal Introductions you have seen in Zoos.

[Pertinax]

I have always enjoyed seeing animals introduced to each other for the first time at Zoos, though such opportunities are rare as many of these 'first contacts' are made outside visitor hours or in offshow areas. There's always heightened expectations as to how it will turn out- friendly or hostile etc?

Someone has just described on the Chester UK thread watching the first contact of their new bull Elephant with one of their females yesterday.

Here's a chance to share any memorable introductions you have been fortunate to witness at your(or any) Zoo.

 

[Maisie]

Not at a zoo, but in my own little collection. We had 2 azure-winged magpies from Chester Zoo. We lost the elderly male and got a new male to introduce to our hand-reared, slightly crackers and motherly female. She immediately flew over to the male where he was on a perch, mealworm in beak. The first initial interaction went along the lines of:

Female (sidling up to male): "Wanna worm?"
Male (sidling away slightly): "No"
Female (following male): "Wanna worm?"
Male (shuffling away): "No!"
Female (still following): "Sure you don't wanna worm?"
Male: "YES! What are you, some kind of weirdo?" (flies off)

They get on much better now, and he's taken to lounging around waiting for her to bring him food (TV remote and beer in hand). He knows where he's got it good.

 

[Arya]

Its the very rare moment to get to see.
I would love to see the animals when they meet for the very first time and there reaction that must be something very unusual to see.

 

[Taisha]

I had the chance to watch Kevin the orangutan who had probably never seen another of his species in his life (he had been confiscated from a circus) being introduced to his future female partner.
It was a magic moment I will never forget. Although I must admit the attraction seemed to be more on her part.
Later on I often had the impression that he was drawn more to female visitors.

 

[Pertinax]

Later on I often had the impression that he was drawn more to female visitors.

Often a problem with Apes humanised in their early years, more particularly Gorillas but sometimes Orangs also. Sometimes it can prevent breeding altogether, with others it doesn't hinder it- example, the famous moat-jumping gorilla 'Bokito' in Rotterdam Zoo.

 

[Taisha]

Often a problem with Apes humanised in their early years, more particularly Gorillas but sometimes Orangs also. Sometimes it can prevent breeding altogether, with others it doesn't hinder it- example, the famous moat-jumping gorilla 'Bokito' in Rotterdam Zoo.

I wonder if Bokito fits into the same category. Although first looked after by keeper Opitz he joined fairly soon his grandmother Dufte and developed apparently a strong attachment to her.
His interest in visitors always seemed to be average.
I watched however an incident that makes me still puzzle about his reaction: When all our gorillas should to be united, his father, who had tried to attack him before, was first just facing Dufte and Bokito. Dufte, being big and strong, almost like a gorilla man, approached him with Bokito at her side, who was then having just the body size of the armlength of his father. He was displaying too!
This of course was a mistake. His father took him and threw him through the air, after which all the females together started to get at him.
I guess, even at that time Derrick had the heart condition that killed him later on, so he had to lay down at intervals, panting, before he continued to pursue him.
After some time the keepers succeeded to isolate Bokito who was vomitting and in quite a bad shape.

 

[gentle lemur]

I have just remembered that I was at Gorilla Kingdom at Regents Park two years ago while Kesho was being introduced to one of the females. I think it was a weekday afternoon in August. Unfortunately the keepers had put barriers up to keep everyone away from the day room.
I could only stand beside one of the other exhibits (which I think held a large monitor at the time) where I could just see occasional dark shapes in the window at the corner of the day room.

Alan

 

[Pertinax]

Dufte, being big and strong, almost like a gorilla man, approached him with Bokito at her side, who was then having just the body size of the armlength of his father. He was displaying too!
This of course was a mistake. His father took him and threw him through the air, after which all the females together started to get at him.
I guess, even at that time Derrick had the heart condition that killed him later on, so he had to lay down at intervals, panting, before he continued to pursue him.

That is a very interesting scenario. I had not realised 'Bokito' had formed a bond with Dufte in the group. I had read somewhere that he climbed out/escaped the enclosure (more than once?) 'to be with people' so presume he was very humanised. Maybe not? He certainly seemed to have some sort of weird relationship with that lady in Rotterdam though.

Derick's behaviour sounds very much like he was already suffering a heart problem.

 

[Pertinax]

I have just remembered that I was at Gorilla Kingdom at Regents Park two years ago while Kesho was being introduced to one of the females.

I happened to be at Bristol the morning Gorillas 'Daniel' and 'Eva'(on loan from Twycross) were first introduced after her arrival the previous week. This was in the old 1974 ApeHouse. It was very quiet with few visitors-the house was still open and I had a ringside seat to watch them.

To start with 'Eva' seemed very nervous and kept right away but suddenly she advanced and 'fronted up' to a tensed-up Daniel. Surprisingly he backed off, head and eyes averted, very restrained though they used the hosepipe between them at this juncture to stop it escalating. I think ' Eva' had been used to the more gentle/subordinate Mamfe at Twycross but a few weeks later when I saw them again, Eva was thoroughly cowed, with bite marks on her. It was a whole year before they started mating.

 

[BeardsleyZooFan]

I haven't really seen animals being introduced with each other for the first time. I did however see a penguin chick going for her first swim at Mystic Aquarium. (I know it doesn't really count.)
Here's a video of it. (You can't see me though.)