gentle lemur

Chimpanzee Abena 1974

Scanned from an Ektachrome slide. One of Regents Park's characters in the '70s, Abena was housed with a non-breeding male for many years. But he died shortly after the old Monkey House was demolished and the Sobell Pavilions were completed. At about 30 years of age, old Abena joined the breeding group of chimps; starting cycling again and eventually gave birth herself. Sobell Pavilions, 30th of April 1974.
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Scanned from an Ektachrome slide. One of Regents Park's characters in the '70s, Abena was housed with a non-breeding male for many years. He died shortly after the old Monkey House was demolished and the Sobell Pavilions were completed, so old Abena joined the breeding group of chimps. She started cycling again and eventually gave birth at about 30years of age. Sobell Pavilions, 30th of April 1974.
 
.She started cycling again and eventually gave birth at about 30years of age. Sobell Pavilions, 30th of April 1974.

I think Abena had also had a previous baby which died, much earlier in her life, fathered by a male before she lived with 'Dick'. But the later birth was still pretty amazing.
 
I think Abena had also had a previous baby which died, much earlier in her life, fathered by a male before she lived with 'Dick'. But the later birth was still pretty amazing.

Yes, her first baby was born in 1955 and her second in June 1974 (a few weeks after I took this photo). Abena had previously acted as a foster mother for a juvenile whose mother had died. See IZYB Volume 15.

Alan
 

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