mhale
Well-Known Member
I've heard a rumor that the old male Kumba is dead, do you know anything about that?
I haven't heard anything ... I really hope it's not true
Before he had his stroke, Kumba was a joy to watch with his family 
Chessington Zoo Baby Gorilla
- Thread starter skoop102
- Start date
I haven't heard anything ... I really hope it's not true
Before he had his stroke, Kumba was a joy to watch with his family
mhale
Well-Known Member
Why don't they update the 'Gorilla Family' section- it is about six years out of date- Buu is now 13, not 7, while 'Damisi' the new 'family head'(not Kumba) and the new baby aren't even mentioned.
I'm pleased to say that I've noticed the website information has been updated and now mentions the two groups of gorillas.
I am hopefully going to visit this Sunday so I might be able to get a shot of Mbula
I can also confirm Kumba is not dead, he is fine apparently. Maybe you can get some photos of damisi as well?
Done the sensible thing than, ay?
Replace Damisi for Kumba (and let Kumba have older range females only) and Damisi the new crop?
Replace Damisi for Kumba (and let Kumba have older range females only) and Damisi the new crop?
from the updated website information they are living in two groups of five and six animals;
1.Kumba/Baffia/Kaja and Kumba's two last offspring(from Shani & Asili) which are male & female.
2.Damisi/Shani/Asili/Shanga/Buu & the new baby Mbula.
Kumba's group no doubt live mostly in the 'dayroom' which is the old chimpanzee cage and not visible to visitors.
1.Kumba/Baffia/Kaja and Kumba's two last offspring(from Shani & Asili) which are male & female.
2.Damisi/Shani/Asili/Shanga/Buu & the new baby Mbula.
Kumba's group no doubt live mostly in the 'dayroom' which is the old chimpanzee cage and not visible to visitors.
I visited Chessington the other day, I actually wa very impressed considering it's in a theme park. I thought most, if not all the enclosures were pretty good, but I thought the fossa and binturong ones were probably the best. Although the gorilla enclosure, IMO was far too small for so many animals.
Actually the group did it themselves- they ousted the old male 'kumba' after he had a stroke and he was then kept just as a pair with hhis original mate 'Baffia' The rest of the females lived without a male for a year or two before Damisi finally arrived. They also transferred the two young juveniles into Kumba's care for safety while Damisi was introduced to the females. That is still how it stands now though the 2nd old female 'Kaja' has joined Kumba as well.
When they build a new enclosure its probable that the three old ones- Kumba/Baffia/Kaja- will stay in the existing enclosure.
Hi Pertinax,
Thanks for another set of revelations!
Can you add a little more detail (as in DoB and origin) of every individual mentioned (save for M Damisi)?
Grazie,
K.B.
Chessington Gorillas.
'Kumba group'
m. Kumba wildborn c.1968. returned to Chessington from ZSL 1995.
f. Baffia wildborn c.1968. imported with Kumba. Has bred only once but no offspring.
f. Kaja. born 13.8.79 at Howletts.(Kisoro x Juju) sent to Chessington 19.1.89
f. Kumili born 22.1.2004 at Chessington(Kumba x Asili)
m Kuni born 10.8.2004 at Chessington(Kumba x Shani)
'Damisi Group'
m. Damisi born 14.4.1997 at Frankfurt.(Matz x Rebecca) arrived from Paignton bachelor group 5/2008.
f. Shani. born 10.2.1990( Jerseyborn Kumba* x Lomie*) first birth at Chessington. handraised from 9 months after Lomie's death but returned into group at 18 months.
f Asili born 26.7.1991 at Chessington(Jersey Kumba*x Kaja)
f..Buu born 30.10.1996 at Chessington(Kumba x Shani)
f.Shanga born 29.3.2001 at Chessington(Kumba x Shani)
m. Mbula born at Chessington( just recently/date?) (Damisi x Buu)
Note; There are two males, both 'Kumbas,' involved in the history of this group. * Jersey Kumba (at ZSL) was exchanged with their own Kumba and he fathered the frst two infants(Shani & Asili) When he died Chessington's own Kumba returned from ZSL and he has sired five infants to Shani & Asili.
The second infant was f.Mjuku (Kumbax Asili) born at Chessington 2.1.1999(Kumba x Asili) who was sent to join the ZSL group in 2008.
*The female 'Lomie' had a very complicated history. She was originally imported to Chessington before Baffia & Kumba. After her younger male companion(Anduan) died she was later sold to ZSL where she lived for many years with the famous silverback 'Guy.' As he was a nonbreeder, twice she was sent on breeding loan to Bristol, returning to London for the births. Later she was transferred to Howletts where she bred twice more and then finally another transfer back to Chessington where she died. She has only two surviving offspring- her first Salome at Bristol, and her last Shani, at Chessington.
The current Kumba also has a daughter 'Kamili' (born London zoo; Kumba x Zaire) at Belfast Zoo and a grandson 'Kumbuka'(born Belfast Kekex Kamili) in the Paignton male group. They are through his breeding at London Zoo.
Kumba suffered a couple of stokes a few years ago which is when the female group totally rejected him- however he seems to have recovered well and has even gained a small group around him again.
'Kumba group'
m. Kumba wildborn c.1968. returned to Chessington from ZSL 1995.
f. Baffia wildborn c.1968. imported with Kumba. Has bred only once but no offspring.
f. Kaja. born 13.8.79 at Howletts.(Kisoro x Juju) sent to Chessington 19.1.89
f. Kumili born 22.1.2004 at Chessington(Kumba x Asili)
m Kuni born 10.8.2004 at Chessington(Kumba x Shani)
'Damisi Group'
m. Damisi born 14.4.1997 at Frankfurt.(Matz x Rebecca) arrived from Paignton bachelor group 5/2008.
f. Shani. born 10.2.1990( Jerseyborn Kumba* x Lomie*) first birth at Chessington. handraised from 9 months after Lomie's death but returned into group at 18 months.
f Asili born 26.7.1991 at Chessington(Jersey Kumba*x Kaja)
f..Buu born 30.10.1996 at Chessington(Kumba x Shani)
f.Shanga born 29.3.2001 at Chessington(Kumba x Shani)
m. Mbula born at Chessington( just recently/date?) (Damisi x Buu)
Note; There are two males, both 'Kumbas,' involved in the history of this group. * Jersey Kumba (at ZSL) was exchanged with their own Kumba and he fathered the frst two infants(Shani & Asili) When he died Chessington's own Kumba returned from ZSL and he has sired five infants to Shani & Asili.
The second infant was f.Mjuku (Kumbax Asili) born at Chessington 2.1.1999(Kumba x Asili) who was sent to join the ZSL group in 2008.
*The female 'Lomie' had a very complicated history. She was originally imported to Chessington before Baffia & Kumba. After her younger male companion(Anduan) died she was later sold to ZSL where she lived for many years with the famous silverback 'Guy.' As he was a nonbreeder, twice she was sent on breeding loan to Bristol, returning to London for the births. Later she was transferred to Howletts where she bred twice more and then finally another transfer back to Chessington where she died. She has only two surviving offspring- her first Salome at Bristol, and her last Shani, at Chessington.
The current Kumba also has a daughter 'Kamili' (born London zoo; Kumba x Zaire) at Belfast Zoo and a grandson 'Kumbuka'(born Belfast Kekex Kamili) in the Paignton male group. They are through his breeding at London Zoo.
Kumba suffered a couple of stokes a few years ago which is when the female group totally rejected him- however he seems to have recovered well and has even gained a small group around him again.
She was pretty young (just 4) when Damisi was introduced to the group, and new males aren`t always friendly with the kids of their predecessors. She`s still too young to breed and I don`t see a need to move her to another group now - it`s bad enough that she`s already seperated from her mother, but at Chessington, she can at least be with her father, her brother and 2 females she`s familiar with. There is plenty of time to move her into the breeding group or to another zoo in 2-3 years from now.
I think they were quite sensible to remove the two juveniles in case Damisi harmed them during the excitement of being introduced to their mothers and the two other older daughters-Buu & Sangha. As Yassa said, new males can be rough on youngsters which are not their own, sometimes they will repeatedly try to eject them from the group which can result in serious injury.
It was a pity this meant they were parted from their mothers but I don't think they have suffered too much in this case as they have two familiar 'aunties' & their own father for companionship. I am pretty sure the intention is to reintegrate them back into the younger group at some point- perhaps not until the new enclosure is built.
It was a pity this meant they were parted from their mothers but I don't think they have suffered too much in this case as they have two familiar 'aunties' & their own father for companionship. I am pretty sure the intention is to reintegrate them back into the younger group at some point- perhaps not until the new enclosure is built.
mhale
Well-Known Member
Good shots... In the one with three females in the photo, I think this is a real 'family group' shot, with Buu in the centre about to pick the baby up, and Shani(Buu's mother & Mbula's grandmother) on the right. With her back to the camera is probably Shangha, Buu's younger sister. How time flies- I remember 'Shani' as a little baby orphaned when her mother 'Lomie' sadly died, and now she's a grandmother.
In the one with three females in the photo, I think this is a real 'family group' shot, with Buu in the centre about to pick the baby up, and Shani(Buu's mother & Mbula's grandmother) on the right. With her back to the camera is probably Shangha, Buu's younger sister. How time flies- I remember 'Shani' as a little baby orphaned when her mother 'Lomie' sadly died, and now she's a grandmother.
mhale
Well-Known Member
I visited Chessington yesterday and saw Kumba outside with Kaja, Bafia, Kumili and Kumi (definitely not offshow). It is lovely to see him as part of a group again, as last time I visited, the family had rejected him and he had only Bafia for company.
Later in the day, Kumba's group had gone indoors and Damisi's group were outside instead, so I assume there is some kind of rotation of the two groups within the enclosure.
mhale
Well-Known Member
I have uploaded some photos of Damisi and the other gorillas (except Kumba, whom I saw a rear view of entering the house never to return outside, unfortunately) into the Chessington gallery. He looked very impressive, I must say
I imagine the Kumba group have access to the outdoor area during the earlier part of the day when there are few visitors about. Then Damisi's group, with Buu and the baby as the main attraction, holds centre stage when the majority of visitors are around.
The offshow day area(originally the Chimp cage) is actually quite roomy for a small group when they have to be offshow. Hopefully this situation of having to rotate the two groups will end when the new enclosure is built.