Taronga Zoo Chimpanzee Troop

Interesting story on Jojo the chimpanzee who lived at Taronga until his export in 1986:

https://books.google.co.nz/books?id... keepers and the kept chimpanzee jojo&f=false

Article regarding his export and the subsequent sale of his son, Bart:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=dOQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3082,9134667&hl=en

Article on his offspring:

http://jacksonzoo.org/media/pr/090407ChimpBornattheJacksonZoo.pdf

Article on his death this year (the article incorrectly states he's a female):

http://www.wapt.com/article/jackson-zoo-s-chimpanzee-jojo-dies/2097555

Jojo was born at Taronga Zoo in 1964. When the previous alpha male, Bobby, died in 1975, Jojo assumed the alpha position at the age of 11 as he was the eldest male in the community at the time. This helped his mother Fifi establish herself as the alpha female. She maintained a high ranking position until her death in 2007 and her granddaughter Kuma is currently one of the highest ranking females at Taronga.
 
Visit to zoo last weekend. Lisa and lilwalli are in with the new group.
Naomi and Sembe are getting on. Sudi and liwalli are causing trouble. Ceres is doing well.
Will put photos up tomorrow.
 
tigersam said:
Visit to zoo last weekend. Lisa and lilwalli are in with the new group.
Naomi and Sembe are getting on. Sudi and liwalli are causing trouble. Ceres is doing well.
Will put photos up tomorrow.
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Thanks for the update tigersam. I look forward to seeing the photos.

How are Lisa and Lani interacting with the new girls?

Are Spitter, Sacha, Shikamoo, Sule, Kuma, Furahi, Fumo and Shona still together in the original group (yet to be introduced)?
 
Came across this video a while ago from 2007:


Can anyone help with chimpanzee ID?

I'm guessing the adult male aggressor is Sandali (supported by Spitter)?

I'm guessing the adult male being harassed is Chimbuka, as he's receiving no support from the troop?

Can anyone confirm?
 
I've sent the video link to a friend of mine who used to work with the chimps back then... hopefully they will get back to me about who is who...

T.
 
tdierikx said:
I've sent the video link to a friend of mine who used to work with the chimps back then... hopefully they will get back to me about who is who...

T.
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Cool, look forward to hearing what chimps they are.

The male being attacked is clearly an adolescent/adult so that narrows it down to Lubutu, Shabani, Chimbuka or Sandali. I'd be surprised if it was Lubutu or Shabani though as neither of their mothers would hesitate to intervene.
 
Ok - my friend says it looks like Lubutu intimidating Sandali and Spitter giving backup... apparently this combo and posturing/chasing happened a lot back then with those two.

T.
 
tdierikx said:
Ok - my friend says it looks like Lubutu intimidating Sandali and Spitter giving backup... apparently this combo and posturing/chasing happened a lot back then with those two.

T.
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Thanks for that. So just to clarify... Spitter is supporting Lubutu? I'm not sure which is which but Spitter is obviously supporting the chimp doing all the screaming (the antagonist). I can see the antagonist looking for support from her (making eye contact), and at one point even strike her to encourage her to get involved!
 
Lubutu intimidating Sandali, then Sandali reacting over the top and asking Spitter for backup... which she provides... and is that a little Shikamoo giving someone a back slap near the end?

T.
 
That makes sense! I didn't think Spitter would support Lubutu over Sandali. I think it is!
I heard one of the keepers say on Wildlife at the Zoo, that during a conflict, the young males would take that oppotunity to run in and give someone a smack while they're distracted.

I'm hoping TZ will provide an update on the chimp introductions soon. I understand Lisa has now been introduced with Liwali. They're still holding back on Kuma!
 
tigersam said:
I have put some photos up. More to come. Off to TZ on weekend
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Great photos tigersam! Hasn't Sembe grown up! She's as big as Naomi. From what I've heard on these forums and can see from the pics, these two seem to be getting on quite well after a rocky start. I guess they're both in similar situations. Naomi is a young female trying to establish herself in a new community; Sembe is a young female trying to find her place in the community after her mother Shiba turned her focus and attention to Sembe's new sibling, leaving Sembe to fend for herself for the first time. She had led a highly sheltered and protected life prior to the birth of Sudi and has few connections in the community. Plus, Naomi is the only female in the troop similar in age to Sembe, except for Lani.

I look forward to seeing anymore photos you have from the weekend. Have their been any changes since your last visit within the community?
 
zoofan15 I haven't been for a while due to illness. I will be going on sunday and will find out more and more photos.
 
Was using a Swahili translator this morning and uncovered the meanings of some of the chimpanzee names:

Kike (1991) means 'female'
Kamili (1995) means 'perfection'
Shikamoo (2003) means 'cohesion'

I wonder why Kike didn't have an 'S' name like her mother and other family members of her line. Maybe it was a Friday afternoon at Taronga Zoo and the keepers were feeling rebellious?
 
Shikamoo is also a polite, respectful greeting afforded to elders.
 
In Africa I assume? I was interested to learn the meanings of Kike and Shikamoo as both sounded more Japanese than Swahili.

Both those meanings really suit Shikamoo. He's one of the more mild mannered of the males and generally gets on well with all members of the troop.

Furahi's name is adapted from the Swahili word for happiness. Doesn't really suit Furahi's ferocious personality, which you think they could have predicted based on Kuma's personality.

Sule is an African name meaning adventurous. Couldn't suit him better.

Sembe is a town in the Congo.

Kuma was oringinally given an F name but was renamed Kuma as her original name may have offended some of the more sensitive visitors to the zoo. The F line continues through Kuma''s sons Furahi and Fumo.
 
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tdierikx said:
Lubutu intimidating Sandali, then Sandali reacting over the top and asking Spitter for backup... which she provides... and is that a little Shikamoo giving someone a back slap near the end?

T.
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I watched this video several times. I don't know the Chimps, being in the UK, but it looks like the female Spitter is waiting her chance all along to have a go at the male, as she closely follows the protagonist all the time in the build-up until they embrace- then she attacks in exactly the same instant as he does.
 
Pertinax said:
I watched this video several times. I don't know the Chimps, being in the UK, but it looks like the female Spitter is waiting her chance all along to have a go at the male, as she closely follows the protagonist all the time in the build-up until they embrace- then she attacks in exactly the same instant as he does.
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I could be wrong, but my opinion is that the female (Spitter) is supporting her grandson (Sandali) rather than taking the opportunity to attack Lubutu for personal or unrelated reasons. At 0.23, Sandali makes eye contact with Spitter (asking for support) and from 0.33 onwards attempts to reach out for her several times. At 0.49 as he follows Lubutu, Sandali checks again to see if Spitter is still following/supporting him. At 1.04 Sandali strikes Spitter over the head in frustration which motivates her to attack Lubutu and support Sandali. At 1.13, Furahi runs into the furore and smacks anyone he can, including Spitter. At 1.16, Shikamoo (Sandali’s younger brother) smacks Lubutu, possibly in excitement or showing support for his brother and grandmother.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I could be wrong, but my opinion is that the female (Spitter) is supporting her grandson (Sandali) rather than taking the opportunity to attack Lubutu for personal or unrelated reasons.
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I wouldn't know the reason behind her being involved, you may well be right that it is in the form of a back-up role, but she certainly seems to be fully involved throughout and waiting her chance to settle the score. One gets the impression she wouldn't have dared to attack on her own and so takes advantage of this situation.
 
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