Taronga Zoo Frala's Baby

tdierikx said:
Interesting re Kibali grooming Johari... usually she doesn't like him getting too close to her...

T.
Click to expand...

Yes I was surprised by it too. He said as soon as Kibali left, though, Johari bolted straight away. :D

It was funny as well that said volunteer was adamant that Fataki, Fuzu and Mahale were heading to Auckland Zoo. The conversation went like.....

Him: Kibabu seems to also be enjoying it down at Mogo.
Me: Yeah. Exciting that his sons are going to Orana Park as well.
Him: Oh yes they are going to Auckland yes.
Me: They are all being quarantined at Taronga before going to Orana aren't they (I knew the answer already......more of a conversation piece!)?
Him: Ah yes they, they are currently behind the scenes before going to Auckland.

Maybe I am misenterpreting that they will fly over to Auckland first before flying to Christchurch? Although I am sure it is quicker and easier sending them straight to Christchurch? Anyways.....
 
Zoofan15 said:
Interesting to hear that Frala is carrying the baby on her back already, perhaps that's why her daughter Anguka (Lisbon Zoo) is doing that with her newborn too?
Click to expand...

I used to think mothers who did this with newborns were 'lazy' in so much its easier to carry the baby that way when walking, than supporting it with an arm. If the baby is looked after properly in other respects, probably no harm is done, though its not so well-protected in this position and doesn't start 'riding' by choice until several months old. Photos show another female 'Joas' at Basel Zoo is doing the same with her newborn too. Female Gorillas certainly have their individual idiosyncracies.
 
Last time I asked, they were having fun coming up with one... lol!

He's a boy, his name must be African in origin, and start with the letter F...

Maybe start flooding Taronga's Facebook page with suggestions?

T.
 
He has finally been named "Fubumi" meaning gift of God. From Facebook:

Frala’s little guy now has a name! The newest addition to our growing gorilla family has been named “Fubumi”, an African name meaning “gift of God”. The two-month-old continues to grow in strength and can often be spotted clinging on tightly to mum’s back.
Click to expand...
 
Any updates on 9 month old Fubumi? How does he interact with 14 month old Mjukuu? Do the infants appear to recognise the hierachy within the troop of Mbeli>Frala>Johari?

Also, there were reports that Frala's daughter, Anguka, had given birth last year, yet I've seen no mention of this outside ZooChat. Can someone confirm details if she has?
 
Zoofan15 said:
Also, there were reports that Frala's daughter, Anguka, had given birth last year, yet I've seen no mention of this outside ZooChat. Can someone confirm details if she has?
Click to expand...

She certainly had a second one last year. (Her first(viable) one died after a few months). A bit of video showed this one being dragged along as a newborn which is not a great example of mothering skill. But I have no news of it since.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Any updates on 9 month old Fubumi? How does he interact with 14 month old Mjukuu? Do the infants appear to recognise the hierachy within the troop of Mbeli>Frala>Johari?

Also, there were reports that Frala's daughter, Anguka, had given birth last year, yet I've seen no mention of this outside ZooChat. Can someone confirm details if she has?
Click to expand...

Here is a nice video of Mjukuu and Fabumi playing together, and Kibali interacting with both his sons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeaUQw2msI
 
Not related to any Taronga news, but Frala's daughter Shinda at Prague Zoo just gave birth to her first baby after many years of trying (I think even the zoo itself ruled out her giving birth at all)! :)
 
Jabiru96 said:
Not related to any Taronga news, but Frala's daughter Shinda at Prague Zoo just gave birth to her first baby after many years of trying (I think even the zoo itself ruled out her giving birth at all)! :)
Click to expand...

I think Shinda was the one who had a contraceptive implant that became absorbed so rendering her infertile for a number of years. She has apparently had miscarriages more recently but they were unaware of this pregnancy. She is 25+ but better late than never.
 
Last edited:
Zoofan15 said:
Also, there were reports that Frala's daughter, Anguka, had given birth last year, yet I've seen no mention of this outside ZooChat. Can someone confirm details if she has?
Click to expand...

Anguka's second baby at Lisbon seems to be doing fine, it is male and there is a recent photo of mother and baby in the Lisbon(Portugal) Gallery.
 
Last edited:
Frala's grandsons have been named:

Anguka's baby (born 15/04/2015) has been named Jahari.

Shinda's baby (born 23/04/2016) has been named Ajubu.
 
Article here about Shinda's baby:

https://www.zoopraha.cz/en/animals/...er/9964-shinda-s-baby-western-lowland-gorilla

In this thread, there has been discussion on how Frala and her daughter Anguka both carry their offspring on their backs from a very young age, which is unusual for gorillas. According to this article, Frala's other daughter, Shinda, does too:

Shinda is treating her young with love but, at the same time, does not spare it in any way: she started carrying the baby on her back as early as two days after the birth, which is a thing gorilla mothers usually do much later.
Click to expand...

No doubt Shinda and Anguka have learnt this behaviour from watching their mother with their younger siblings.
 
I think this behaviour(carrying infants on the back almost from birth) is a product of captive life- I have other females(or photos of them) in zoos doing it also. Perhaps its easier for the mother. In the wild I doubt it happens- a tiny baby could easily fall or be brushed off as the group travels in undergrowth- these dangers don't exist in zoos.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top