Lowland Gorillas in Europe 2014

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Digit and Likalé at SMLP were integrated together for the first time today... so far so good. The translated quote..

Digit and Likalé are reunited! They are overall very quiet, even though some slapping are awkwardly exchanged.
Digit guard still a good distance with Likalé, who is interested in it. Although most impressive, it does not play the maline and does not hesitate to flee when Likalé approaches
 
Nisha said:
Digit and Likalé at SMLP were integrated together for the first time today... so far so good. The translated quote..

Digit and Likalé are reunited! They are overall very quiet, even though some slapping are awkwardly exchanged.
Digit guard still a good distance with Likalé, who is interested in it. Although most impressive, it does not play the maline and does not hesitate to flee when Likalé approaches
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Good to hear but I hope this budding relationship continues like that and doesn't go downhill. It could still go either way.;)
 
Munster

Shasha's babygirl (born 29-Aug-2013) was named Jamila, meaning "beauty" or "the beautiful".
Not to be confused with the other Jamila (born 11-Jan-2012) in Duisburg.
 
Hello, I have question that's been on my mind for pretty long time. Female Bikira who is now in Prague... there's been originally recommendation for her to go from Belfast to Valencia, Spain and not to Prague. What was last recommendation from EAZA before she was moved to Prague (Nov 2010)? Was it still Valencia or Prague? Thank you in advance for the answer
 
zzuzu said:
Hello, I have question that's been on my mind for pretty long time. Female Bikira who is now in Prague... there's been originally recommendation for her to go from Belfast to Valencia, Spain and not to Prague. What was last recommendation from EAZA before she was moved to Prague (Nov 2010)? Was it still Valencia or Prague? Thank you in advance for the answer
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BIkira it's not in Valencia, She never come.
 
Female Kamili at Belfast has given birth to a healthy baby a few weeks ago! Unknown sex, father Gugas
 
zzuzu said:
Hello, I have question that's been on my mind for pretty long time. Female Bikira who is now in Prague... there's been originally recommendation for her to go from Belfast to Valencia, Spain and not to Prague. What was last recommendation from EAZA before she was moved to Prague (Nov 2010)? Was it still Valencia or Prague?
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A difficult question, to which I cannot provide an answer. I don't know much about zoo politics, but usually it's the EAZA/EEP who decides. So if - for whatever reason - Valencia did not object the original recommendation I suppose there must have been another, later recommendation for Prague. And there must have been a reason why Bikira didn't go to Valencia, but only Valencia, Prague and of course the EEP will know about it. Have you considered asking Miroslav Bobek, director of the Prague Zoo?

As a side note, there are many reasons possibly influencing a transfer recommendation, and demanding a new one. Often it is the group dynamics that have changed. For instance, the group of bachelors originally meant to go to Rhenen in The Netherlands was Ambam and his comrades. But then, if I remember correctly, his group fell apart, and Port Lympne sent another group instead.

Apologies if you know all this already, and sorry for not being able to be more helpful.
 
Willard said:
And there must have been a reason why Bikira didn't go to Valencia, but only Valencia, Prague and of course the EEP will know about it.
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Its possible she went to Prague either because their silverback 'Richard' is a more experienced breeder than Valencia's 'Mambie', or so that she had better opportunity to socialise with younger gorillas and/or see other females rearing babies- or some of both. Those are only guesses but as well as the genetic considerations, are the sorts of factors that are taken into account with such decisions,as I'm sure you know already- though as you said, only the EEP and the zoos concerned would know the exact reason.
 
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Willard said:
Sad news from Howletts - Mouila, aged 54, died on 22 April 2014.
Mouila the gorilla dies aged 54 at Howletts wild animal park in Canterbury
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'Mouila' has always been a fixture at Howletts for me, ever since I first visited the park- before it opened publicly, in the late 1960's. One of their original four breeding females (Shamba, Mouila, Baby Doll & Juju) 'Mouila' with her large build and long face was an important and distinctive member of that first group.

Despite the Howletts social groupings, she proved a rather erratic mother and some of her eight offspring had to be handraised, primarily I think because she sometimes allowed other group members to interfere with them. They were five males and three females. The first three were fathered by the (loaned) male 'Kisoro' and the latter ones by 'Bitam' whose group 'Mouila' was part of for most of the rest of her (breeding) life.

Four of the males, (Timbou. Boumi, Oumbie & Boulas, all sired by Bitam) at one time formed the core of the adult bachelor groups at Port Lympne. (three in the first group, and Boulas as head of the second group). Timbou now lives alone. Boumi died. Boulas(non-breeding male) is now at Longleat, and Oumbie(breeding male) at Twycross. Her first son (Koundu, now dead) went to the US where he produced several offspring, while her three daughters went to other collections too(at Edinburgh and in France). Two of them have also bred, but Mouila actually has few, if any, descendants breeding in the Howletts groups themselves(I would have to check Willard's charts to verify that).
 
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Willard said:
For instance, the group of bachelors originally meant to go to Rhenen in The Netherlands was Ambam and his comrades. But then, if I remember correctly, his group fell apart, and Port Lympne sent another group instead.
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Indeed. There was little point in them sending the three(?) adult males that still were together and who might not tolerate each other for much longer longerterm. So they made up another group of younger males that needed to leave their natal groups anyway-and with a better chance of several years at least of harmonious living in front of them. I haven't heard much about them since they went btw.
 
Ouwehands Zoo, Rhenen

Pertinax said:
So they made up another group of younger males that needed to leave their natal groups anyway-and with a better chance of several years at least of harmonious living in front of them. I haven't heard much about them since they went btw.
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Judging from the photos and videos I watched they seem to be doing fine. Here are the latest pictures from a Rhenen regular: https://www.flickr.com/photos/110151266@N05/ (He has only a free Flickr account I think, so new uploads will replace older ones.)
 
Thanks for the link. 'Bitono' is already looking impressive. He has a similar head crest shape as his father 'Kijo' though facially he doesn't look exactly like him. He was already silverbacked before he left Howletts- possibly because he was the eldest male in that group as father Kijo died several years ago.
 
Pertinax said:
' Her first son (Koundu) went to the US but never bred, while her three daughters went to other collections(at Edinburgh and in France). Two of them have also bred, but Mouila actually has few, if any, descendants breeding in the Howletts groups themselves(I would have to check Willard's charts to verify that).
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Koundu had some off spring... Cenzoo and Spike in the US are 2 I can think of.
 
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