Mixed species exhibit with Chimpanzees?

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

My question is really weird, but I wonder if some zoos tried to mix Chimpanzees with other species.
Of course it's a bad idea and it mustn't be replicated but I'm curious about it.

 

[Chlidonias]

Taronga mixed Chimps and Black-backed Jackals many decades ago. Didn't end well for the jackals.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Yes, I think zoos have mixed infant orangutang, chimpanzees and gorillas in the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries as a temporary novelty for visitors or because they lacked space.

I think there are even one or two photos of these kind of set ups in the gallery if I remember correctly.

Apart from with great apes this hasn't been done as far as I'm aware and if it has been then I would imagine that the results would have been a disaster.

 

[JT]

Chimps are reckless, they'd try to tear apart anything that isn’t part of their social group, and even if you got into that you’re still not safe, I think a mix of chimps and bonobos could prove interesting due to how closely related the two species are, then again, I’m not sure how well it would end.

 

[Tim May]

For obvious reasons, chimpanzees have rarely been housed in mixed exhibits with other species.

However back in 1938, London Zoo housed the young eastern lowland gorilla "Meng" with the chimpanzee "Jacqueline". (At the time, "Meng" was considered to be a mountain goriĺla.)

In the early 20th century, the eccentric Dr. John Kerr Butter had a private animal collection in Staffordshire (which, surprisingly, included a fossa). Bizarrely, to provide his chimpanzee "Anthony" with a companion, Dr. Butter used to keep an ocelot in the same cage as the chimp. Apparently these unlikely cage mates lived amicably together.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

For obvious reasons, chimpanzees have rarely been housed in mixed exhibits with other species.

However back in 1938, London Zoo housed the young eastern lowland gorilla "Meng" with the chimpanzee "Jacqueline". (At the time, "Meng" was considered to be a mountain goriĺla.)

In the early 20th century, the eccentric Dr. John Kerr Butter had a private animal collection in Staffordshire (which, surprisingly, included a fossa). Bizarrely, to provide his chimpanzee "Anthony" with a companion, Dr. Butter used to keep an ocelot in the same cage as the chimp. Apparently these unlikely cage mates lived amicably together.

There is a historic photo in the gallery that I once saw of an infant chimp being kept in an enclosure with a young orangutang at a UK zoo.

For some reason I thought it was at the Bristol zoo but I searched through that photo album and didn't find it so my memory fails me.

I wonder that photo was taken, it didn't look too long ago though, perhaps 60's, 70's or maybe even the 80's ?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Footage from the mid 1960's of a young chimp and orangutang being housed together at the Bristol zoo in the uk (click on 3:00 mins onwards) :

 

[Zoofan15]

Hello,

My question is really weird, but I wonder if some zoos tried to mix Chimpanzees with other species.
Of course it's a bad idea and it mustn't be replicated but I'm curious about it.

Julia the female Western lowland gorilla at Melbourne Zoo was handraised alongside chimpanzees. This led to issues when she joined a gorilla troop, as she exhibited chimpanzee behaviour (which the gorillas perceived as antagonist).

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga mixed Chimps and Black-backed Jackals many decades ago. Didn't end well for the jackals.

Here’s a photo (courtesy of @doctorkay):



There were apparently bolt holes for the jackals (a pair) that initially kept their distance from the chimps. One was later killed; and the other removed.

Later on, somebody had the bright idea to integrate Patas monkeys into the chimp exhibit. How they thought that would end well is beyond me.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Julia the female Western lowland gorilla at Melbourne Zoo was handraised alongside chimpanzees. This led to issues when she joined a gorilla troop, as she exhibited chimpanzee behaviour (which the gorillas perceived as antagonist).

Wow that is really interesting, what decade did this happen ?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Here’s a photo (courtesy of @doctorkay):

View attachment 481376

There were apparently bolt holes for the jackals (a pair) that initially kept their distance from the chimps. One was later killed; and the other removed.

Later on, somebody had the bright idea to integrate Patas monkeys into the chimp exhibit. How they thought that would end well is beyond me.

Quite an unintentionally sinister photo the chimp.

I know its anthromorphic but I have to admit it even looks in the shot like the chimp is thinking about the planning the murder of the jackal.

 

[Zoofan15]

Wow that is really interesting, what decade did this happen ?

This was in the 1980’s (Julia was born 1982). She was then sent to Jersey Zoo as an adolescent and integrated into their troop. Sadly the silverback (who had accepted her) died shortly afterwards; and she clashed with the new (young) silverback. She later moved to Melbourne Zoo and was sadly killed by the young silverback there. She misread his (repeated) warnings to give a new mother space.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

This was in the 1980’s (Julia was born 1982). She was then sent to Jersey Zoo as an adolescent and integrated into their troop. Sadly the silverback (who had accepted her) died shortly afterwards; and she clashed with the new (young) silverback. She later moved to Melbourne Zoo and was sadly killed by the young silverback there. She misread his (repeated) warnings to give a new mother space.

The story of this gorilla is really interesting but tragic and moving.

Thank you for sharing it @Zoofan15 !

 

[Zoofan15]

Quite an unintentionally sinister photo the chimp.

I know its anthromorphic but I have to admit it even looks in the shot like the chimp is thinking about the planning the murder of the jackal.

It’s hard to say for sure, but I’d think the chimp in question is Danny, who would have been around eight years old in this photo (taken around 1982). He actually looks quite curious. The death of the jackal was inevitable and my money would have been on Jojo, the alpha male; or Mary, a very ferocious female.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

It’s hard to say for sure, but I’d think the chimp in question is Danny, who would have been around eight years old in this photo (taken around 1982). He actually looks quite curious. The death of the jackal was inevitable and my money would have been on Jojo, the alpha male; or Mary, a very ferocious female.

Yes, I would agree, I think it was inevitable too, the predatory instinct of chimpanzees is an innate drive.

I really wonder what the hell went through the curators mind with these mixed species ideas perhaps they just really hated jackals ?

Are any of the chimps you mention still alive today ?

 

[Zoofan15]

The story of this gorilla is really interesting but tragic and moving.

Thank you for sharing it @Zoofan15 !

You’re welcome. This article gives a really comprehensive overview of her life: In danger

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

You’re welcome. This article gives a really comprehensive overview of her life: In danger

Thanks for the link, will certainly read it (have to subscribe to the monthly apparently though), such an interesting but poignant story.

 

[Zoofan15]

Yes, I would agree, I think it was inevitable too, the predatory instinct of chimpanzees is an innate drive.

I really wonder what the hell went through the curators mind with these mixed species ideas perhaps they just really hated jackals ?

Are any of the chimps you mention still alive today ?

Jojo (the alpha male) was exported to the Jackson Zoo in 1986 and died a few years ago. He was replaced by Danny as alpha, who was exported in 1992 to Hyderabad Zoo.

Mary died in 1989 at the relatively young age of 33. She had four offspring (all of whom survived to adulthood). Her second son killed several infants when he was on the verge of adolescence and was exported along with Danny in 1982.

A few of the chimps that were at the zoo in 1982 are still alive today within the region - Spitter (1960), Lisa (1979), Sacha (1980) and Shiba (1981) are still at Taronga; while Lucy (1975) is at Hamilton Zoo; and Cara (1981), Samantha (1983) and Sally (1985) are at Wellington Zoo.

 

[Zoofan15]

Thanks for the link, will certainly read it (have to subscribe to the monthly apparently though), such an interesting but poignant story.

You’re welcome. A pop up blocks 80% of the screen, but it still allows me to scroll through it.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Jojo (the alpha male) was exported to the Jackson Zoo in 1986 and died a few years ago. He was replaced by Danny as alpha, who was exported in 1992 to Hyderabad Zoo.

Mary died in 1989 at the relatively young age of 33. She had four offspring (all of whom survived to adulthood). Her second son killed several infants when he was on the verge of adolescence and was exported along with Danny in 1982.

A few of the chimps that were at the zoo in 1982 are still alive today within the region - Spitter (1960), Lisa (1979), Sacha (1980) and Shiba (1981) are still at Taronga; while Lucy (1975) is at Hamilton Zoo; and Cara (1981), Samantha (1983) and Sally (1985) are at Wellington Zoo.

Thanks for sharing !

So none of the jackal killing chimps are still around then.

A question, do you think if the gorilla had been introduced to a troop of chimpanzees to whose social behaviour she had been behaviourally imprinted to instead of her own species she would have been integrated and accepted?