zooboy28
Well-Known Member
Been a bit of a slow start to the year for news from Monarto, other than the masterplan announcement (http://www.zoochat.com/24/monarto-zoo-masterplan-401994/), but now here's something from Facebook:
Monarto Safari Park Monarto Zoo News 2015
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Both Zombi and Soona the chimps are pregnant(!): No Cookies | Perth Now
The article also publicly announces that Sandali is the father of Zuri.
The article also publicly announces that Sandali is the father of Zuri.
There has been a bit of shuffling with the spotted hyenas. One group now consists of grandmother Kigali, granddaughter Thandiwe and unrelated male Piltengi (who lived alone for a while), while another group consists of female Forest (Kigali's daughter/Thandiwe's mother) and male Gamba.
0.2 Tasmanian devils born: No Cookies | The Advertiser
Forest and Gamba had a cub in July. I think it may still be unsexed, as the email newsletter skips over whether it is a boy or girl.
A female Southern white rhino calf has been born to Umqali: Southern white rhinoceros born at Monarto Zoo in South Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
zooboy28
Well-Known Member
Some very sad news from Monarto Zoo today (posted on their Facebook page), fingers crossed the baby survives. Is Zombi still pregnant?
, but hope the baby makes it!
I'm devastated by the loss, Soona was a lovely girl and very much loved. :'(
Zombi has a very calm disposition and has always been strongly maternal. She's also the top ranked female and has a good relationship with the alpha male, so if any chimp could manage, she stands a good chance. I'm going to be very worried about Soona's baby for a long time, but my fingers are crossed for Zombi to keep looking after this little one as well as her own.
Zombi has a very calm disposition and has always been strongly maternal. She's also the top ranked female and has a good relationship with the alpha male, so if any chimp could manage, she stands a good chance. I'm going to be very worried about Soona's baby for a long time, but my fingers are crossed for Zombi to keep looking after this little one as well as her own.
Devastating news, especially so soon after the death of Zwala. I'm pleased that at least the infant survived, and was astounded to hear Zombi is raising it as her own. This is almost unpresidented behaivour, although I have heard of females with two year olds, females with no offspring etc. raising another chimpanzee's offspring.
The challenge now will be when Zombi delivers her own infant in the next few days/weeks. Hopefully the strain of caring for Soona's infant won't cause her to abandon one or both of the infants. As the two young ladies in the posts above have mentioned however, Zombi is a capable, expereinced and high ranking female, who I believe shows every promise of succeeding in raising two infants, not to mention caring for Zuri. There will be the additional challenge of her own infant receiving enough colustrum following the birth. Ideally the keepers would be able to supplement Soona's offspring on the day so he won't be competiting with the newborn for nutrition, although I'm sure this would be easier said than done, and it is probably just as well to not interfere and let nature take it's course, so as not to stress Zombi in any way. I'm impressed with their decision to close off public access to the enclosure during this time. Good to see they're putting the animals first
Good luck Zombi and Monarto Zoo
The challenge now will be when Zombi delivers her own infant in the next few days/weeks. Hopefully the strain of caring for Soona's infant won't cause her to abandon one or both of the infants. As the two young ladies in the posts above have mentioned however, Zombi is a capable, expereinced and high ranking female, who I believe shows every promise of succeeding in raising two infants, not to mention caring for Zuri. There will be the additional challenge of her own infant receiving enough colustrum following the birth. Ideally the keepers would be able to supplement Soona's offspring on the day so he won't be competiting with the newborn for nutrition, although I'm sure this would be easier said than done, and it is probably just as well to not interfere and let nature take it's course, so as not to stress Zombi in any way. I'm impressed with their decision to close off public access to the enclosure during this time. Good to see they're putting the animals first
Good luck Zombi and Monarto Zoo
I visited the chimpanzees today (they had access to all areas, including off limits quarters), and the infant appears to be strong and healthy. Zombi is very attentive to the baby whom I saw feeding a few times and for long periods.
The keepers have been training Zombi over the course of her pregnancy to accept a bottle being offered to a baby, so that may be an option if she needs help feeding. The exact due date of her own infant is not known, but I'm hoping it will be later rather than sooner to give Soona's baby more of a chance to grow and bond with her. I haven't heard of any similar cases of surrogacy alongside a new infant, but I would be very interested if anyone knows of this having happened elsewhere.
The keepers have been training Zombi over the course of her pregnancy to accept a bottle being offered to a baby, so that may be an option if she needs help feeding. The exact due date of her own infant is not known, but I'm hoping it will be later rather than sooner to give Soona's baby more of a chance to grow and bond with her. I haven't heard of any similar cases of surrogacy alongside a new infant, but I would be very interested if anyone knows of this having happened elsewhere.
The problem here will more likely be for her own baby when it arrives- being younger and smaller it will have to compete with Soona's baby for the milk supply, rather like a weaker twin. I think this is the baby that may need the supplementary feeding. Apart from this aspect, an experienced mother like this one should be capable of rearing two infants I think.
That's interesting to know, Monarto Zoo were clearly well prepared for this outcome as evidenced by their training. Perhaps they were afraid first time mother, Soona, may have rejected her offspring. I know of a chimpanzee named Vanessa at a zoo in Germany who had a two year old when she adopted a rejected infant. Vanessa gave birth again less than two years later. As far as I'm aware this situation is unpresidented however in a zoo.
I will look over my chimpanzee birth records from Taronga Zoo. I believe there were around 8 births resulting in twins over their histories, but only three infants survived (all to different mothers), suggesting raising twins is no easy feat. It's important to note with today's knowledge is chimpanzee husbandry and the advent of supplemantary feeding, the outcome could be very different, and I have every faith in Monarto Zoo, and of course Zombi.
As Pertinax mentions, the sooner Zombi's infant is born the better, so it is not disadvantaged by competition with Soona's infant.
Has Zombi been trained to present her stomach for scans throughout the pregnancy. Can we rule out the possiblity she is carrying twins herself?
That is an excellent point about a later birth being potentially to the detriment of Zombi's own baby. Because of the loss of Soona I am irrationally more concerned about her baby even though he's big and strong!
Zombi has been trained to present her stomach and accept an ultrasound wand, but to my knowledge she's not been accepting of the cold gel being used. It's a while since I talked to a keeper about it, so it's possible they have been successful in scanning, but I'm not sure. I've not heard of twins in Zombi's family.
Zombi has been trained to present her stomach and accept an ultrasound wand, but to my knowledge she's not been accepting of the cold gel being used. It's a while since I talked to a keeper about it, so it's possible they have been successful in scanning, but I'm not sure. I've not heard of twins in Zombi's family.
Here is an article about Boon (with a picture of Zombi holding him). A post-mortem examination has revealed that Soona died from birth complications as "her uterus was thinner than normal": Monarto Zoo chimpanzee Boon goes on public show after mum Soona died giving birth - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
I was hoping for an 'S' name or even a 'Z' name (as he is now being reared by Zombi), but having read your explanation 'Soona,' I think this is good way to honour his mother 
Interesting to read in the article that Gombe was the first to approach the infant (and cared for it for three hours), until Zombi took over. Gombe was orphaned at the age of 9, as was Zombi I believe, so maybe they were able to empathise more than your average chimp. Either way, Zombi is clearly doing a good job and while they have it an option, Monarto Zoo are hoping supplementary feeding won't be necessary. I get the impression from the article however, that Zombi is still weeks away from giving birth, not days as I was hoping. I wonder what Zuri thinks about all this, being only three years old herself.
Interesting to read in the article that Gombe was the first to approach the infant (and cared for it for three hours), until Zombi took over. Gombe was orphaned at the age of 9, as was Zombi I believe, so maybe they were able to empathise more than your average chimp. Either way, Zombi is clearly doing a good job and while they have it an option, Monarto Zoo are hoping supplementary feeding won't be necessary. I get the impression from the article however, that Zombi is still weeks away from giving birth, not days as I was hoping. I wonder what Zuri thinks about all this, being only three years old herself.