monkeyworld
Well-Known Member
Good news from the zoos website :
One endangered primate at Paignton Zoo is doing his bit to save his species – he has got all three females in his group pregnant.
Paignton Zoo primate keepers are nervous fathers three times over, with Bornean orang utans Gambira, Chinta and Mali all expecting over the next few months.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “We hope they give birth and rear their youngsters naturally – but we have made plans in case some or all of them do not. If any of them are unable to rear their youngsters then they will almost certainly be reared at one of the European ape nurseries – for example, Monkey World in Dorset or Stuttgart Zoo - where they will be in the company of other young apes and not just humans.
Paignton Zoo’s group of Bornean orang-utans is made up of male Demo (aged 10) and females Gambira (11), Chinta (18) and Mali (13). Demo and Mali arrived at Paignton Zoo from Munster Zoo, in Germany, in November 2007. Gambira was born at Paignton Zoo. Chinta was born at London Zoo.
Both Gambira and Chinta are first-time mothers. Mali’s first baby was stillborn.
A recent study revealed the rapid, heavy and ongoing declines suffered by orang-utans: the Sumatran species is estimated at around 6,000 individuals and could be the first great ape species to become extinct.
Bornean orang-utans have suffered similar declines but the population is estimated at
around 50,000. To put this in context, there are fewer Bornean orang-utans in the entire world than there are human beings in Torquay. The population of Torquay is about 62,000.
The Bornean orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus) is threatened by hunting, the pet trade and the destruction of its rainforest habitat. Forest is being destroyed to create palm oil plantations. Given the declining populations, measures such as switching to alternative oil products and maintaining sustainable populations of orangs in zoos are becoming ever more important.
Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts are working to become palm-oil free sites. Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment is the co-chair of the orang-utan European Endangered species Programme, which coordinates the efforts of top European zoos to conserve the species.
One endangered primate at Paignton Zoo is doing his bit to save his species – he has got all three females in his group pregnant.
Paignton Zoo primate keepers are nervous fathers three times over, with Bornean orang utans Gambira, Chinta and Mali all expecting over the next few months.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “We hope they give birth and rear their youngsters naturally – but we have made plans in case some or all of them do not. If any of them are unable to rear their youngsters then they will almost certainly be reared at one of the European ape nurseries – for example, Monkey World in Dorset or Stuttgart Zoo - where they will be in the company of other young apes and not just humans.
Paignton Zoo’s group of Bornean orang-utans is made up of male Demo (aged 10) and females Gambira (11), Chinta (18) and Mali (13). Demo and Mali arrived at Paignton Zoo from Munster Zoo, in Germany, in November 2007. Gambira was born at Paignton Zoo. Chinta was born at London Zoo.
Both Gambira and Chinta are first-time mothers. Mali’s first baby was stillborn.
A recent study revealed the rapid, heavy and ongoing declines suffered by orang-utans: the Sumatran species is estimated at around 6,000 individuals and could be the first great ape species to become extinct.
Bornean orang-utans have suffered similar declines but the population is estimated at
around 50,000. To put this in context, there are fewer Bornean orang-utans in the entire world than there are human beings in Torquay. The population of Torquay is about 62,000.
The Bornean orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus) is threatened by hunting, the pet trade and the destruction of its rainforest habitat. Forest is being destroyed to create palm oil plantations. Given the declining populations, measures such as switching to alternative oil products and maintaining sustainable populations of orangs in zoos are becoming ever more important.
Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts are working to become palm-oil free sites. Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment is the co-chair of the orang-utan European Endangered species Programme, which coordinates the efforts of top European zoos to conserve the species.
