Photo courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
Kijana
Twenty-six-year-old male chimpanzee Kijana was brought from the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas.
There’s a new animal (or two) on the block at the Saint Louis Zoo.
The zoo recently introduced Kijana, a 26-year-old male chimpanzee, to the public on July 14. A few weeks before that, Princess Buttercup, a new baby mongoose lemur, made her debut to the public on July 5.
The Saint Louis Zoo requested another male for their family of chimpanzees from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan, a program to manage a genetically healthy chimpanzee population. At the time, Kijana was having difficulty accepting some of the teenage males at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas, so the move was recommended by the Chimpanzee Sepcies Survivial Plan and worked for both zoos. Great ape keeper Dawn Boyer says it took a couple months and careful planning before bringing Kijana to the Saint Louis Zoo.
“We went down and met him just to get a feel for his personality and talk to his keepers and see what they felt about him and how he would integrate in our group," Boyer says. "From there, we came back and talked to the rest of the team, including our curator, and then the decision was made to move him."
Once Kijana was at the Saint Louis Zoo, methodical preparations were put in place before he could fully nestle into his new home. The first step was introducing him to Hugo, the dominant male of the chimpanzee group.
“Alliances and relationships among members of a chimpanzee community are very important and are carefully considered when planning introductions,” said Helen Boostrom, primate unit zoological manager at the zoo, in a press release. “Kijana was first introduced to Hugo, 25, the dominant male, and the two were given the opportunity to bond. Hugo is highly respected by the chimpanzee group and his acceptance and support of Kijana was important for Kijana’s integration into the group.”
Once he and Hugo had a level understanding of each other, Jimiyu was introduced to form a male group. The three formed a bond quickly, and within three weeks, Kijana was with the six remaining females and made his public debut on July 14. Visitors will recognize him as the second largest male with a gray beard and can find him close to Hugo, interacting with the other chimpanzees grooming and playing. Visit before noon for the best chance in catching sight of him.
But before you leave, pay a visit to Princess Buttercup. She made her first public appearance on July 5, just a little under four months since her birth from parents Dahlia and Snuffy. According to a press release, her start as an infant wasn’t easy. Her mother, Dahlia, had been unsuccessful raising her infants, so staff took over caring for Princess Buttercup. According to the release, she required round-the-clock care but now “is a healthy and very energetic baby.”
Photo courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
Princess Buttercup
Baby mongoose lemur Princess Buttercup was born on March 19.
According to the press release, her birth was one that was planned in an effort to increase mongoose populations.
“This birth is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Mongoose Lemur Species Survival Plan, a program to manage a genetically healthy population of mongoose lemurs in North American zoos. With Princess Buttercup’s birth, there are now a total of 68 mongoose lemurs in all AZA zoos,” said the release.
