Surprise: critically endangered chimpanzee born at Beekse Bergen

A Western chimpanzee has been born at Beekse Bergen. The sex of the newborn is not yet known. Mother and the young animal are doing well.

Caretakers at the Safaripark were not sure if mother Nadine was pregnant because after previous positive results, the latest pregnancy tests came back negative. The same pregnancy tests are used in great apes as in humans.

Animal keeper Judith van der Loo: "Of course we had suspicions, because we saw several matings with Nadine and she did get fatter and fatter over the past weeks. So we secretly thought she could be pregnant, despite the negative test results. If we then started counting, the birth would take place in November. So all in all, it was a surprise that the little one was suddenly there in October!"

Daughter everywhere

The little chimpanzee came into the world early Tuesday morning, Oct. 24, quietly in the presence of the group. Van der Loo: "We already noticed that on Monday the mother was taking more and more rest and losing mucus. That's why we decided to bring the group of chimps inside. It causes the mother a lot of stress when she is put apart. It can also lead to panic among the other chimps if there is suddenly a little one. Moreover, such a moment is also incredibly important for the younger generation in the group: they learn a lot from this. Nadine's older daughter is with everything. She is so curious!"

Who the father is is still unknown. "The males in the group have all mated with Nadine and because it is unknown who the father is, by nature they will never fully take care of the young: they all do something. We do have the DNA tested because it is vital information for the management program," said the caretaker.

Threats

The European management program ensures a genetically healthy reserve population of chimpanzees in zoos. In the wild, chimpanzees face many threats. The forests in which the animals live are cut down mainly for agriculture, but also for mining.

In addition, the species is also captured to keep as pets. And chimpanzees are also hunted for meat, called: bushmeat. Although bushmeat is illegal, it is considered a luxury delicacy.

Jane Goodall Institute

Through Stichting Wildlife, Beekse Bergen supports the Jane Goodall Institute. This organization is dedicated to research, education, welfare and nature conservation related to great apes, primarily chimpanzees.

The institute does this by taking in parentless or poached chimpanzees, deploying anti-poaching units, training rangers, informing and educating local communities about protecting endangered wildlife. They also support community projects for sustainable agriculture.

White tuft of hair

A chimpanzee's first four years of life are visible because it has a white tuft of hair above its buttocks. Van der Loo: "The white tuft is actually a kind of joker for the young animals: it acts as a signal to fellow group members that they are allowed to do mischief and get away with it." Once the tuft disappears, the animals become adults and the privileges expire.

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