First milestone as chimpanzee settles in: Jambo and Zenta get closer

Hellabrunn Zoo’s newest male chimpanzee, Jambo, is now on view in the Jungle Pavilion. Since his arrival last November, an important milestone has been reached in terms of his integration into the zoo’s troop: female Zenta has caught Jambo’s attention and the two have already grown closer. Jambo has made also eye contact with male chimpanzee Willi for the first time; an introduction to Sofie is also on the cards.       

Although "love relationships" often develop quickly in the animal kingdom, chimpanzees typically need to like each other for mating to occur. "Zenta and Jambo liked each other very much from the start, so we were able to socialise them quickly. Fortunately, this has resulted in the first matings. So we can already say that we have achieved our first goal of getting Jambo settled into his new home," said Dr Hanspeter Steinmetz, curator for great apes at Hellabrunn Zoo. 

Since his arrival in late November, Jambo has settled in well, which is clear to see - both in his interactions with his keepers and with his surroundings. "He is really laid back and very easy to get along with," said chimpanzee keeper Luisa Mährer, who played a key role in helping Jambo settle into his new home. "When he met Zenta, he obviously had to prove that he was the male, but Zenta is self-confident and has clearly shown him that she can put him in his place. Chimpanzees express such attitudes through loud screaming as well as through the occasional physical confrontation." The next steps in the settling-in phase include getting to know Sofie and making eye contact with Willi. "It is important that the males get along with each other and can also 'form alliances'."

Loud vocalisations are natural among chimpanzees. "They often express their emotions very loudly - whether they are angry or happy, this is how they communicate with each other," added Mährer. So it could get quite loud in the Jungle Pavilion in the coming weeks. 

"We are very happy with how Jambo has responded so far to his new home and are pleased that he is settling in so well with us. Socialising chimpanzees is a demanding process that requires a great deal of instinct. But we are confident that he will become an integral part of our troop," said Rasem Baban, zoological director at Hellabrunn Zoo.

Established in 2003, the chimpanzee troop at Hellabrunn Zoo comprises Zenta and Sofie, both central chimpanzees, and their offspring Hannerl, Willi, Annemarie and Seppi. The introduction of Jambo is intended to promote the genetic diversity of the central chimpanzee, a subspecies of chimpanzee, which is rarely kept in zoos. There are currently only 43 individuals of this subspecies (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) residing in European zoos. Jambo was born in 2014 in Badoca Safari Park in Portugal before moving to Pilsen Zoo in 2023. However, his integration into the existing chimpanzee troop there proved difficult, which is why the EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) recommended his transfer to Hellabrunn Zoo.

These great apes are under severe threat in their natural habitat. Poaching, illegal trade, habitat destruction and diseases such as Ebola have decimated their populations in the rainforests of the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Cameroon. Given their low population density and slow reproduction rate, local populations can quickly become extinct if no targeted protection measures are taken.

By taking in Jambo, Hellabrunn Zoo is making an important contribution to the conservation of these fascinating great apes and supporting international efforts to protect this endangered species.