Exciting news from the Jungle Pavilion: Hellabrunn Zoo is thrilled to announce the arrival of a male chimpanzee from Pilsen Zoo in the Czech Republic. The new addition, called Jambo, has been transferred on the recommendation of the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) to produce offspring at Hellabrunn. But for that to happen, the chimpanzees must first get to know each other.
Earlier this week, Jambo arrived at the zoo in Munich. The ten-year-old from Pilsen Zoo will initially be cared for behind the scenes in the Jungle Pavilion in order to give him the opportunity to get to know his new keepers in a private setting. Once the new arrival and the keepers become familiar with each other, he will then be introduced to the six existing members of the chimpanzee group at Hellabrunn Zoo. Settling in for a new arrival can be particularly challenging because chimpanzees have very complex and hierarchical social structures. Jambo not only has to get used to his new surroundings, but also to the social dynamics within the group. Arguments and physical confrontations are not uncommon and often part and parcel of natural interaction.
Dr Hanspeter Steinmetz, curator and veterinarian at Hellabrunn, said: "Jambo first has to get to know his new surroundings, the food and the daily routine and then of course the rest of the group. This will first be done through smell and hearing, before he gradually gets to know all the enclosures, the females and the two males. Chimpanzees are very dominant animals with complex social structures. Jambo will therefore not be confronted with all six group members at the same time, but will be gradually introduced so that he can find his place in the group hierarchy, which will minimise potential conflicts. We will proceed step by step, continually monitoring the group, and then decide what measures to take depending on the situation. During the settling in phase, it will certainly get a little louder in the Jungle Pavilion - fights for dominance cannot be ruled out. This is completely natural for chimpanzees and would not be any different in the wild."
The addition to chimpanzee group, which has lived together at Hellabrunn since 2003, was implemented on the recommendation of the EEP for chimpanzees, or more precisely, for central chimpanzees, a subspecies also found at the zoo. Two of the females in the group, Zenta and Sophie, are members of this subspecies.
Native to Central Africa, central chimpanzees are not only endangered in their natural range in Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo; only 43 individuals of this subspecies are found in zoos. That is why offspring are urgently needed.
“Of course, we cannot yet predict whether we will succeed in this endeavour," said zoo director Rasem Baban. "But as a science-led zoo, we naturally want to help preserve this subspecies of chimpanzee, and that is why we have decided, together with the primate care team and Dr Steinmetz, to take in Jambo.” Hellabrunn Zoo will provide updates on the new arrival‘s progress in the coming weeks and months.
Apart from the two central chimpanzee females Zenta and Sophie, the other members of the group are Zenta’s two adult sons, Willi and Walter, and two further females Hannerl and Annemarie. Zenta and Sophie have given birth several times. The last chimpanzee baby at Hellabrunn Zoo was Walter, who was born in 2003.
According to the Jane Goodall Institute, the number of chimpanzees living in the wild has dramatically plummeted since the 1950s - from around 1.5 million individuals to 300,000, which corresponds to a decline of over 80 percent. The rapid growth in global population in recent decades has inevitably led to a shrinking of natural resources. For many animal species, this means having to cope with increasingly smaller or fragmented habitats; the threat posed by humans also endangers a wide range of flora and fauna they rely on. In addition, other factors such as climate change, poaching and rainforest destruction are increasingly threatening the survival of chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are often hunted for bushmeat, or because they destroy plantations.
"Given the potential for breeding success, Hellabrunn is making a significant contribution to the conservation of the lifeboat population of central chimpanzees living in zoos," said Arun Idoe, park manager at Burgers’ Zoo in the Netherlands and co-coordinator for the EEP for chimpanzees.
Zoo director Rasem Baban added: "They are also conservation ambassadors for their fellow species in the wild. We believe that people will protect the species they get to know and love. Anyone who takes the time to visit the chimpanzees in the Jungle Pavilion at Hellabrunn will quickly realise how fascinating and social these animals are - and how important it is to protect their habitats."
During the settling in phase, the Jungle Pavilion may occasionally be closed for short periods. It is not yet known when visitors will be able to see Jambo for the first time. However, information will be provided in due course.