Nim died of a heart attack at age 26, far removed from the family that first cared for him. At the same time, he was very attached to two story books that he constantly "read": one was a children's book with a section on learning ASL and the other was a book about himself. Nim eventually wound up at a home for abused animals, where he befriended another chimp and was heartbroken when she died. He was cycled through a series of caregivers and ended up at a primate facility, where he was terrified of the other chimps due to his human upbringing. Īs Nim aged, he became aggressive, hitting and biting family members and researchers, but unlike a human child, he couldn't be taught to set aside those behaviors. He even smoked marijuana with the family and learned to use sign language to request the drug. He learned some aspects of American Sign Language (ASL), working up to 125 signs, and could request drinks, food, hugs and playtime. While most of the troop can be seen daily in the Chimpanzee Forest, Raven and her baby will remain behind the scenes for a short period of time to allow them to continue to strengthen their bond.In just 60 days, the tiny chimp was climbing all over the house, often out of reach of his human caregivers. There are currently 14 chimpanzees in The Maryland Zoo’s troop including the newborn. SSPs provide breeding recommendations to maximize genetic diversity, with the goal of ensuring the long-term survival of the population and the health of individual animals. The birth is the result of a recommendation from the Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Poaching and disease also put the wild population at risk. One of the greatest threats to the wild chimpanzees is loss of habitat, the African forest, from commercial logging, agriculture and fires. This arrangement allows Raven to focus on caring for her baby, and not have to worry about the complex social dynamics of chimp society.Ĭhimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes) are classified as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. Since Raven is a first-time mother, the Animal Care team has placed her with a smaller group of chimps, including Bunny and her baby, Lola. The care team will monitor the baby for important successes, such as the ability to hold her head up on her own, for her to use her fingers and toes to grasp things, learning vocalizations and facial expressions, and teething. Our guests will get the joy of watching two young chimps grow up and explore their new world together.”ĭevelopmental milestones are similar to those for human babies. It is very important for all the troop members to be around young babies so that they learn how to properly interact with them. “They will also provide excellent baby rearing experience for not only Bunny and Raven, but for all of the chimps in our troop. “ These two babies are essential for the long term genetic health of the chimpanzee population in human care, as reproduction in AZA-accredited zoos has been slow the last several years,” said Cantwell. The care team hopes that Raven will gain comfort and confidence in her mothering skills by spending time with Bunny and Lola. At 6-months-old, she still spends the majority of her time close to her mom, Bunny. In July 2019, the Zoo welcomed baby Lola. Raven is the second chimpanzee to give birth at the Zoo recently. Chimp babies usually weigh 2-3 pounds at birth. She spends nearly all of her time cradled in Raven’s arms. The tiny new addition looks like a miniature version of her mom, with fluffy black hair covering most of her body. The veterinary and animal care teams also performed routine ultrasounds on Raven to make sure the baby was growing appropriately. Prenatal care begins once staff get a positive pregnancy test. She’s a first-time mom, and we are using behavior training to guide her on how to carry and nurse the baby properly.”Ĭhimpanzee gestation is approximately 8 months long. “Similar to many new moms, Raven needs a lot of support and encouragement. “The baby is gripping well and is very vocal,” said Erin Cantwell, mammal collection and conservation manager. Raven and the baby have spent their first week together bonding in a quiet off-exhibit area. The Zoo’s animal care staff had been providing routine prenatal care, keeping a close eye on the pregnant female, and the birth appeared to go smoothly.
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