Zoo Knoxville workers are 'mothering' new baby chimp — here's why
All newborns need constant care. New parents are typically exhausted, doing everything they can to assure that their infant gets the best possible start in life.
The same is true of Stevie, the chimpanzee born at Zoo Knoxville on April 22, and her human caregivers.
The science of caring for great apes in captivity has come a long way since Stevie’s mother, Binti, was born.
“Binti was hand-raised 37 years ago when they were treated like human babies,” says Lisa New, Zoo Knoxville’s CEO. “She wasn’t carried continually, she was left laying on her back in a cradle to sleep. She did not have any social companionship with her species until much later in life. She hadn’t even seen another baby until she was in her 20s.”
Consequently, Binti — who gave birth normally but had to be sedated in order for a life-threatening retained placenta to be removed — is exhibiting no maternal instincts. When shown the baby several times, she’s been downright rattled — even aggressive.
Along with the rest of the troop, she’s also adjusting to the recent death of female chimp Bo, who was Binti’s best friend. Zoo Knoxville experts trained in great ape behavior know a volatile situation when they see one, and counsel keeping the baby in the nursery, attended by trained staff, for her own safety.
After all, her species is on the endangered list.
The regular appearance of cute chimps in costume on everything from greeting cards to advertisements and the fact that there’s an active trade in buying and selling chimps as pets lead people to believe that their existence is not threatened, says New. “That’s not the case.”
So Stevie’s guardians are making sure that, in New’s words, “she gets the right rearing to make sure she can go and be a chimp. We’re doing everything we can so that someday she can integrate back into the troop.”
The good news is that Stevie is thriving because all 10 of her caregivers, including some former great ape keepers who are volunteering to help, are making sure she is held vertical, in a posture that encourages her to grip.
They wear stoles that resemble ape fur, and just like a chimpanzee mother, they don’t set her down, not for one second, ever. She is fed whenever she’s hungry — not according to a schedule. And, with her eyes and ears still developing, the only sounds she hears are those of her own species, to whom she’s regularly, safely exposed.
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The bad news is that we’ll have to wait a while to see her. Zoo Knoxville is accredited by the global Association of Zoos and Aquariums — a point of pride for Knoxvillians — and Stevie’s care is guided by Species Survival Plan experts. Her welfare always comes first.
“The staff are exhausted and the baby’s still so little,” says New. “Right now we’re just trying to be as safe as we can.”
While it’s unlikely that Stevie and Binti will bond, other females in the troop cared for her immediately after her birth, and once she’s ready they’ll step in.
“We know everyone’s dying to see her. But you really need that baby to be able to toddle, sit up by itself, at four to six months. We’re just waiting until she’s a bit more mobile.”
You can follow her progress on social media channels @zooknoxville.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Zoo Knoxville workers are 'mothering' new baby chimp
