Shamba, a female western lowland gorilla at Zoo Atlanta, turned 50 on Sunday, May 24. The Zoo’s eldest primate is the sixth oldest member of her species living in North America and one of the 10 oldest gorillas in the world.
Born in Africa in 1959, Shamba is one of only three surviving members of the original group of western lowland gorillas that moved to Zoo Atlanta in the 1980s (The others are female Choomba and male Ozzie, both 48.) The first residents of the Zoo’s Ford African Rain Forest, Shamba and her contemporaries, including the legendary late Willie B., were the founders of what is today the nation’s second-largest collection of western lowland gorillas.
Since 1989, 17 gorillas have been born at Zoo Atlanta. Among these are Shamba’s son Taz, 19, and his offspring Kali, Kazi and Macy Baby, all 3, and Gunther, 2. Shamba’s contributions to the zoological community far exceed her Zoo Atlanta progeny: she has four children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren living at other accredited institutions in North America.
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Showing posts with label western lowland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label western lowland. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
National Zoo Has a New Baby Gorilla
A baby western lowland gorilla was born January 11 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Staff estimate the baby was born at approximately 1:45 p.m. to 26-year-old female Mandara and 16-year-old Baraka. The newborn represents the seventh successful gorilla birth for the Zoo since 1991. This is the sixth offspring for Mandara. The newborn joins siblings Kigali, Kwame and Kojo, as well as group member Haloko at the Great Ape House. All of the Zoo’s gorillas will remain on exhibit.
Both mother and baby appear to be doing well. The baby’s sex has not yet been determined.
“We began monitoring the baby as soon as it was discovered and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks,” said Don Moore, associate director for animal care. “This is a very critical time for the survival of the infant, and all precautions must be taken to ensure that Mandara and her baby are in an environment that is comfortable, safe and controlled. Mandara is a very experienced and competent mother, and we’re confident that she will properly care for and bond with her baby.”
The gorilla birth is significant for the National Zoo. Western lowland gorillas, which are native to tropical forests of West and Central Africa, are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching. They are also a focus of the Zoo’s participation in Species Survival Plan, in which North American zoos collaborate to encourage the development of a self-sustaining zoo gorilla population, helping to ensure the survival of this endangered species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.
Mandara, born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in April 1982, is owned by the Milwaukee Zoo. She came to the National Zoo in October 1985. Baraka was born at the Zoo in 1992 to Haloko and Gus. He went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in March 2004 and returned to the Zoo in late 2006.
For more information about the Zoo’s gorillas and its conservation efforts, visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu.
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Both mother and baby appear to be doing well. The baby’s sex has not yet been determined.
“We began monitoring the baby as soon as it was discovered and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks,” said Don Moore, associate director for animal care. “This is a very critical time for the survival of the infant, and all precautions must be taken to ensure that Mandara and her baby are in an environment that is comfortable, safe and controlled. Mandara is a very experienced and competent mother, and we’re confident that she will properly care for and bond with her baby.”
The gorilla birth is significant for the National Zoo. Western lowland gorillas, which are native to tropical forests of West and Central Africa, are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching. They are also a focus of the Zoo’s participation in Species Survival Plan, in which North American zoos collaborate to encourage the development of a self-sustaining zoo gorilla population, helping to ensure the survival of this endangered species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.
Mandara, born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in April 1982, is owned by the Milwaukee Zoo. She came to the National Zoo in October 1985. Baraka was born at the Zoo in 1992 to Haloko and Gus. He went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in March 2004 and returned to the Zoo in late 2006.
For more information about the Zoo’s gorillas and its conservation efforts, visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu.
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