The chimpanzee Natalia decided last Saturday, after seven months of mourning, release the body of her calf who died in February which she took with her to the Valencia Bioparc.
Park officials stressed that after this duel the chimpanzee Natalia maintains a “excellent” socialization with all group memberswho supported her at all times and with the female Noelia and her little 8 month old Cala.
The mother, belonging to a group of six chimpanzeescomposed of one male, five females and two cubs, not counting the death of the cubs at the age of two weeks, it is a very cohesive unit “which has shown its adaptation to different situations”.
Mourning period
From the park, we notice that the group “excellently managed truly extraordinary moments like the integration of Djibril, an adopted chimpanzee, with the affection and treatment even of the male, even if it was not his son.
The baby chimpanzee, one of two born at the beginning of February at Bioparc Valencia, He died 14 days after birth after showing normal activity until the day before his death. The chimpanzee Natalia then begins a long and gripping period of mourning, constantly carrying the body of her baby.
High mortality
From the Bioparc, they declare that “although the data reveal high mortality in chimpanzee descendants at such a young age“This is a devastating fact.”
It is a species where social bonds and group cohesion are fundamental,” he explains. all members are affected by these sad events“.
They need a period of mourning and little by little, they accept reality and lossalthough the mother may still need time to dispose of the inert body.
Documented behavior
From the Bioparc, they state that “this behavior has been documented in groups of chimpanzees in their natural habitat” and that “it is decided not to intervene for the well-being of the mother and let him cry for as long as necessary, supporting his innate behavior and that of the entire group.
The reality is that this process is not entirely unusual and has already been documented in chimpanzees both in wild in captivitya species that demonstrates a high degree of intelligence and social behavior.
Visitor empathy
This death, the second that the chimpanzee Natalia liveswas revealed through the empathetic behavior of the rest of the members, who accompanied the mother in her first days of “mourning”.
During these seven months, “the Bioparc team of specialists was very attentive to the behavior and well-being of Natalia and the group, observing that integration and relationship remained completely normal», they say from the Valencian facilities.
Park officials report that “these events were openly communicated to those who They visited the park and the vast majority understood the situation. “and they were grateful to know the information.”
🎥 Baby chimpanzees Cala (8 months) and Djibril (5 years) play in the equatorial jungle of BIOPARC Valencia 😍 #TikTok #BIOPARCExperiences
– BIOPARC Valence (@Bioparc) September 29, 2024
Group support
Last Saturday, September 21, the chimpanzee Natalia concluded her duel and He left the body of his deceased calf in the grasswhich could be collected by the animal care team.
The Fuengirola and Valencia Biopark, with 10 animals, is home to the largest group of chimpanzees of the western subspecies (Pan troglodytes verus) and play a leading role in the European Program for their Protection (EEP).
This program is governed by the scientific criteria of the greatest specialists and coordinates breeding under human supervision with the sole aim of conservation.
Like all chimpanzees, the subspecies Pan troglodytes verus It is classified as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List (IUCN), the highest institution that assesses the state and loss of biodiversity and the degree of threat of extinction of species, which highlighted the necessary contribution of wildlife parks in the controlled breeding of these endangered species.
Conservation actions
From the park, they explain that at the same time, “it is absolutely essential to promote conservation actions in the native habitats of these species.
In this sense, the BIOPARC Foundation collaborates in preservation projects on site regarding the preservation of chimpanzees in Africa finance part of the reforestation and agroforestry sustainability program in the habitat of Pan troglodytes verus in Kédougou (Senegal) of the Jane Goodall Institute.
Maximum animal welfare
BIOPARC reports that it works comprehensively to provide the best care, promoting natural behaviors and instinctive development of the species. For that there are adequate facilities adapted to your needs which allow optimal physical and mental development.
Likewise, specific environmental enrichment and monitoring actions are carried out by specialists in primatology and animal care. The ultimate goal is guarantee the maximum well-being of each individual and the group and, at the same time, support controlled breeding projects according to scientific and expert guidelines.
Social awareness
The philosophy of the Bioparc aims to raise awareness among the population by bringing wild nature closer, by informing them about situation of biodiversity loss and make known the characteristics of these threatened specieswhich can be observed with their natural behavior in enclosures which recreate their original habitat. All this in order to motivate a change in society’s attitude towards the protection of nature.
At the same time, they develop European programs on threatened species (EEP) to manage the management of endangered speciesvulnerable animals housed in EAZA member zoos.
The ultimate goal is ensure the survival of these species by controlled breeding to have a “reserve” if necessary and avoid its definitive extinction.
Demographic and genetic analyzes
Each EEP is dedicated to a species and has a coordinating person whose tasks range from collecting information on the situation and status of all individuals of the species for which they are responsible, to prepare a register including a demographic analysisgenetics on which the development of a management plan for the species is based.
Each year, a series of recommendations are made regarding which animals to breed and transfer to other parks, all with the aim of maintain healthy, genetically viable populationswhich prevent related individuals from reproducing, which can lead to inbreeding processes.
