A baby girl chimpanzee was born at the Detroit Zoo on World Chimpanzee Day over the weekend.
Weighing 4 pounds, she was born shortly after midnight Saturday and named Jane, in honor of Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and anthropologist.
World Chimpanzee Day recognizes the day in 1960 that Goodall first arrived in what is now Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to study chimpanzees, zoo officials said.
‘For nearly six decades, Dr. Jane Goodall has been a passionate advocate for chimpanzees, and we are honored to name this little one after her on the auspicious occasion of the first World Chimpanzee Day,’ said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer for the Detroit Zoological Society, in a statement. ‘We cannot think of a better way to recognize Dr. Goodall’s important work and bring awareness to the conservation of chimpanzees in the wild and their well-being in human care.’
Zoo officials said that baby Jane and her mother, Abby, 35, are doing well and bonding behind the scenes at the chimpanzee habitat.
Jane is Abby’s second daughter. Her sister Chiana, 24, was also born at the zoo. Jane’s father, Imara, 22, has previously sired daughters Zuhura, 4, and Akira 6. His first offspring was a son, Ajua, 9.
Even though it has been 24 years since the birth of Abby’s daughter, Chiana, mom clearly has not lost her excellent parenting skills,’ Carter said.
Staff members estimate the baby will be visible to visitors at the zoo in a couple of weeks at the Great Apes of Harambee habitat.
The habitat is a 4-acre indoor-outdoor area for 11 chimpanzees and three western lowland gorillas.
Chimpanzees are listed as an endangered species Their numbers have dwindles from illegal wildlife trafficking, habitat loss, fragmented populations and disease.
-Mike McConnell, Daily Tribune
