Animals - Aquariums - Archeology - Insects - Fossils - Zoos

Mar. 02 The rising gorilla population of Jersey. A new Jersey-Born gorilla.: The last 2 years has seen the birth of 3 Gorilla babies in Jersey Zoo. The latest addition to the family came this October - Zaire a female baby, of father Jambo from Basle Zoo, Switzerland, and mother, Nandi resident of Jersey Zoo. Father Jambo has sired all three Jersey babies - he was invited to Jersey especially for this purpose. His harem consists of N'Pongo and Handi. N'pango has produced male baby Mamfe, and Nandi gave birth to the first baby, another male, Assumbo, in July 73, so Zaire is her second baby. All the babies are having as much care and attention lavished on them as human babies - all in the interests of science as much as Gorillas. Neither mother was able to suckle their young, so the babies have had to be hand reared by foster human parents. The care of these gorilla babies has been accompanied by intensive behavioural studies, and physical growth checks, by specialists whose researched will be compared with similar studies of human babies. Clinical studies, necessitate hygienic conditions, so the babies wear nappies, are spoon fed, washed and baby oiled - then to test their interlliegence and manipulate skills they are let loose on their toys. As the babies have to be removed from their real mother to be fed and observed, and as the contact with a mother figure is so important to the well being and healthy development of the babies, each is alloted a foster mother. The human foster mother has a busy and demanding time, it's a full time occupation, Zaire's foster mother is Mrs. Gillian Pook, wife of one of the Zoo keepers. After a few months the baby will be passed over to the care of Jeremy Usher Smith who has looked after Zaire's brothers since birth. Zaire is so named as a tribute to President Mobutu, who is doing so much to protect the wildlife of Zaire, and also to commemorate the recent expedition to the source of the Zaire River. Photo shows the babies at Jesey Zoo

Restrictions Only for United Kingdom

Able Addition Alloted Assumbo Basle Behavioural Checks Clinical Commemorate Compared Consists Demanding Doing Especially Gillian Gorilla Gorillas Harem Healthy Hygienic Intensive Interests Invited Jambo Keepers Lavished Looked Loose Mamfe Manipulate Mobutu Nandi Nappies Necessitate Neither Observed Oiled Passed Pook Protect Purpose Reared Recent Removed Researched Resident Similar Sired Skills Source Specialists Spoon Studies Suckle Tribute Usher Washed Zaire Zaires

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > KEY