Antwerp Zoo expects first chimpanzee baby in over 30 years

For the first time in 32 years, a female chimpanzee is pregnant at the zoo in Antwerp. After years of using contraception for its chimpanzee population, the zoo recently received permission to breed the animals again.

Two years ago, the species' European studbook keeper gave the zoo permission to breed its two female chimpanzees. Marit, an 18-year-old chimpanzee, is now pregnant.

Which of the zoo's two male chimpanzees is the father is not yet known and will be determined later by DNA testing. The two males, Tambuzi and Tuma, were the last chimpanzees to be born at the zoo.

"Ideally, a group should consist of several generations"

A chimpanzee pregnancy lasts about 8.5 months and the baby chimp is expected in December or January. "Marit will give birth in the group, just like in the wild," said mammal curator Sarah Lafaut.

The pregnancy is "incredibly good news for the whole group", she said. "The young animal will bring added dynamism and a lot of playful and nurturing behaviour to the group, which will benefit both males and females. Ideally, a group should consist of several generations."

^{A chimpanzee in the indoor enclosure at Antwerp Zoo © PHOTO ARTERRA}