![]() ![]() We concluded that, in both cases, cannibalizing the infant was unlikely due to health-related issues by the mothers. Neither female presented any apparent signs of ill health before or after the events. In both cases, the mothers consumed parts of the corpse and participated in meat sharing with other group members. Both infants likely died under different circumstances one apparently as a result of premature birth, the other possibly as a result of infanticide. Here, we report two anomalous observations of maternal cannibalism in communities of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and Ivory Coast and discuss the evolutionary implications. The typical response of chimpanzee mothers is to abandon their deceased infant, sometimes after prolonged periods of carrying and grooming the corpse. In chimpanzees, however, maternal cannibalism has been conspicuously absent, despite high levels of infant mortality and reports of non-maternal cannibalism. Stay up to date with Mahale and Kucheza by liking the Sedgwick County Zoo on Facebook.Maternal cannibalism has been reported in several animal taxa, prompting speculations that the behavior may be part of an evolved strategy. Q: “Why did an OBGYN deliver instead of a veterinarian?”Ī: “With the experts performing the C-section, it allowed our vet team to focus on the health and recovery of mom and baby.” Q: “Did a human ob-gyn deliver the baby?” Q: “What can visitors donate to the zoo to help animals like medicine and hygiene”Ī: “Check out the zookeepers’ wish list! scz.org/wishlist“ Q: “Do they have a favorite thing to do together?” Q: “Does mama let staff handle the baby?”Ī: “Nope, and we don’t need to! She does a perfect job on her own and doesn’t need us to intervene! It should be about 5 years until his next physical exam.” Q: “Do baby chimps have teeth at birth or later on like us?”Ī: “They start to come in around 4-6 months, just like us!” Our chimps are very personable but even so, we always maintain a barrier between keeper and animal because they could potentially be dangerous.” ![]() Our caretakers are respectful of all of that and work on building positive relationships. They’re very strong and don’t speak our language. Q: “How friendly are the chimps here? I’ve heard that chimpanzees can be dangerous”Ī: “Chimps are wild animals, not meant to be “tamed” or kept as pets. Q: “Is it possible for Kucheza to be any cuter?” Q: “How do the keepers clean up the immediate area without disturbing mom n baby.”Ī: “They shift everyone around into different rooms in order to clean and put out food/enrichment.” Q: “When do the little ones start being interested in solid food?”Ī: “It varies, but he’ll probably begin experimenting with food that mom drops around 7-9 months.” Mahale is a low-ranking female because she’s new to the troop but Kucheza could help her climb up in the ranks!” All of the males rank higher than the females. Q: “Are Moshi and Mahale considered the dominant couple in the troop?”Ī: “Moshi is the dominant male. Q: “Will Mom let you handle her baby for routine check-ups?”Ī: “Chimps do such a perfect job caring for their babies that we generally don’t plan to handle baby for the first few years!” A: “Nope! This is normal for all chimps – natural survival behavior!” ![]()
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