Farewell to Gorilla Chief Jambo: "Females will not cry him"

"I have mixed feelings," says Arun Idoe, Jambo's caregiver, at RTL Nieuws. "On one side, it's a pity, but on the other side, it's also exciting." How is the departure going and how is the introduction of the new silver back, Bao Bao? "Really, Arun does not do that." Animals do not like that either, that's part of the job. "

No mourning procedure

Jambo arrived in Apenheul at the end of 2006 He succeeded Bongo, the leader of the gorillas, after his death, and now Jambo and three sons go to the zoo Al Ain, a zoo in the United Arab Emirates.

The current group of Jambo is close to each other , said Arun, but they will probably have no mourning process. "Animals tend to look forward and not backward, which is a big difference from humans."

Bao Bao Must Deserve leadership

"When a new man comes on the scene, it makes no sense for the ladies in the group to think about Jambo," says Arun.The new silverback, Bao Bao, is already in Apeldoorn. stay protected from Jambo as long as it is there.Because two money back together, it does not work.

But Bao Bao does not do not just take over the zoo gorilla group. "He really needs to earn leadership," says Arun. "You are the leader of the ladies' favor, he has to prove himself, we give him the time, Jambo did not do it well in a day either." Al Ain-Zoo, because they can form a "group of men". Jambo has eight children, and therefore "contributed to the population".

This population is exactly the reason why Jambo left. "The gorilla breeding program is primarily intended to maintain a kind of" reserve population "that should be as healthy and diverse as possible," writes Apenheul. It was more likely that consanguinity would occur and so women took the pill for a few years. With the arrival of Bao Bao, they are allowed to reproduce again.

Voortplanten

According to Apenheul, Bao Bao is a perfect choice to succeed Jambo. He is 33 years old, has always lived alone in Taiwan and is still a virgin. His genes are not yet in circulation and that makes him fit. Arun: "One can always wonder if he is going to look after his offspring because he lives alone for so long, but we are confident." The first signs are good. "Take care of my boy? Arun:" No, not for us, so we tried it, and it's worth it. "