BALTIMORE — A new Chimpanzee has made her debut at the Maryland Zoo!
With all the excitement up in the air, the zoo's animal care staff has been keeping a watchful eye on the new baby as she bonds with her mother in a quiet, off-exhibit area. The staff has also been working to make sure there are appropriate behaviors from both the mother and the infant, especially because the mother is mostly deaf with slight hearing in one ear.
They say the duo are doing well, and the baby is nursing regularly and getting stronger day by day.
“We want to be as hands off as possible to allow mom and baby plenty of time to develop their relationship. Just like with human moms, there is a steep learning curve for both the baby and the mother in the first few days as they both adjust to this new way of life,” said Erin Cantwell, mammal collection and conservation manager
The tiny new baby looks just like her mom, with fluffy black hair covering most of her body. She spends nearly all of her time cradled in her mother's arms or clinging closely to her back.
Chimp babies usually weigh 2 to 3 pounds at birth. Adult chimp females weigh approximately 80-100 pounds, and males weigh 100-120 pounds.
With the new addition, there are currently 13 chimpanzees in The Maryland Zoo’s Chimpanzee troop.
