Sakura, a 13-year-old female Chimpanzee, arrived at our zoo in 2017 from Kochi Prefectural Noichi Zoological Park with the aim of breeding with a male chimpanzee at our facility. Five years have passed, and we will now introduce how Sakura is doing.


Sakura Chimpanzee 's current situation
Chimpanzee place great importance on communication, such as greetings and grooming, in order to get along well within their group. In greetings, they build friendly relationships with individuals who are stronger than them by making sounds like "Ooh-ooh-ooh" or by turning their rear end to show that they are not hostile.

Since Sakura arrived at the zoo, she has been proactive in greeting other individuals, and as a result, she was able to integrate into the group in a relatively short period of time. She has also built a friendly relationship with the alpha male, who plays a leading role in the group, and he often sides with her when she gets into fights with other individuals. Perhaps because of this, she interacts with higher-ranking females without hesitation.

Furthermore, grooming has the effect of deepening the friendships that have been established, and in Sakura's case, she not only grooms herself, but she can also be seen extending her feet to other individuals to request grooming, and actually being groomed, which suggests that she has become well-integrated into the group.


A scene of another individual being groomed.
Life in the group is going well, but she is currently gaining experience in raising her own offspring. Experiencing how other Chimpanzee raise their young is extremely important for them to learn. By observing how other individuals raise their young, and by actually holding and playing with them, she can learn the basics of childcare and use that knowledge when she gives birth.

Currently, the group consists of two 3-year-old individuals and one born this year. Sakura shows a strong interest in the children, and is often seen cuddling and playing with the 3-year-olds. We have also observed the baby latching onto her breast when she holds it. Based on these observations, we believe that she will lovingly raise her offspring when she gives birth in the future.


The baby is sucking on Sakura's breast.
Sakura is expected to breed within the flock in the near future. We hope that she will continue to strengthen her relationships with the other members of the flock and apply her past parenting experience to her own parenting. As her caretaker, I will also be taking care of her health and creating a safe environment so that she can give birth and raise her young safely.

◎Related News
・ Sakura, Chimpanzee bride, is good at greeting people! (October 6, 2017)
・ Welcome to Tama! Introducing Sakura Chimpanzee! (March 10, 2017)

[Sato, Animal Care and Exhibition Staff, North Tama Zoo]

(December 23, 2022)