It has been a year since Peach, Chimpanzee at Tama Zoo gave birth to a female named Plum. Because Peach had a history of abandoning her offspring, there were concerns at the time about whether she would be able to raise her child successfully, but now she is doing a wonderful job raising her offspring. For more details, please see this article (" The Growth of Chimpanzee 'Peach' - Birth and Child Rearing," October 25, 2019).
Perhaps because this is Peach's first experience with motherhood, she seems to have become more cautious in her actions compared to before the birth. For a while after Plum was born, she was often seen repeatedly checking to make sure the baby wouldn't fall, especially when climbing to high places with Plum in her arms. Also, Peach doesn't seem to like other individuals touching Plum, and in those cases, she would pick up Plum and hide her. Even after Plum started acting on her own, Peach always kept a watchful eye on her and would rush to her aid immediately if anything happened.
[Video] The individual that is constantly clinging to its mother, Peach, is her offspring, Plum (female). The individual playing with Peach is Ibuki (male).
Furthermore, we've noticed a change in her attitude towards those around her. Peach was originally a dominant individual within the group, so she often attacked weaker individuals or stole their food. However, after giving birth, her personality seems to have softened a bit, and she appears to be more gentle with those around her. She is also very kind to Ibuki, a male the same age as Plum. It seems that Peach spends more time with Ibuki than her actual mother, Momoko, as they are often seen playing together.
Plum, raised by such a mother, has also started to show her own personality now that she's one year old. Compared to Ibuki, who is the same age, she is more wary, and often hides behind her mother when not only the caretakers but also other individuals approach. On the other hand, she also seems to be very curious, and will touch and play with other individuals while hiding behind Peach, so it seems that Plum is experiencing a conflict between curiosity and wariness.
As Plum grows, I think her personality will change along with her mother Peach's. We will continue to regularly share updates on Peach and Plum, so please look forward to it.
[Sumire Sato, Animal Care and Exhibition Staff, North Tama Zoo]
