Help Protect Wild Chimpanzees

We'd like to announce a new addition to Gombe! Glitter gave birth to a baby on May 30, 2012.  Glitter has been quite elusive with her new baby, hiding with her newborn and avoiding encounters with other chimps, particularly her mother, Gremlin. 

It normally takes time before a female chimpanzee fully introduces her baby into community life.  Glitter, however, was nervous and unwilling to trust other chimps, seemingly an effect of having lost her first baby to her mother. Now that she is getting more comfortable with her mother and the other chimps, we have been enjoying the newest addition to the G-Family.  The baby and Glitter are doing well and we wish them the best of luck!

For the past three months, availability of food in the Kasakela community’s range has been good. This has made it possible for many mothers, including Fanni, to rejoin community groups. Fanni is one of Fifi’s daughters. Currently, Fanni has five offspring.  Her male offspring include Fudge (15), Fundi (roughly 12), and Fifti (more than 2). Fanni’s two female offspring include Familia (roughly 8) and Fadhila (4). All of Fanni’s offspring are doing well, with Fudge and Fundi beginning to gain more independence from their mother.

At 31 years of age and with five offspring, Fanni is one of the most prolific mothers of the Kasakela community. Hopefully, Fanni will bear even more offspring than her mother, Fifi, who gave birth to eight chimps during her lifetime.