Baby Chimp At The Maryland Zoo Born To First-Time Mom

BALTIMORE, MD — It's a girl! The Maryland Zoo announced its latest chimpanzee is getting used to her new surroundings alongside her mom, Bunny. Having a new baby chimp is cause for celebration on many levels.

For one, the animals are classified as endangered due in large part to habitat loss, poaching and disease, zoo officials say.

The mama chimp — Bunny, 29 — is mostly deaf, and the zoo staff was concerned she may not be able to hear and properly respond to concerns from her baby. They found that she is doing just fine, as her maternal instincts are in full effect, and they believe she can hear and feel the baby when she cries loudly.

"Bunny is very attentive and protective of her baby," Erin Cantwell, mammal collection and conservation manager, said. "She likes to hold the baby up and watch her move and often nuzzles her face."

The baby was born Friday, July 5, and has been spending her first weeks bonding with her mom in a quiet, private area. Since Bunny is a first-time mom, her care team sought to simplify things by managing her in a smaller group of chimps.

"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," Cantwell said. "We want to be as hands off as possible to allow mom and baby plenty of time to develop their relationship."

The little chimp has fluffy black hair and can usually be found in Bunny's arms or on her back. Babies tend to weigh 2 to 3 pounds when they are born, and adult female chimps tend to be 80 to 100 pounds. Male chimps are 100 to 120 pounds.

"The baby is nursing regularly and getting stronger every day," Cantwell said.

"We are so excited to see Bunny flourish as a mom," said Cantwell. "It’s great to watch an animal we care so much about experience this next step in her life. And, chimp babies are really quite adorable. We can't wait to watch the baby grow up and achieve her own life milestones!"

Using her fingers and toes to hold onto things and teething are some developmental markers.

One milestone will be naming the baby chimp, and The Maryland Zoo is going to host a naming contest that will be announced.

She will also meet other chimps in the Chimpanzee Forest at the zoo.

"As Bunny becomes more confident and the baby becomes stronger, more members of the troop will be introduced to them," Cantwell said. "The introductions will also benefit the development of younger troop members by allowing them to see and learn about babies before they have their own."

The zoo is home to 13 chimpanzees, including Bunny and her baby.