Two baby chimpanzees have been born at the Los Angeles Zoo, the first in 11 years.
The first was born Aug. 20 to chimpanzees Yoshi, 35, and Pu’iwa, 26, zoo officials said in a press release. The second was born Sept. 9 to a chimpanzee named Vindi, 18, the officials said. The infants, both unnamed females, are bonding with their mothers, they said.
Officials noted that viewing availability of the new infants may vary in the first couple weeks. In the meantime, the zoo shared photos of the new cute fuzzy primates.
“Having known Yoshi and her family for nearly 30 years, and watching her grow up, it is so lovely to see her as a new mother again,” said Megan Fox, senior animal keeper at the L.A. Zoo, in a statement. The baby is the first for Vindi, she said.
The zoo has a breeding program administered by the nonprofit Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums that is designed to increase the genetic diversity of the chimpanzee population in North America, the release states. Chimpanzees are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
“These are significant births for the Zoo and both are welcome additions to the dynamic, multi-male, mixed-age troop which closely mirrors the species’ natural social structure in the wild,” Candace Sclimenti, curator of mammals at the L.A. Zoo, said in a statement.
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