A baby chimpanzee born at a German zoo had to be euthanised after being rejected by its mother.
The incident happened at Zoo am Meer in Bremerhaven, northern Germany. Where the female chimpanzee was delivered on Thursday, 4th September.
Zookeepers had been expecting the birth for weeks after noticing that mother Lizzy’s belly was becoming rounder.
Lizzy had successfully raised her daughter Donna in the past.
But this time, after the birth, it was father Dumas who first picked up the baby and carefully carried it around the enclosure.
Soon afterwards, Lizzy collapsed in the stable with circulatory problems and was saved only through emergency treatment by the zoo’s veterinarian.
Staff separated Lizzy, Dumas and the newborn from the rest of the group that evening in the hope Lizzy would bond with her infant.
By the next morning it was clear she was still rejecting the baby, repeatedly pushing it away.
Experts from the European Endangered Species Programme were consulted but were unable to find a solution.
On Saturday morning, the decision was made to end the newborn’s suffering and it was euthanised.
The zoo said hand-rearing was not an option as the animal would not have been able to live a normal life in the chimpanzee group.
The dead animal is now undergoing a pathological examination.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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