'Tea-party chimp' now toast of species

By JO-MARIE BROWN

One of Auckland Zoo's elderly "tea-party chimps," used in the 1950s for exploitative entertainment, will help to ensure his species' long-term survival.

Bobbie, one of four chimps imported from London's Regent Zoo in 1956, is considered genetically valuable and will father potentially hundreds of chimps worldwide after becoming a sperm donor at the ripe old age of 46.

Auckland Zoo's head primate keeper, Peter West, said genetic diversity was crucial to ensuring a healthy chimpanzee population and Bobbie was ideal because he had never fathered offspring, having been caught in the wild at age 2.

After being sedated for a routine health check last week, veterinary staff took a small amount of semen from Bobbie.

Veterinarian Richard Jakob-Hoff said Bobbie's offspring would be genetically strong because the less related animals were the less likely a species was to suffer from inbreeding problems.

"Because chimps are getting rarer and rarer in the wild, we're starting to use reproductive technology more to try and maintain a genetically healthy population in captivity," he said.

The traditional breeding programme involved matching chimps through an international stud book and then moving one to be with the other.

But Mr Jakob-Hoff said it was much easier to transport just the semen.

Zoological parks throughout the world were divided into regions to coordinate such efforts, and Bobbie's frozen semen would be held by the University of Sydney and distributed to zoos when needed.

Bobbie's impending fatherhood was also special because of his age, said Mr Jakob-Hoff.

The maximum life expectancy for chimps was between 50 and 60 years.

"But at the moment he's a pretty healthy chimp and I don't see any reason why he shouldn't last for several more years."

Mr West believed Bobbie's contribution was significant because it would in some way help to make up for all he had endured.

"This means that his shocking life, where he was stolen from his parents for humans to have a bit of fun, will be meaningful because he has been given the chance to help his species."

Herald files from 1956 show that Bobbie, Josie, Janie and Minnie arrived after the Auckland City Council decided that the zoo needed "first-class money-spinners to bolster income."

Mr West said the dressed-up chimps would have a tea party and drink from tin cups.

"Naturally, they would misbehave and people thought it was hilarious."

However, the tea parties were discontinued in the early 1960s when public attitudes towards them changed and the chimps became too strong and difficult to control.

Mr West, who has worked with the chimps for 21 years, understood that Minnie had died quite young.

Staff were deeply saddened this week when Josie died after a respiratory infection. "Bobbie and Janie are a bit puzzled. They're looking around for her," said Mr West.

"They know she went into her den but she hasn't come out. It's very, very sad."

But he said the pair were in good health and were expected to have long lives.