KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A 5-month-old chimp is taking some big steps at Zoo Knoxville — learning how to climb, walk and socialize after being hand-raised at Zoo Knoxville.
They posted a video on social media showing Stevie playing with zookeepers and climbing around her enclosure. They said these were all excellent signs since she did not have a chance to be raised by other chimps due to complications at birth.
The zoo previously said that Binti, her mother, has recovered from those complications. However, they also said she did not show maternal instincts.
"When Binti was hand-raised 37 years ago, the protocol was to treat them like human babies," said Tina Rolen in June, the zoo's spokesperson. "We now know that baby chimps need to be carried continually by staff wearing a fur vest that she can grip, just like she would with her mother, fed when she is hungry and not on a schedule, and no baby talk — they try to limit what she hears to the sounds of the other chimps."
Stevie is currently fed at midnight, something she will need to stop so it doesn't interfere with the other chimps' routines.
"In order to more easily integrate back into the troop, it is crucial for a hand-reared infant chimp to develop normal social behaviors early on," they said on social media.
Stevie was the first chimp born at the zoo since George in July 2008. He now lives at the Dallas Zoo.
Chimpanzees now face extinction due to habitat loss, disease and illegal poaching, according to Zoo Knoville. They said they are working with 32 other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to make sure the population stays healthy.