The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Primate The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Primate
Showing posts with label Primate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Primate. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Animals With Down Syndrome: Separating Fact from Fiction


Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by abnormal chromosomes, but can animals get down syndrome like humans? Here's the 411 on animals with down syndrome.

For anyone who remembers the animals with down syndrome "trend" on the internet a few years ago (just a quick search online will bring you many listicles and images of said animals), might remember Kenny the White Tiger or Otto the kitten, animals made internet-famous by people claiming that these mammals suffer from down syndrome.

But while we are all for inspiring and adorable animals, we want to go ahead and separate fact from fiction when it comes to animals with down syndrome. Spoiler alert: it's pretty much a myth!

To read more on this story, click here: Animals With Down Syndrome: Separating Fact from Fiction


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Saturday, March 6, 2021

Two Gorillas Test Positive For Covid At Zoo In San Diego


Two captive gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for Covid-19 after falling ill, and a third gorilla appears also to be symptomatic, California's governor said on Monday.

The cases are believed to be the first known cases among such primates in the world.

The park's executive director, Lisa Peterson, told the Associated Press on Monday that eight gorillas that live together at the park are believed to have the virus and several have been coughing.

To read more on this story, click here: Two Gorillas Test Positive For Covid At Zoo In San Diego 




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Saturday, March 24, 2018

A Germophobe Gorilla? Philadelphia Zoo Primate Walks Upright So He Won't Get His Hands Dirty


An 18-year-old gorilla named Louis hates to get his hands dirty. That’s why he sometimes walks upright like a human -- especially when food is involved.

Louis, a 500-pound, 6-foot tall gorilla that lives at the Philadelphia Zoo, walks upright when he’s carrying tomatoes and other snacks, The Associated Press reported.

He also walks upright when the ground is muddy, according to the Philadelphia Zoo, which recently posted a video of Louis walking on two legs.

To read more on this story, click here: A Germophobe Gorilla? Philadelphia Zoo Primate Walks Upright So He Won't Get His Hands Dirty




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Sunday, November 19, 2017

New Study Finds That Apes Can Also Experience a Kind of Midlife Crisis


Across many cultures, people report a dip in happiness during their late-40s, a time when they generally feel less satisfied with their lives than they do in their younger and older years.

Apes, too, experience a kind of midlife crisis, found a new study. The surprising result suggests that the middle-aged blues may be a result of biology, not culture, and its evolutionary roots run deep.

"It was an astounding thing for us to find this pattern, to be honest," said Andrew Oswald, an economist and behavioral scientist at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. "It may be that the midlife crisis is driven by primate biology in a way we don 't understand, and if that 's the case, we all have to learn how to deal with it."

"I think it 's helpful for people to understand this dip," he added. "With luck, this could people them see that this is completely normal and that could help them get through it."

Studies in more than 50 countries over the past 20 years have revealed a near-universal pattern. Over the course of life, happiness tends to follow a U-shaped curve, with people ranking their sense of well-being higher in the first and last decades of life than in the middle.

The low point generally strikes between age 45 and 50 for both men and women, and the pattern crosses economic and demographic lines.

For each animal, zookeepers, researchers or caretakers answered four questions about the well-being of their primate friends, including whether the apes seemed to be in good or bad moods. The humans also ranked how happy they thought they 'd be if they were to become the animal for a week. They had spent time with the animals for at least two years and knew them well.


Apes live to be about 50 or 55 years old and, just like in people, results showed a drop in happiness that reached its lowest point about halfway through the animals ' lives, the researchers report today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The magnitude of the dip was on par with the dips in happiness that people experience in their middle age, Oswald said. He compared the difference between the apes ' highs and lows to the loss in well-being that people report with marital separation.

The new findings help rule out some theories for midlife slumps in humans, said Arthur Stone, a psychologist in the psychiatry department at Stony Brook University in New York. For example, a whole generation of people can end up feeling less happy at a certain time in their lives simply because of some external historical situation. But that is unlikely to happen in societies of apes.

Instead, it might be chemical or physical changes in our bodies that influence how our feelings morph throughout our lifetimes.

"What this really starts to point to is that maybe there are biological things that we just don 't know about," Stone said. "Maybe there are changes in the brain, changes in how neurotransmitters work or changes in how hormones work that relate to how people view their lives and how animals feel. People will be looking at this more seriously, I think."

Apes Giggle Like Humans

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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Orangutan Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo


For the first time in 25 years, primate staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are celebrating the birth of a male Bornean orangutan. He was born at 8:52 p.m. Sept. 12. Both 19 years old, female Batang and male Kyle bred in January following a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP). Primate staff have confirmed the newborn is a male. Animal care staff have observed Batang nursing the infant who has been clinging closely to his mother, and they are cautiously optimistic that the newborn will thrive. The Great Ape House will remain closed to provide Batang a quiet space to bond with her infant.

Animal care staff believe that Batang had successfully conceived Feb. 2, based on a human pregnancy test. They confirmed pregnancy with a subsequent ultrasound. The Zoo announced Batang’s pregnancy June 14 through a Facebook Live broadcast of one of her ultrasounds. Over the past 12 weeks, the Zoo has provided weekly updates on Batang on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #OrangutanStory and will continue to share behind-the-scenes photos and videos as news breaks.

“Each and every birth of a critically endangered species is significant, but it is all the more exciting and this is a historic moment for our Smithsonian’s National Zoo,” said Meredith Bastian, curator of primates and member of the Orangutan SSP Steering Committee. “I am very proud of Batang and my team. Ever since we received the breeding recommendation, they have dedicated themselves to preparing Batang for motherhood. I look forward to watching the infant experience everything for the first time—especially meeting the other orangutans and going outside for the first time with Batang.”

For the past three years, keepers have been acclimating Batang to the experiences of motherhood and training her to care for an infant. Building upon behaviors Batang has learned through routine training sessions, keepers have trained Batang to hold a baby upright, present it to keepers for bottle feedings and place the baby in a specially designed box when asked. This training enables staff to retrieve the infant if medically necessary and evaluate its health in a way that is safe and not stressful for the animals.

To read more on this story, click here: Orangutan Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo


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Thursday, February 11, 2016

Tiny Monkeys No Bigger Than a Thumb Are Being Sold Illegally in China and Used as Accessories by the Country’s Nouveau Riche


Tiny monkeys no bigger than a thumb are being sold illegally in China and used as accessories by the country's nouveau riche.

These little primates are thought to be pygmy marmosets, the world's smallest monkey, they are being priced at up to 30,000 Yuan (£3,140), reports the People's Daily Online.

Pygmy marmosets are native to rainforests of Western Amazon Basin in South America, but they are becoming increasingly popular as exotic pets in China especially as gifts to celebrate the Year of the Monkey.

According to the report, the tiny animals have been given the nickname of 'thumb monkeys' in China and they have become the new star pet among wealthy people in the country.

One such man surnamed Chen is the owner of a jewelry business.

He showcased what he referred to as a 'New Year mascot' on China's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo.

His post said: “Snow skin leopards and red-crowned cranes have nothing on my New Year's gift. Please meet Xiao Shen.”

A wave of comments among his friends on WeChat came after the post.

The monkeys are smaller than mice and cling on to a person's thumb as if to be hugging it.

An official expert who was not named spoke to local reporters: “Buying and selling are certainly not legal. Not only one governmental bodies are supervising this.”

The official also said the monkey is not native to China, so it not only involves the protection of wildlife, but also quarantine.

They have to be able to adapt to the environment, as pygmy marmosets are native to the Amazon, survival in China could be extremely difficult.

What You Need to Know About Pygmy Marmosets:

  • Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkey's in the world.

  • They average about five inches, with a tail that grows to about eight inches.

  • Native exclusively to rainforests of Western Amazon Basin in South America.

  • They like to eat grasshoppers and make high pitched clicks, squeaks and whistles.

The pygmy marmoset is becoming increasingly popular as an exotic pet, but they are very hard to keep.

International Union for Conservation of Nature's have listed them on their red list of endangered species.

They are undergoing some localized declines, due mainly to habitat loss in the rainforests and international trade.

Source: International Union for Conservation

The tiny monkeys are becoming increasingly popular as exotic pets for their cuteness and size but they are very hard to keep.

According to a-zanimals.com, when a baby pygmy marmoset is taken away from the family it can often die quickly due to depression.

What a spokesman from the World Animal Protection said about keeping these animals as pets:

“It is obvious to see why these incredibly endearing animals have appeal but people must remember they are wild animals and they must live out their lives in their natural environment – not as a curio for someone as a pet.

They have specific needs that cannot be met in a domestic environment and keeping them as pets is not only cruel but highly irresponsible.”

Pigmy marmosets are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of endangered species.

They are listed as 'Least Concern' as the species has a relatively wide distribution range, and there are no major threats resulting in a significant population decline.

However, the report said they may be undergoing some localiSed declines, due mainly to habitat loss in the rainforests and international trade.








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Saturday, February 28, 2015

A Western Lowland Baby Gorilla Was Born At The Lincoln Park Zoo, in Chicago, Illinois


Baby Gorilla
There's a new reason for families to swing over to Lincoln Park Zoo. A western lowland gorilla was born there in this week. Visitors can get their first glimpse starting Saturday.

The zoo is cautiously optimistic about the baby's health.

"The infant is looking very strong; it's clinging tightly to mom, and we're seeing a really good pattern of nursing for several minutes from both breasts then taking a nap afterward," said Maureen Leahy, curator of primates.

Mom Bahati, age 27, shows solid maternal instincts, Leahy said.

"At this stage, although the infant can cling on and sort of support herself, she can't do it for very long," Leahy said. "Mom will hold her close and tight to her chest even when she's out and about or climbing. We look for her to support the baby's head, very much like humans."

The newborn joins a troop of six individuals, including 2-year-old half-sisters Nayembi and Patty, born at the zoo in fall 2012. At one point, Patty approaches the newborn slowly, then reaches to brush her fingers over her nose as mom munches hay.

That's where silverback dad Kwan, 25, comes in.

"He is doing a really good job keeping a watchful eye over the new mom and infant," Leahy said. "The two toddlers are very curious; they've been approaching a lot and touching the infant, but when they start getting too bold, Kwan will come over and sit down next to Bahati and kind of cue the toddlers to take a step back and give the new mom a break."

Bahati had not given birth since 2004. Her two adult offspring now reside in other Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoos.

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Two Critically Endangered Monkeys Freeze to Death After a Louisiana Zoo Keeper Left Them Outside


Two critically endangered monkeys died at a Louisiana zoo last week after a caretaker forgot them outside in the cold. A third monkey survived the frigid experience.

Cotton-top tamarin monkeys weighing less than one pound each were left outside at the Alexandria Zoological Park on Jan. 7 when temperatures were as low as 30 degrees in Alexandria, La. that night. The monkeys’ native habitat is northern Colombia’s tropical forests and they require temperatures between 76 to 85 degrees, according to the Associated Press.

To read more on this story, click here: Two Critically Endangered Monkeys Freeze to Death After a Louisiana Zoo Keeper Left Them Outside FOLLOW US!
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