Monarto Safari Park is pant-hooting with excitement with the arrival of a baby Chimpanzee just in time for Christmas.

28-year-old Chimpanzee, Hannah, gave birth to a healthy boy overnight on 20 December into early 21 December.

The announcement was made in an extremely special video message from world-renowned ethologist Dr Jane Goodall DBE.

This is particularly poignant as Dr Goodall, Founder the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, named Hannah’s first daughter, Hope, in 2019.

Dr Goodall said she was honoured to name the new arrival.

“Happy and Hope are two feelings that are important in our lives today and I think that they are the perfect names for these two young chimpanzees,” Dr Goodall said.

“We certainly want young chimpanzees to be happy… and we certainly hope that our efforts to protect them in the wild and improve conditions in captivity will be successful.

“So these two names link these two little chimps to the wellbeing of Chimpanzees everywhere.”

Over the past few weeks, keepers have been maintaining close watch over Hannah as her pregnancy continued into her third trimester.

Keepers and veterinarians have been keeping careful watch over both mum and bub. Hannah and Happy are both doing really well and the troop are very intrigued with the new addition.

Keeper Laura Hanley said the team were thrilled to welcome Happy to the troop.

“We are so incredibly excited to welcome another little chimp to the troop,” Laura said.

“Hannah is doing such great job and she has been bonding with Happy as both us and the troop watch on. Big sister Hope has been amazing, gently trying to touch her new brother.

“It is amazing for us to have Dr Goodall name Happy as she did with Hope when she was born in 2019.

“The names perfectly encapsulate what we feel for the species as we work to protect them and ensure they are here well into the future.”

While Hannah adjusts to being a mum of two, she will have access to all areas of the chimp exhibit including her night quarters. This may mean she is off exhibit at some times.

Chimpanzees are highly endangered with as little as 350,000 remaining in the wild. Sadly, their habitat is being destroyed to mine coltan, the mineral used in many electronic devices.

Zoos SA is helping divert mobile phones from landfill through They’re Calling You – a campaign dedicated to supporting primate conservation simply by recycling old mobile phones.

The funds generated through recycling your phones and electronic devices will directly support on-ground work with Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and the Jane Goodall Institute Australia.

To celebrate Happy’s safe arrival, we’d love for visitors, staff and volunteers to drop in their phones and electronic devices to Monarto Safari Park and Adelaide Zoo in the lead up to Christmas

Just bring it along next time you visit and drop your donations at the collection points including in the Safari Shop and at the Adelaide Zoo entry.

If you have more than 10 devices along with their accessories, you can arrange for a free courier pickup – why not see if your friends or colleagues have some phones too!

For more information on how to donate your phone to help Chimpanzee conservation, please visit zoossa.com.au/conservation/theyre-calling-on-you.

Chimpanzee Facts: 

• Chimpanzees are our closest living relative sharing approximately 98.7% of our DNA.
• Chimpanzees can show a wide range of emotions including fear, screaming when scared, hugging for comfort, smiling or laughing when happy.
• Chimpanzees are highly intelligent and in some studies have even been taught to use sign language as a form of communication.
• Chimpanzees can make and use a wide range of tools, including rocks as hammers, sticks or grass stems as fishing devices for termites and ants and leaves as sponges or to build nests.
• Chimpanzees are classified as an endangered species as they face many threats in the wild. The major threat is habitat loss due to logging, mining, palm oil plantations and population growth. Chimpanzees are also hunted for the bushmeat trade, where Chimpanzee meat and body parts can be sold on the black market for high profits.
• Zoos SA is helping divert mobile phones from landfill through They’re Calling You – a campaign dedicated to supporting primate conservation simply by recycling old mobile phones. Funds raised support the Jane Goodall Institute Australia and Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
• Monarto Safari Park keeper Hayley Lewis is working at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary as Care Staff Coordinator. She recently touched base and said the organisation continues to receive baby chimps rescued from the illegal pet trade and whose mothers have been poached for bushmeat. Tacugama is working to educate local communities in Sierra Leone about Chimpanzees and their conservation to ensure the future for this amazing species.