Mama is dead – Arnhem Direct

Tuesday, April 5th, 2016 at 14:48 pm

Patrick Arink (Arnhem Direct)

Mama, the famous chimpanzee from Burgers’ Zoo is deceased. The elderly chimpanzee was 59 years old. “She was the oldest chimpanzee in the Netherlands. Across Europe, only two chimpanzees even older, “says Burgers’ Zoo.

In particular, thanks to the pioneering behavioral Frans de Waal Mama was because of her dominant and influential role in the chimpanzee group famous.

Mommy is estimated to born in the wild in 1957 but lived for years in the German rail Leipzig zoo. In 1971, Mama came to Arnhem, where they formed the start along with other chimpanzees of a new chimpanzee colony that would become world famous.

For the first time in history the zoo several adult chimpanzees were kept together in a single vessel. Experts and zoo directors predicted a major disaster, but the skepticism hit quickly in admiration.

Very influential
In its heyday Mama was at the absolute top of the chimpanzee women within the Arnhem chimpanzee group. Frans de Waal calls her in his acclaimed book Chimpanzee Politics even “the oldest and arguably most dangerous woman in the group.” In a chimpanzee group, the men are indeed the boss, but keep an alpha male not last long without the support of women.

Mama ruled her women with a firm hand. Despite its name, she was a bad mother. In some cases, her boy even had to be raised with additional help from caregivers.

Later in her life she developed great conciliatory skills and they usually played a mediating role in conflicts. Many take significant among adult men ended up in Mama’s arms. In this respect it has even become legendary.

She has her whole life maintaining a high position in the group, has already granddaughter Morami a number of years acquired its central role.

According to primatologist Frans de Waal was a special Mama monkey: “Mommy was the” grande dame “of the chimpanzee colony. That was the case when working iker, in the seventies, but when she got older and worse walking remained that way. She had an exceptionally strong and dominant personality, so that no man who wanted to could come to power around her. They also brought consolation if there were tensions and mediated in conflicts. She will be sorely missed, even by me, because I have rarely seen such admirable character in both humans and apes “

Update:.
Heart Netherlands got Burgers’ a movie that shows how the chimpanzee group says goodbye to Mama.