Images: Monarto Safari Park
Three-month-old chimpanzee Cassie is heading to South Australia, where she’ll begin the next chapter of her life alongside an established troop at Monarto Safari Park.
After spending her first months receiving around-the-clock care at Rockhampton Zoo, the young chimpanzee will move south of Adelaide in early October, giving her the chance to gradually form relationships with other chimpanzees and learn the social behaviours that are an important part of chimpanzee life.
Cassie was placed in the dedicated care of Rockhampton Zoo staff in June after suffering injuries shortly after birth and unsuccessful attempts to reintroduce her to her mother and troop.
After weeks of planning between the Rockhampton Zoo and Monarto Safari Park teams, she is set to join a multi-generational troop of 12 chimpanzees at her new home.
The troop includes males and females ranging in age from three to 47 years old, with Cassie expected to gradually meet and interact with the animals as she settles into her new surroundings.
The primate team at Monarto will first give Cassie time to settle in, explore her new environment and get to know her new keepers before closely monitoring how the existing troop responds to her. Those behaviours will then help guide when and how her introductions progress.
Acting Director of Monarto Safari Park Beth Pohl said, “We’re pleased Monarto Safari Park can play this important role in Cassie’s future. The Rockhampton Zoo team has done a remarkable job providing her with around-the-clock care, and we’re proud to be able to continue that here at Monarto Safari Park,” Ms Pohl said.
“Human care has been incredibly important for Cassie, but ultimately it’s essential that she has the chance to learn from other chimpanzees. We want her to experience the social behaviours, relationships, and interactions that are such an important part of chimpanzee life.”
Rockhampton Zoo Curator and primate specialist Blair Chapman added, “From the very beginning, our goal has been to ensure Cassie could become part of a Chimpanzee family group, because that’s where she’ll develop the social bonds, confidence and behaviours that are so important for young chimpanzees.
“Being surrounded by Chimpanzees of different ages and personalities will give Cassie the opportunity to build relationships, learn from her own species and continue to grow into a healthy and well-adjusted Chimpanzee.”
Monarto Safari Park has extensive experience in caring for chimpanzees, including hand-rearing, surrogacy, reintroductions and introductions, with keepers from both zoos set to travel with Cassie and help oversee her transition.
But for the Rockhampton Zoo team, saying goodbye will be bittersweet after caring for Cassie around the clock since her birth.
Councillor for Parks, Sport and Public Spaces Cherie Rutherford said, “Cassie has become a much-loved member of the Rockhampton Zoo family, so naturally it is bittersweet to announce that she will leave us in early October.
“It will be sad to say goodbye, but this is exactly the result we’ve been hoping for. Seeing Cassie move on to have the opportunity to join a troop of her own is an important milestone and a wonderful opportunity for her.”
Cassie’s arrival will add another young chimpanzee to Monarto’s established troop, with the hope that she can learn from animals of different ages and personalities while developing the social bonds and behaviours she needs as she grows.
Before the big move, visitors to Rockhampton Zoo still have the chance to see Cassie, with her spending time each day in the enclosure beside the main chimpanzee habitat. Rockhampton Zoo is open daily from 9am to 4:15pm, with free entry.
For Cassie, the next few months will be a major new chapter, from being cared for by humans around the clock to slowly discovering what life is like as part of a chimpanzee troop.
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