We have to keep our animals safe...even a cold could kill chimps
Of the 16 chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo, sixyear-old Velu is especially missing the attention of his daily visitors.
But he has been keeping his fans entertained at home by showing off on social media.
He features in a video his keepers have shared
on Tik Tok, which sees them dancing in front of the enclosure.
“Velu is one of our youngsters and loves being the centre of attention,” said senior keeper Amanda Addison.
“He especially loves interacting with children when they come up to the windows, so he does seem to be noticing that people aren’t there and is missing that attention.
“We’re trying to keep him and the other chimps as busy as possible. He seems to be happy that he’s getting more time with us.” But Velu also has a new baby sister, adorable three-month-old Masindi, to keep him company.
“Masindi is tiny but she is doing fantastic and is really healthy and strong,” said Amanda.
“We actually heard her laugh today for the first time. That has really lifted our spirits.”
Masindi and Velu are Western chimpanzees, a critically endangered subspecies. The younger shares her name with the nearest town to the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda, where RZSS funds vital conservation efforts for the species. Amanda’s team already had protective measures in place before the coronavirus outbreak but are now taking extra precautions. “Chimps can actually catch the common cold and could die from it. They could be severely affected by this virus so we’re taking every precaution to ensure their safety.” Amanda shares her colleagues’ concern for the zoo’s future as the lockdown continues indefinitely.
“Things are hard for everyone but if people could donate just a few pounds it will make such a difference.
“It will mean we can feed our animals and continue to support the conservation projects.”