Ooo-ooo-ooo’s the daddy?

Zoo to conduct DNA tests to reveal which of 3 chimps fathered baby

CUDDLED up and clinging on tight, this days-old baby chimp has already formed an unbreakable bond with her mother. Yet the adorable infant is also at the centre of an unusual paternity riddle.

After some monkey business among the chimpanzees, Edinburgh Zoo keepers have no idea which is the youngster’s father.

They will now take blood and hair samples for DNA tests to see which of three possible males is the daddy of the latest addition to the population of critically endangered Western chimpanzees.

So far, the list of who got 28-yearold mother Heleen pregnant has been whittled down to three males housed at the zoo’s award-winning Budongo Trail enclosure.

Currently ‘enforcer’ Louis, ‘handsome’ young challenger Rene, and Frek, who is known by keepers to be a ‘lover not a fighter’, are each in the frame.

Frek stands the best chance of being the father, as he is already the dad of Heleen’s previous baby, Velu, now a mischievous chimp

‘Males will sneak in given the opportunity’

aged six. But the new infant’s shock of black hair and natural centre parting has fuelled speculation she may be Rene’s offspring – as he shares the same hairstyle.

While the leader of the group, alpha male Qafzeh, is protective of the baby – who will be named in a public vote in the coming days – he has been ruled out as he and three of the six other adult males have been vasectomised after they were identified as hybrids.

Donald Gow, Budongo Trail team leader, said: ‘When the females are ready to breed, it’s generally the alpha male who will hang around and pay them the most attention, but whenever there is the opportunity other males will sneak in and mate with them.

‘That means that when the baby is born, they all have an interest as it might be theirs. While they don’t take part in parental care, they all protect the baby.

‘Qafzeh is our alpha male – the biggest and strongest in the group – but he’s not one of the potential fathers as he was vasectomised. He’s obviously not aware of this, so he might think he’s the father.

‘They are all paying quite a lot of attention, but especially Rene who sits with Heleen quite a lot and, in a protective way, makes sure Velu isn’t too rough with the baby.’

He added: ‘Rene is a very good looking, handsome, chimp and spends a lot of time grooming the females so he’s well liked by all the girls, and he’s also one of the main competitors to Qafzeh.

‘Louis used to be the alpha male until Qafzeh took over but he took it quite gracefully and now backs Qafzeh up in any arguments that break out. He’s quite a game older guy though and still has an eye for the ladies. Frek is smaller than all the other males and he tends to stay out of any fights. He likes spending time with the females and that is when he takes the opportunity to sneak in when Qafzeh isn’t looking – Frek is definitely a lover, not a fighter.’

Although it might seem a trivial matter, establishing a family tree is essential as the new baby could go on to play a key part in zoo breeding programmes.

To make absolutely certain of the baby’s lineage, a blood or hair sample will be taken during a future health check and sent to a specialist lab in Copenhagen,

Denmark, for DNA tests to identify which of the three males is the baby’s biological father.

Chimpanzees are one of the five types of great apes, along with gorillas, orangutans, bonobos and humans. Highly intelligent, chimps are the closest living relatives to humans, sharing 98 per cent of our DNA. They are known to live up to 60 years in captivity.

The Budongo Trail enclosure is designed to represent chimpanzees’ natural habitat in the rain forests of West and Central Africa, and can accommodate up to 40 of the animals.