Orphaned Baby Chimps Suffer Lasting Social Effects

by Lindsay Dodgson, Live Science Contributor | January 13, 2016 10:27am ET

Being orphaned as a baby may have a bigger impact on chimpanzees than was previously thought, a new study finds. Scientists found that when infant chimpanzees were taken from their parents, the chimps groomed fellow animals considerably less in later life.

A team of Austrian and Dutch researchers observed chimpanzees that had been caged by themselves for decades in biomedical labs; the scientists also observed individuals that had been orphaned but grew up socially in a zoo community. The researchers already knew that the social behaviors of former lab chimpanzees differ based on the age they were taken away from their mothers, so the scientists wanted to compare these effects with chimps that were orphaned but reared around other animals in a zoo.

Continued ...

Elephant calves orphaned by wildlife poaching

12 February 2014 Last updated at 00:16 GMT

Prince Charles, David Cameron and the Duke of Cambridge are among those hosting an international conference in London on Thursday aimed at halting wildlife poaching.

The practice, worth an estimated £12bn ($19bn) per year has soared as the demand for ivory in China rises.

A kilo of ivory sells for about £140 ($230) in China, while rhino horn can fetch over £12,000 ($20,000) per kilo.

Kenya has been one of the biggest victims of poaching.

Our correspondent Mark Lowen visited an elephant sanctuary in Nairobi National Park to see the effect.

Video

Orphaned kangaroo Anzac and wombat Peggy become best of friends

An orphaned kangaroo and wombat have found creature comfort with one another.

Anzac the joey and Peggy the wombat have become best friends after sharing a pouch together at the Wildlife Kilmore Rescue Centre in Victoria, Australia.

At just over five months old, Anzac was brought to the centre after being rescued in the Macedon Ranges. Missing his mum, Anzac was placed with wombat Peggy and the two now sleep together.

Worker Lisa Milligan said the unlikely friends are comforted by each other's movement and heartbeat. She said: "There are lots of baby animals about at the moment, and they are orphaned for a range of reasons."

One of the reasons the lively duo get on so well is their similar personalities - with Anzac described as very social while Peggy is boisterous and cheeky.


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/orphaned-kangaroo-anzac-and-wombat-peggy-become-best-of-friends.html

Baby Mountain Gorilla from Virunga National Park rescued from poachers

Baby gorilla will join other orphans

August 2011. An infant mountain gorilla has been confiscated from poachers by Rwandan police in the town of Gisenyi on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Police arrested the Congolese poachers holding the infant as well as two Rwandans who were helping the poachers. The gorilla had been captured near the Bukima area of Virunga National Park, according to the poachers, indicating that it belongs to a critically endangered population. The poachers claimed they kept the gorilla for about six days, feeding him bananas and sugar cane until attempting to smuggle him to Rwanda.
8 month old gorilla
Veterinarians from Mountain Gorilla Veterinarian Project (MGVP), partners of Virunga National Park, took the infant gorilla, estimated at about 8-months-old, to the orphan care facility of Kinigi in Rwanda where they will perform a full health check. According to the veterinarians, the infant seems to be strong despite suffering from a bad cough and runny nose.

Strengthen protection measures
The Director for Virunga National Park, Dr Emmanuel de Merode said today, "that the infant mountain gorilla was recovered and the suspected poachers arrested is a remarkable achievement by the Rwandan Authorities. Nevertheless, the incident is unacceptable and deeply worrying for us, and reflects the enormous pressures faced by our rangers, eleven of whom have been killed this year protecting the park. Efforts are underway to strengthen the protection measures through de-snaring, increased anti-poaching, and tight collaboration with the local community."

Rwandan police notified Volcanoes National Park Chief Warden Prosper Uwingeli following the poachers' arrest, not knowing the origin of the gorilla. MGVP vets were called, arriving at the jail in Gisenyi around 10 pm.

"When we walked into the jail, one of the poachers almost immediately sneezed right on the baby, who was asleep in a tight, tense ball on the bed," Dr. Jan Ramer said. "He will go through a 30 day quarantine period, and hopefully will return to DR Congo at Virunga National Park's Senkwekwe Center where he can join orphan gorillas Maisha, Kaboko, Ndeze and Ndakasi. We are cautiously optimistic for this little guy - he is tense, but accepting of people, and is eating. All good signs for his eventual recovery."

Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park (established in 1925) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is home to 200 of the world’s mountain gorillas and a small population of eastern lowland gorillas. Formerly known as Albert National Park, Virunga lies in eastern DR Congo and covers 7,800 square kilometers. The park is managed by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN).

Mountain Gorillas are critically endangered, with approximately 790 remaining in the world, about 480 in the Virunga Volcanoes Conservation Area (shared by DRC, Rwanda and Uganda) and 306 in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. The results of a recent census conducted in the spring of 2010 show that the number of Mountain Gorillas living in the tri-national forested area of which Virunga forms a part, has increased by 26.3% over the last seven years - an average growth rate of 3.7% per annum.

The Congolese Wildlife Authority (ICCN) and its rangers work throughout the country to protect the National Parks of Congo and their wildlife from poachers, rebel groups, illegal miners and land invasions. Over 140 Rangers have been killed in the last 10 years protecting the 5 parks of eastern DRC, and Rangers worked throughout the civil war, rarely receiving a salary.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/baby-gorilla018.html#cr