He was born in BIOPARC Fuengirola and was rejected by his mother. After a complex and delicate integration process, now, together with his “brother” Coco, they are the “darlings” of the BIOPARC Valencia chimpanzee family.
Just two years ago, at BIOPARC Fuengirola the birth of Djibril in the Western chimpanzee family (Pan troglodytes verus). Her mother, Kika, was captured as a baby in the jungle and, after being rescued by the Civil Guard, she found a new home in the Malaga park. Without the possibility of having learned to be a “mother,” she rejected the newborn, which, aware of her valuable genetics, motivated an important international operation to save him. He European Captive Breeding Program of Endangered Species (EEP) in which BIOPARC participates works with two fundamental objectives: maximum animal well-being and preserving the species. In this sense, the course of action was novel, risky and complex, since it decided to look for an adoptive mother so that the little one could grow up with his peers. The “know-how” of the professionals involved and the vital contribution of the “unexpected” mother achieved a wonderful story with a happy ending.
Djibril represents “hope” for the salvation of his subspecies, since his genetics are invaluable for the future of the Preservation Program for Western chimpanzees, in critical danger of extinction.
After feeding and caring for him at BIOPARC Fuengirola, when he was abandoned by his mother, Djibril moved to BIOPARC Valencia in July 2019 where experts saw the best possibilities of finding the essential adoptive mother. After a long and very complicated process in which each individual in the group of chimpanzees had to accept the little one and in which each step was critical, finally he“Aunt” Eva “adopted” Djibril. Today this beautiful chimpanzee He turns two years old fully integrated into his new family. Watching him play tirelessly with “his brother” Coco, who will turn three years old in July, is a source of immense joy and satisfaction for the conservation world. But, above all, it is the opportunity for people to contemplate and be moved by this beauty and feel the need to change our attitude towards the preservation of nature.
The technical team's strategy allows the maintenance of the necessary bottle feedings practically without contact with the “adopted” chimpanzee.
Because of his character, Djibril has a fairly high status in the group and so much so that it surprises even his caretakers.. She learns and enjoys a good relationship with the adults, the male Moreno and the other females Malin, Py, Natalia and Noelia, Coco's mother. Her adoptive mother, Eva, continues to play a fundamental role in her growth, and she always makes it easy for caregivers to carry out the essential care that the little one requires. Since chimpanzees are weaned between two and a half and five years of age, it was quite a challenge to continue with this necessary diet. Now we can say that One of the successes has been being able to maintain bottle feedings., with the strategy defined by the technical team of progressively reducing them until in a few months their diet is completely based on solids. For his well-being he had to grow among his peers, so the objective from the beginning was to integrate him into the group and make him independent of human beings.
The Djibril genetic load, which in the future will be a breeding male, is a real hope for its subspecies.. This safeguarding of threatened species is the objective of ex situ conservation and, in the case of the “verus” chimpanzees, the two BIOPARCs are reference centers. The commitment to the preservation of nature and endangered species inevitably implies working on in situ conservation. In the case of this subspecies of chimpanzees since BIOPARC Foundation collaborates with the Nandoumary Project of Jane Goodall Institute in Senegal to recover and conserve their natural habitat. The joining of conservation forces gives new hope for the future of Western chimpanzees and baby Djibril is a clear example of the importance of the two pillars on which Conservation is based today.
The park has prepared a fun and educational interactive virtual story to bring the little ones closer to its history and the importance of conservation.
For BIOPARC, the environmental education of the youngest is essential, since they are great prescribers to motivate changes today and represent the future of a planet that should be the home of all the living beings that inhabit it. With this objective, it has prepared a virtual story entertaining and educational content, which tells the story of Djibril. As it is a completely free online resource, families who wish to do so can enjoy it with their little ones and interact to discover interesting information about chimpanzees.
