Although most of wild animals tend to be overprotective when it comes to their babies, only a few species do the same with other cubs than their own. Only a few moms are able to put the enmity away and adopt other female’s baby. Chimpanzees are definitely among them.
Maisie, a sweet baby chimp, found herself by her own, after her mother left her shortly after birth. The chimp was born at the Oklahoma City Zoo, a few months ago. However, because her biological mother didn’t care for her properly, she was brought to the Maryland Zoo with the hope that chimp females that live here, would take of her.
“It’s very important for chimpanzees to be raised by their own species,” Judy McAuliffe, curator of primates at Houston Zoo and Chimp SSP Program Leader motived the decision. “As humans, we can’t give an infant chimp all it needs to develop into a well-functioning member of a group. Maryland Zoo has had tremendous success introducing infants to foster mothers who can raise them as part of an integrated group…the best thing for the baby.”
Fortunately, odds quickly turned into Maisie’s favor soon as she arrived at the Maryland Zoo. One of the females – a mother of a one-year-old baby, immediately take the orphaned chimp under her wing. Even though raising two babies is an extremely difficult job, the female named Bunny shows the same affection to Maisie, just as she does to her own baby Lola.
“Bunny interacts with baby chimpanzee Maisie the most of the adult chimps,” the zoo wrote on Facebook. “Playing with Lola, napping, and eating from a bottle provided by keepers through the habitat barrier continue to be Maisie’s main activities. Each day is a little different and allows Maisie to learn more about being a chimp.”
On the other hand, Maisie seems to enjoy her new home and more important, it turns out she finally found the comfort she seek for. The kind of comfort only a mother could provide. Watch Bunny spending time with Maisie, here:
h.t newsner
