A New Arrival For Our Growing Chimp Family.
In the early hours of Tuesday 3rd November 2026, the Animal Care Team were delighted to discover female chimpanzee, Tara had given birth to a healthy baby.
We are especially excited as this is our second Chimpanzee birth of the year, following the arrival of Kiera in January. The two youngsters share a special family connection, as they are both granddaughters of the late Billy Jo, mum of Tara and Kora, and it is lovely to see another generation of her family continuing to grow here at the zoo. Kiera is, of course, very curious about the new arrival, and it is wonderful to see how well the group are getting along together.
Our Animal Care Team are keeping a close eye on mum, dad, and their new arrival, as they spend these precious early days bonding together. They are pleased to report that mum, baby and Dad Napoleon are all doing really well.
Chimpanzees are currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, facing a number of threats out in the wild, from habitat loss to deforestation as well as hunting, making this birth especially important for the conservation and future of this species.
We know that visitors will be excited to catch a glimpse of our newest arrival, but we do kindly ask that all visitors keep noise to a minimum when visiting Chimpanzee Lookout to allow our new family time and space to settle. Please keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest updates.
