Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

November 12, 2009 - Jacksonville, Fl -

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced its fourth bonobo born at the Zoo—the first in five and one-half years.  The female infant was born on the 6th of November to Kuni, a 24 –year-old female bonobo who came to the Jacksonville Zoo from the San Diego Zoo in 2003.  The sire of the baby is unknown, but could be either Akili or Mabruki, resident males that are both recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) to breed with Kuni.  DNA tests will be done when the infant is older to determine paternity. 

Kuni, born at the Wilhelma Zoo in Germany on February 24, 1985, is important to the Bonobo SSP population because she is unrelated to all other U.S. bonobos, except her daughter Johari.  Johari is non-reproductive, making Kuni and this new infant that much more valuable to the population for increasing genetic diversity.  Both Kuni and her infant will be monitored closely to make sure that they are healthy.

“The mother has wonderful paternal skills,” said the Zoo’s Director of Animal Programs, Delfi Messinger. “She seems so proud, and shows her baby to the ‘aunties’ in the group, as well as to her human caretakers. The pair will be on exhibit intermittently beginning this weekend depending on social grouping and the weather.”

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  From the beginning in 1914, with an animal collection that consisted of only one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has become one of the top zoos in the nation, now with more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  It is open year-round, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information, go to jacksonvillezoo.org.