Can you own a silverback gorilla

In addition to the Orangutan Rope-Pull and Wet Zone exhibits at Think Tank, animals have plenty of activities to keep them busy throughout the day. Keepers maintain a detailed calendar to ensure that the items and experiences remain novel and interesting. Novel items and activities include iPads for playing with various apps , musical instruments, painting, mirrors, boomer balls, rubber tubs, burlap, paper and boxes among others. Check out videos of ape enrichment in action: playing with the iPad , medical training , and painting!

No day is routine; keepers offer the primates various activities to stimulate cognition. As with any enrichment, the animals have the flexibility and choice to participate in the activity or walk away. These activities range from participating in a research demonstration, to training with a keeper, to creating an abstract painting on a canvas using non-toxic, water-based paint. Check the daily calendar of events schedule for demonstration times. To encourage the animals to use their natural behaviors, keepers will often spread food around the enclosure and hide it within enrichment items.

For example, keepers will often mix hay with smaller foods — such as fruits, herbs, popcorn and seeds — so that the primates spend a significant portion of their day foraging, just as they would in the wild.

Often, keepers place food in special feeders or hard-to-reach spots to give the apes an opportunity to climb and create tools to obtain these treats. In addition to foraging, each animal receives an individual diet of nutrient-dense foods to ensure proper nutrition. On any given day, primates may receive: kale, celery, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, romaine, kale, cabbage, bananas, apples, oranges, mango, grapes, melon, papaya, onions, broccoli, turnips, squash, cucumbers, nuts, seeds and primate chow.

At the Zoo, gorillas and orangutans use hay, sheets, and a variety of other materials to build nests. They also receive browse fresh plant trimmings , the type of which varies, but may include bamboo, banana leaves, Bradford pear, willow, mulberry or maple trimmings. Social enrichment applies to the manner in which our primates are housed, as well as to the activities they participate in with animal care staff. Housing primates in appropriate social situations is one of the most significant ways to enrich their lives.

Primates have active minds and complex social relationships, and companionship provides a constant source of stimulation. The keepers also provide social enrichment by engaging in games of chase, tickle, research or training sessions with the primates to engage them as well as strengthen social bonds. Small Mammal House hosts several other species of New World primates, including golden lion tamarins, golden-headed lion tamarins, red-ruffed lemurs, pale-headed saki monkeys, Geoffroy's marmoset and black howler monkeys.

Visitors can observe Sumatran tigers, African lions, caracals and bobcats at this location. Reptile Discovery Center celebrates the diversity, beauty and unique adaptations of more than 70 reptiles and amphibians. A little farther away, visitors can see also see titi monkeys on exhibit in Amazonia.

The SSP Steering Committee determines which animals to breed by considering their genetic makeup, nutritional and social needs, temperament and overall health.

One way to determine what makes the human mind unique is by studying the minds of primate relatives. At Think Tank, Zoo scientists are looking closely at how great apes think in order to better understand what is unique about the human mind. How do apes approach the processes that make up social learning, such as memory and spatial understanding? Baraka is an adult male, or silverback, who resides in the gorilla troop with Mandara, Calaya, Kibibi and Moke.

He is the largest member of our gorilla troop, weighing-in at more than pounds. Baraka has a large crest on his head and a saddle of silver hair covering his back.

In Omaha, he sired one offspring that did not survive. Baraka has sired one offspring, Moke, here in Washington, D. Mandara is an adult female who resides in the gorilla troop with Baraka, Calaya, Kibibi and Moke. She is always the center of entertainment for the group. Ishavu turns 20 this year, and he is now a full-grown silverback.

Born on October 25, , Karame will turn three this year. Kira, whose name means bless you, was born on March 11, , to mom Shishikara. When he is finished eating, he runs off to play again, and he will play for hours! On September 12, just a few months after she joined the group, Akaramata gave birth to her first infant, a male named Kazeneza.

Stay Informed. Connect with us. Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube. In addition to the lack of prohibition on private ownership of great apes, there is a list of commercial uses that are allowed. Summary: In the state of New Hampshire, there is no specific law that contains an outright ban on private ownership of great apes. However, there are laws that address the importation and possession of wildlife. New Hampshire also has laws that address endangered species, animal cruelty, and the importation and possession of wildlife.

Additionally, importation and possession of great apes is an area that is strictly regulated under New Hampshire law. Further, the state Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act bars the taking, possession, transportation and sale of endangered species. Great Apes are not specifically named, but rather are included by reference to the federal endangered species list. Summary: New Mexico regulates the possession of great apes by administrative regulation and reference to the federal endangered species list.

This prohibition applies primarily to private ownership by the general public. There is a list of commercial uses that are allowed. It does, however, cover them by reference to federal law. New Mexico prohibits any possession, transport, commerce, or taking of federal protected endangered species. Summary: In New York, it is illegal to import, possess, or sell gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons for use as pets. The use of Great Apes by those entities is heavily regulated because of their status as endangered or threatened species.

Summary: While the state of North Carolina does not prohibit the possession of great apes, the law does allow cities and counties to regulate possession of dangerous animals by law.

North Carolina also indirectly regulates the possession of great apes by reference to the federal endangered species list. In addition, the state declares the unlawful sale, possession for sale, or buying of any wildlife a Class 2 misdemeanor. Summary: Generally, in North Dakota, if a person obtains the correct license, he or she can keep an ape as a pet, an exhibitor, a zoo, or for any other non-prohibited purpose. The state board of animal health has categorized great apes as nontraditional livestock.

In order to possess nontraditional livestock, including a great ape, a private owner must first obtain a license.

Summary: The state of Ohio controls possession and ownership of great apes under a new dangerous wild animal law. This law applies primarily to private ownership. It does, however, cover them by reference to the federal endangered species list. Unlike many other states, the law does not exempt scientific research facilities from its provisions. In , the state implemented a ban on the private possession of apes, but certain individuals are still allowed to keep pet apes with an Oregon Department of Agriculture ODA exotic animal permit.

Also, it is illegal to breed any species of ape within the state. Instead, Pennsylvania regulates the possession of great apes by administrative regulation and reference to the federal endangered species list. Summary: The state of Rhode Island controls possession and importation of great apes by law. The law prohibits the importation, receiving, or possession of certain wildlife, including primates, without a valid permit.

Interestingly, this prohibition applies primarily to commercial ownership, while one of the main exceptions to the law is the importation of wild animals as personal pets. Rhode Island prohibits any commerce of federal protected endangered species. Summary: In the state of South Carolina, there is no specific law that mentions great apes or contains an outright ban on private ownership of great apes. Any protection great apes receive in the state is due to their status as federally-protected endangered species.

Regulations ban the possession of federally-listed endangered or threatened species except by scientific or conversation permit issued by the state. Violation of that chapter is a misdemeanor.