Berlin Zoo Director Bernhard Blaszkiewitz Nearly Has Finger Bitten Off By Chimpanzee Pedro

ITN News Report From Berlin Zoo

The Berlin Zoo director, Bernhard Blaszkiewitz, nearly had his right index finger bitten off after offering a walnut to Pedro the chimpanzee. Blaszkiewitz underwent an 8-hour operation to reattach the finger but it became infected.

Pedro is the dominant chimpanzee at Berlin Zoo, and may have been demonstrating his dominance to the rest of the chimpanzee group at the time of the attack.

Berlin Zoo is also famous for having the polar bear Knut who was born in captivity in 2006.


Knut Debut at Berlin Zoo 2007
[Photo by Jensk369 (Jens Koßmagk) Wikipedia]

May Humans Be More Closely Related To Orangutans Than Chimpanzees?

Orangutan [by Itshears]

The following report (here) suggests humans may be more related to orangutans than chimpanzees.

Researchers propose new grouping for humans, orangutans and common ancestors and lay out a scenario of the migration and evolution of 'dental hominoids' in the Journal of Biogeography.

New evidence underscores the theory of human origin that suggests humans most likely share a common ancestor with orangutans, according to research from the University of Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Reporting in the June 18 edition of the Journal of Biogeography, the researchers reject as "problematic" the popular suggestion, based on DNA analysis, that humans are most closely related to chimpanzees, which they maintain is not supported by fossil evidence.

Jeffrey H. Schwartz, professor of anthropology in Pitt's School of Arts and Sciences and president of the World Academy of Art and Science, and John Grehan, director of science at the Buffalo Museum, conducted a detailed analysis of the physical features of living and fossil apes that suggested humans, orangutans, and early apes belong to a group separate from chimpanzees and gorillas. They then constructed a scenario for how the human-orangutan common ancestor migrated between Southeast Asia—where modern orangutans are from—and other parts of the world and evolved into now-extinct apes and early humans. The study provides further evidence of the human-orangutan connection that Schwartz first proposed in his book The Red Ape: Orangutans and Human Origins, Revised and Updated (Westview Press, 2005).

Rest of article here ...

Hank The Chimpanzee Turns 41 Years Old (20 June 2009) at Chattanooga Zoo

Hank the Chimpanzee at Chattanooga Zoo:
Tennessee, USA

Hank the Chimpanzee, resident of the Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, celebrated his 41st birthday on Saturday, June 20, 2009. Hank's birthday is one of the favourite days at the zoo for families, children and also the zoo staff. Hank is the original chimp at the zoo. The Gombe Forest exhibit, built in 2001, houses all the chimpanzees. The above youtube video by USMCwife0801 shows Hank kissing and dancing (head nodding) with some zoo visitors.

Mother and Baby Chimpanzee from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Mother and Baby Chimp [image]
Baltimore Zoo [by stevehdc]

A cute photograph of a mother and baby chimpanzee from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore (formerly the Baltimore Zoo) Chimpanzee Forest enclosure by stevehdc. The zoo, which initially opened in 1876, is located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

A Blog About Primates (Order)

This blog will be about interesting facts, news, research, videos and images regarding of our nearest animal relatives the Primates.