I showed Monta videos of Momoko, Komomo, Momoka & Rola. CHIBA ZOO gorilla #5/5 千葉市動物公園ゴリラモンタ（0126）

Filmed: Wk 4 Aug, 2022

This is unreleased footage of Monta which I filmed in August 2022. It is a continuation from the video posted before 👉    • Gorilla Monta’s drowsy Chacha the siamang ...  

The video starts with Monta spending time indoors at around 11:30am. I showed Monta videos of Momoko, Komomo, Momoka, and Rola for a few minutes. Monta didn't show much interest. So I did not continue showing the videos any longer. At around 14:00 in the afternoon, Monta was relaxing or waiting for something in the outside enclosure. He might have been waiting for some snacks from the keeper. At around 15:00, he returns back to the room. Monta's day is very long because he is alone. I hope the zoo will do more to reduce his boredom.

About Western Lowland Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Habitat: The most widespread gorilla subspecies and can be found across more than 700,000 km² of central and West Africa.
Lifespan: 35 yrs in the wild (to 60 yrs in captivity)
IUCN Red List : Critically Endangered
It is the smallest of the four gorilla subspecies, which also include the Cross River gorillas, Grauer’s gorillas, and mountain gorillas. It has shorter black-brown hair, longer arms, and a more prominent ridge along their brow. The adult males, called silverbacks, have silvery-grey hair on their backs and thighs. Their heads are large and pointed, with a sagittal crest forming the back of the top of the head. Its population has been decreasing due to poaching and disease. The estimated population in 2013 was almost 362,000 individuals (IUCNredlist.org). Fewer than 150,000 western lowland gorillas remain in the wild (gorillas.org).

MONTA ♂
DOB: 1984/09/25 in Spain or 1986 in Africa?
Ownership: Chiba Zoo
• 1987: Monta and Momoko were transferred from Spain to Japan. (age 1 or 3?)
They were kept at Aritake Chojuten Co. Ltd., the animal dealer, until they moved to Chiba Zoo in 1993.
• 1993/03: He and Momoko were transferred to Chiba Zoological Park.
NB: The credibility of his birth info is uncertain.

Monta and Momoko grew up together. They were infants when they arrived in Japan. However, due to the allegation of illegal trade, they spent a few years at the animal dealer's place until the allegation was cleared. He desperately needs a companion to live as his kind. He's been living alone most of his adult life. From 2009 until 2010, the zoo tried pairing up Monta and Rola several times. It didn't go well. Since then, he has been all alone. The system of changing keepers at short intervals is problematic because it leads to a lack of technical training and hinders the management of the gorillas' physical and mental health. Although it has been more than 30 years since the zoo began keeping gorillas, unfortunately, both manpower and facilities are not in place to be able to manage gorillas in a group.

1️⃣ How Monta & Momoko came to Japan    • How gorilla Nice & Merry (Monta & Momoko) ...  
2️⃣ When Monta & Momoko were at Chiba Zoo    • Story when gorillas, Momoko, Monta & Goro,...  
3️⃣ When Momoko & Momotaro were at Chiba Zoo    • Story when Monta, Momoko & Momotaro were a...  

ROLA ♀
1977/09/21
POB: Beppu Cable Rakutenchi, Japan
Sire: Gonta｜Dam: Rirako
Rearing: Hand-reared
Ownership: Ueno Zoo
• 1977/09: Rola was born and was being hand-reared in a vet's house. No trial was attempted to return her to Rirako.
• 1980/11: Transferred to Tobu Zoo
Basically she was living alone, but her keeper played with her so she wouldn't feel lonely.
• 1993/10: Transferred to Ueno Zoo and lived with her mother, Rirako, and other gorillas.
• 2008/12: She and Kenta were transferred to Chiba Zoo and lived with him until he passed away in 2016.

Rola has difficulty in communicating with other gorillas. Especially when she is put with a silverback, she becomes ill, except with an individual like Kenta, who had no interest in gorillas. She loves sunbathing. She occasionally exhibits abnormal behaviors such as coprophagy, licking urine, and regurgitation and reingestion. Rola always searches for earthworms as her companions. But they have a short life span, plus they disappear in cold weather. I hope the zoo will consider the option of Rola living with other small animals. It may help solve her abnormal behaviors and loneliness.

When the zoo tried pairing up Monta with Rola    • Story of paring up gorilla Monta with Rola...  
Video focusing on "Regurgitation and Reingestion" by Rola    • Regurgitation & Reingestion by female gori...  

References
GAIN Great Ape Information Network
IUCN - Gorilla gorilla ssp. gorilla, Western Lowland Gorilla
The Gorilla Organization

Do you know?
Chiba Zoological Park (Chiba Zoo) became an accredited member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2015 with recommendations from Tama Zoo and Ueno Zoo.
📩 https://www.waza.org/contact/

Sounds
1️⃣ First Baby Steps - Vendla 2️⃣ Carolina Rig - Edward Karl Hanson 3️⃣ Rioverde - Vendla

#WildlifeConservation #ZoosForConservation #EndangeredSpecies