The Story of When Monta, Momoko & Momotaro Were at Chiba Zoo.

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   • The Story When Momoko, Monta & Goro Were a...   ◀︎Previous｜Next▶︎    • Monta and Rola: A Pairing Story at Chiba Zoo  

The video footage was filmed in April 2022 at the Chiba Zoological Park, Japan.
Momotaro had spent his early childhood, from the ages of 2 to 8, in the Chiba Zoological Park (Chiba Zoo). In those times in Japan, there was no other male gorilla who was younger than Momotaro. The future of captive gorillas in Japan weighed heavily on his shoulders. With those circumstances in their minds, Chiba Zoo and the keepers took care of Momotaro when he was here and let him and Momoko depart to other more suitable environments. They were able to take care of Momotaro well and to make such a decision to let them go, probably due to the feeling of regret for those unfortunate gorillas who had lived before and who are still present but are not young. Chiba Zoo owns 5 gorillas in Japan: Monta, Momoko, Momotaro, Gentaro and Momoka. If the zoo is planning to establish a suitable environment for gorilla troops, first we would like to see an improvement in environmental enrichments for Rola and Monta.

References:
1️⃣ Chiba Zoological Park News No. 44/45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71
2️⃣ Kyoto City Zoo Gorilla Diary Vol. 57 https://www5.city.kyoto.jp/zoo/upload...

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 Gorillas Nice & Merry (Monta & Momoko)...  
2️⃣ When Monta & Momoko were at Chiba Zoo    • The Story When Momoko, Monta & Goro Were a...  
3️⃣ When Momoko & Momotaro were at Chiba Zoo    • The Story of When Monta, Momoko & Momotaro...  

ROLA ♀
DOB: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, 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    • Monta and Rola: A Pairing Story at Chiba Zoo  
Video focusing on "Regurgitation and Reingestion" by Rola    • Regurgitation & Reingestion by female gori...  

GORO ♂
1965/08? - 2009/10/10
POB: wildborn
•1967/10: Goro was transferred to Osaka Tennoji Zoo when he was 2 yrs old.
•1995/02: He was transferred to Chiba Zoo as part of BL program. (Pairing up with Momoko didn't go well.)
 
Goro at 2 years old on October 7, 1967.
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20170925...

Sound credits:
"Tokyo Music Walker - Slowly" is under a Creative Commons (CC-BY 3.0) license.
"Scandinavianz - Copenhagen" is is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license.

#WildlifeConservation #ZoosForConservation #EndangeredSpecies