Achi news desk-
He was transferred to Blair Drummond near Stirling from Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire on February 29.
He had been living alongside another male chimp, Tommy, before the move was recommended by the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, as it is hoped his relocation will allow Tommy to reintegrate with the Twycross breeding troop .
For the past few weeks Peter has been settling into his new home and on April 4 he was introduced to Blair Drummond’s resident male, Chippie.
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The park said this was carefully planned as introducing chimpanzees can be a complex process that requires patience and strict safety protocols.
Chimpanzee team leader Alasdair Gillies said: “Introducing Peter and Chippie for the first time was naturally nerve wracking.
“Thankfully, this went very well, and both boys behaved very quickly. Chippie was born here 37 years ago and had never met another male chimp.
“However, he has always been very playful, and we were hopeful that he would enjoy finally having a male friend to play with. Fortunately, this appears to be the case.
“Since then, Peter has also been introduced to our female chimp, Gill, and the troops are now in unrestricted contact with each other.
“We are delighted that Peter has integrated so well and will certainly improve the dynamic of our troops.”
Goalkeeper Georgie Taylor described Peter as “really thoughtful and clever”.
She added: “He’s always watching everything around him and he’s quite talkative too. He’s not shy about telling us exactly what he wants.
“He’s a great climber and a star in his daily training sessions. We’ve had to earn his trust but now he knows us better, he’s full of character.”
The safari park said all species of chimpanzee are now considered to be endangered in the wild, due to a range of threats including habitat loss, disease and the illegal wildlife trade.
They are also still widely poached for their meat and at risk of warfare across the regions in which they live.
