Animals
These pages are designed to give you more information about some of the animals that we have here at the Welsh Mountain Zoo.
We will keep updating the information on a regular basis to ensure that you are informed with everything that we do here and how our animals are doing.
We have a wide variety of amazing animals, and our collection gets bigger and better year after year, so come and see our Snow Leopards, European Brown Bears, Sumatran Tigers, Red Pandas, Bactrian Camels, Humboldt Penguins, Przewalski’s Wild Horses, Mississippi Alligators and Californian Sea Lions. There is so much to do and so many fascinating facts to learn about, so come and visit our international friends …
Animals
- Bactrian Camel
- Red- faced Black Spider monkey
- Brown Bear
.JPG)
- Californian Sea Lion
.JPG)
- Chimpanzee
 (media Centre).JPG)
- Crested Porcupine
- Emperor Tamarin
.jpg)
- Snow leopard
 (media centre).jpg)
- Lar Gibbon
.jpg)
- Meerkat
.JPG)
- Polecat
- Przewalski's Horse
- Red Panda
- Red Squirrel
- Red-necked Wallaby
- Sumatran Tiger
- Welsh Mountain Goat
- Oriental Short Clawed Otter
- Cotton Top Tamarin
- Fallow Deer
 (media Centre).JPG)
.JPG)
 (media centre).JPG)
- Region
Region
Found in Africa from Guinea to western Uganda and Tanzania.
- Habitat
Habitat
Inhabit tropical rainforests and dense woodlands on the edge of savannah country.
- Food
Food
Eats mainly fruit, but also leaves, buds, blossoms, bark resin, honey, termites and ants. Occasionally they hunt other mammals, especially monkeys.
- Reproduction
Reproduction
Individuals are not sexually mature until they are 8-10 years old. Females will not mate until their previous offspring is about three years old.
- Interesting Facts
Interesting Facts
Chimps are believed to be our closest living relatives. They are capable of fashioning and using tools. They can catch many human diseases such as flu and malaria.
- Relationship to Humans
Relationship to Humans
Many chimps used to be caught for the pet trade and biomedical research. This has declined now due to public pressure. One of the greatest threats to these animals in the wild is habitat loss as rainforests are felled for timber and agriculture. But perhaps the biggest threat now is from the growing illegal trade in bush meat to supply the ‘fashionable’ demand for chimpanzee and gorilla meat.
- More Info
More Info
WELSH MOUNTAIN ZOO CHIMPS ID’s 2011
There are currently 11 chimps in the group. 5 males and 6 females. They can be identified by their different features and behaviour.
MABEL
Female. Oldest in group. Wild born – came into this country in 1966 so she is 36+ years old. Easiest way to identify her is by the way she walks bent over like an old lady. She also has tatty ears.
SIXPENCE
Oldest son of Mabel and Joey. Born 3.9.80. Difficult to tell him and his brother Groat apart. He is large but has slim hips and a darker face than Groat.
GROAT
Second oldest son of Joey and Mabel. Born 19.11.84. Lighter face than sixpence, same build. Tends to stick his bottom in the air when urinating.
CORON
Oldest son of Joey and Penny (dead). Born 22.01.86. Has very large bottom jaw and big teeth, pale face, lots of scars on his body and sometimes appears cross-eyed.
JILL
Born in Belfast. Very large female often looks slightly gormless with a floppy lower lip. Usually with baby Jasper hanging on to her.
JASPER
Born 4.12.2000. Son of Jill and youngest male in group.
KATIE
Born in Belfast and half sister to Jill. Very slim female sometimes looks skinny. Has a gap between her two front teeth.
TUPPENCE
Born at Chester zoo, 12.04.87. Very small female. Easy to spot as she will often come and sit by the window and spend a long time mimicking. Usually has baby Jessie nearby.
JESSIE
Daughter of Tuppence, born 5.12.99. Largest of the three babies. Often bangs on windows and plays with Jasper.
NICKEL
Oldest son of Tuppence and Sixpence. Third smallest chimp in group. Has a dwarfish face due to growing problems. Very easy to spot as he’s often running around causing trouble like slapping the others drop kicking the windows and throwing things.
EURO
Daughter of Katie. Born at Welsh Mountain Zoo 25.8.2002. Youngest in the group, smallest of the three babies.
The Welsh Mountain Zoo - Chimpanzee Family Tree
Our three original wild-born chimps, “Joey,” “Mabel” and “Penny” began breeding in 1975. Three of the chimps born here“Halfpenny,” “Farthing” and “Florin” have been transferred to Chester Zoo, where they now have children and grand-children. This making “Mabel” great grand-parent. Jill and Katie are half sisters and were born at Belfast Zoo. Jill was transferred to the Welsh Mountain Zoo in 1996 and Katie in 1998. Tuppence was born at Chester Zoo and was transferred to The Welsh Mountain Zoo in 1987.
The full family tree can be seen in the viewing area of Chimpanzee World.
Thanks to Lee Waddington and Sara Wynne who are students at the Welsh College of Agriculture for compiling this photographic record.
