Biopark Valencia She successfully completed the integration of Ekon, a chimpanzee who was born last February and had to Hand raised with bottles To ensure their survival. After months of work by the animal care team, the cub is now part of a full chimpanzee group and can be seen in the park’s outdoor area, sharing toys with other children in the facility, which recreates the African jungle.
Akon’s mother did not produce enough milk
he The birth of Ekon It was a challenge from the first moment. His mother, Eva, was not producing enough milk and a special protocol had to be activated Bottle feeding. The goal was to save his life without losing his natural instincts and avoiding the human imprint. For months, primatology and animal care specialists worked on a gradual reintroduction that ended satisfactorily.
Integration at different stages
Integration is developed in different stages. First he met his mother Then with him Sister Calla. They joined later His aunts are Natalia and NoeliaAnd the females are Bai and Malin And finally, his father, Moreno. Each encounter was a challenge and featured poignant and important scenes Group cohesion. Eva’s trust in the technical team and her relationship with Gabriel, another chimpanzee she adopted in Valencia in 2019, were crucial in achieving this achievement.
Endangered subspecies
Ekon belongs to the subspecies Pan real cavesIt is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Bioparc Valencia participates in the European Conservation Program (EEP), which coordinates the controlled breeding of endangered species. Valencia and Fuengirola Gardens It houses Spain’s most important chimpanzee and gorilla populations, and their commitment to great primate conservation is reflected in every birth.
The Icon case joins other recent milestones. At Bioparc Fuengirola, visitors witnessed Natural birth of the gorilla WevaIt is an event that demonstrated the instinctive behavior of the mother, from tenderness in caring for the newborn to eating the placenta, which provides protein and energy in the first days of motherhood.