A baby female chimpanzee, born at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore on March 12, has moved to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo in search of a surrogate chimp mother after her birth mother was unable to properly care for her.
Lowry animal care specialists are currently caring for Keeva, until she is ready to meet her surrogate mom, 32-year-old Abby.
Now weighing a healthy five pounds, Keeva is holding her head up on her own, using her long fingers and toes to grasp and hold on, learning vocalizations and facial expressions, and beginning to teethe.
Zoo staff says she’ll probably be strong enough to meet her new mom at approximately 4 to 6 months of age, then gradually the other chimps with each providing a different “role” of playmate or aunt/uncle.
Infants are completely dependent upon their mothers for at least five years