The Potawatomi Zoo’s two female chimpanzees have moved to the Rolling Hills Zoo in Salinas, KS, another zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The move was made on the recommendation of the AZA Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan program. Baby Face, 47 years old, and Randi, 34 years old, were the last two chimpanzees at the Potawatomi Zoo, and they have now joined the Rolling Hills Zoo troop of four chimpanzees, one female and three males.
“We are always looking for ways to improve animal quality of life,” says Josh Sisk, executive director of the Potawatomi Zoo. “AZA standards recommend that chimpanzees live in larger troops for increased social interaction, and although our chimps were receiving exceptional care, we had an opportunity to increase their quality of life at another facility.”
Baby Face has lived in AZA-accredited facilities since the age of five and moved to the Potawatomi Zoo in 2012. Randi was born at the Fort Worth Zoo and joined the Potawatomi Zoo troop in 2015.
The Zoo will be renovating the now-empty chimpanzee habitat to create a naturalistic habitat for future animals as part of its Master Plan.