Chimpanzees

Pan troglodytes

Chimpanzees are the mammal most like humans and their playful antics highlight their intelligent nature and vibrant personalities. Chimps have a variety of skills that are passed on from generation to generation, from fishing for termites and ants, to cracking nuts with rocks and using leaves to build nests.

Eight chimpanzees call Rockhampton their home.

Cassius (or Cassie for short), one of our male chimps, was born in Coolangatta in 1971 and moved to Rockhampton Zoo in 1986. In 2012, he was joined by females Holly and Samantha who came to Rockhampton as part of the Australasian Species Management Program.

We were then fortunate to welcome another male and female, Alon and Leakey in September 2015 from the Rahmet Gan Safari Park in Israel. 

In February 2018, Alon and Leakey brought new life to the zoo when baby Capri was born. Dubbed the darling daughter of Rockhampton Zoo, Capri adores her chimpanzee family, the zoo keepers and, of course, visitors coming to see her. 

In 2020, we were blessed to have another chimpanzee baby born at the Zoo. On February 3, Holly gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, named Gandali. 

On 8 December 2021, Leakey gave birth to a second daughter, Mzuri. The chimpanzee troop loves their newest addition, but especially big sister Capri.

Head to the enclosure at 2.45pm for a Keeper Talk with our beloved chimpanzees. 

Distribution and habitat	Across 21 African countries in dense tropical rainforests
Conservation status*	Endangered species
Population	Roughly 100,000 remain in the wild
Diet	Leaves, fruit, nuts, roots, seeds, insects and occasionally meat.

 * Classified by IUCN

 Baby Capri and mum Leakey 

The oldest member of the family, Cassius

The beautiful brown eyed Samantha

Our youngest male, Alon