A three-year-old chimpanzee has survived against all odds after being bitten by a deadly snake in his enclosure at the Rockhampton Zoo.
Key points:
- Keepers believe the chimpanzee thought the eastern brown snake was a toy
- The three-year-old chimp is part of one of the most successful breeding programs in Australasia
- He is expected to make a full recovery
Gandali was rushed to the vet yesterday after an eastern brown snake bit him as he tried to play with it, thinking it was a toy.
Rockhampton Councillor Cherie Rutherford said the animal was now recovering back at the zoo.
"He is doing fabulously well," Cr Rutherford said.
"He is now back with his regular keepers and they have the very tough task of … trying to keep a three-year-old chimpanzee quiet.
"Anyone at the zoo yesterday would have experienced the noise and heard the distress of the chimps yesterday."
Another chimpanzee named Samantha, who is Gandali's surrogate mother, immediately rushed to his aid, picked him up and was reluctant to release him to keepers.
"Her maternal instincts kicked in and [she] was holding him very tight," Cr Rutherford said.
"We had no idea how much venom had gone into his system — he was in considerable distress.
"At one stage, his blood was not clotting and he had all the technical signs of a snake bite."
Crucial breeding program
Gandali and the other chimpanzees at Rockhampton Zoo are a key part of an Australasian management program for the species.
The zoo boasts one of the most successful breeding programs in the region.
Chimpanzees are native to several African countries, but are endangered due to deforestation and poaching, among other threats.
The chimps in Australia's breeding programs serve as genetic back ups to the species in case of wild extinction.
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