SF Zoo Chimps Will Be Rehomed As Program Goes On Hiatus

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — It's time to say goodbye to the last of the chimpanzees at the San Francisco Zoo — for now.

Zoo officials announced Thursday that the program is going on hiatus, and that the remaining chimpanzees at the park will be transferred elsewhere.

Among the chimps being transferred is Twiggy, a fan favorite for both guests and zookeepers. She will join the chimp troop at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, as it was considered a good fit for her, according to officials.

Senior Curator of Mammals Robbie Graham says the transfer was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for Chimpanzees, also known as the SSP.

It's not yet clear when Twiggy will be transferred to the East Coast. The remaining chimps will also be sent to other zoos, although officials have not said where.

The San Francisco Zoo chimp troop was made up of senior chimps for a long time. Twiggy's arrival at the Zoo in 2019, along with that of two other chimps, formed a much larger troop, according to zoo officials.

It was a tough task, according to zoo officials, who say integrating adult chimpanzees can be complex. But the other two female chimps, Minnie and Maggie, showed an "incredible display of acceptance" to Twiggy and another female chimp that was transferred in, zoo officials said.

But the oldest members of the troop, including Minnie and Maggie, have since passed away, leaving the remaining three chimps coping with loss over the last few years, zoo officials said.

"Every loss was devastating, to not only long-time chimp caretakers, Zoo staff and those who grew up with them in San Francisco, but also the remaining chimps," Graham said. "We honor those we lost, but we also wanted to better understand what was best for the smaller group."

After deciding to move Twiggy, primate staff thought it was best to temporarily halt the chimpanzee program altogether and focus on the critically endangered Bornean orangutan.

The chimpanzee habitat will be converted into an orangutan habitat after zoo officials rehome the other two chimpanzees. Another orangutan will be added to the mix, as the zoo plans to participate in the Species Survival Plan for Orangutans' breeding program, officials said.

But not all hope is lost for chimpanzee fans. Zoo officials say they hope the chimpanzee program can return within a few years.

"When the time is right, we want to build a multi-generational chimpanzee habitat, and continue the long tradition of raising awareness about one of the most iconic species in the world," zoo officials said.