Rockhampton Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a healthy baby chimpanzee, born last Tuesday evening.
Parks, Sport and Public Spaces Councillor Cherie Rutherford said the zoo was thrilled to welcome its newest family member, born to 19-year-old alpha female Sile and the troop's alpha male, Alon.
"We couldn't be more excited to share the wonderful news that another baby has joined our chimpanzee troop - and it is a girl," Cr Rutherford said.
"Sile went into labour Tuesday afternoon, with the healthy baby born around 6pm."
While the birth went smoothly, Cr Rutherford said the first 24 hours brought some unexpected challenges, with zookeepers stepping in to provide specialised care.
"Sile experienced some difficulties with her mothering role, which is not unusual for first-time chimpanzee mothers," Cr Rutherford said.
"Unfortunately, these challenges resulted in the baby falling from a height within the enclosure at only hours old and suffering a fractured femur.
"She is now in a cast and is receiving around-the-clock care from our experienced zookeepers.
"I cannot speak highly enough of the dedication shown by zoo staff, who have been caring for her literally day and night."
Rockhampton Zoo Director Liz Bellward said the baby has been named Cassie - a name chosen with special significance.
"Cassie was selected as a tribute to Cassius- our much-loved chimpanzee who resided at the zoo for nearly 40 years and reached the remarkable age of 53," Ms Bellward said.
"Cassius and his brother, Octavious, were the first chimpanzees to call Rockhampton Zoo home.
"It is also a way of acknowledging a generous zoo patron, also named Cassie, who has kindly supported this little one's care by providing donor colostrum.
"Given chimpanzees share around 98 per cent of their DNA with humans, colostrum - which is the first nutrient‑rich milk that delivers vital antibodies - plays a critical role in building immunity and supporting early development for chimpanzees, just as it does for human babies."
In addition, Cassie is being fed specialised infant formula approximately every two hours to ensure she receives the nutrition she needs while she recovers.
Acting Zoo Curator and chimpanzee specialist, Blair Chapman, said the current hand-rearing arrangements are temporary, with hopes to have the baby back with the troop as soon as possible.
"This is not our preferred situation, however it's what's needed at the moment to ensure Cassie can recover from her injury," Mr Chapman said.
"She has already had several opportunities to see the troop, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
"There has been strong interest and excitement from the group, particularly from Sile and our other adult female, Mary.
"They've been reaching out and showing clear signs that they want to be close to her, which is very encouraging for her reintegration.
"We still have a long road ahead of us - both with Cassie's recovery and her reintroduction to the troop, which can be very hard to predict.
"We will keep the community updated with how it all progresses."
The chimpanzee enclosure remains open as normal - with the zoo open daily from 9am until 4.15pm.
Cassie will be out of public view until she is reintroduced to the troop.
For the latest updates on Cassie's progress, including videos and photos, head to Rockhampton Zoo's Facebook page.
