Meet Many and Mary – Rockhampton Zoo’s newest chimpanzees
Published on 30 July 2025
Rockhampton Zoo-goers will spot two new faces in the chimpanzee enclosure this week, with a male and female joining the troop from Sydney Zoo.
Parks, Sport and Public Spaces Councillor Cherie Rutherford said the pair arrived last Wednesday and have been settling in well.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Many and Mary to their new home here at Rockhampton Zoo and see our troop grow in size and dynamics,” Cr Rutherford said.
“Many is a 25-year-old male, and Mary is a 22-year-old female and is also the sister of Jerry, the male chimpanzee who joined our zoo in 2023.
“Their arrival has been a bit of a reunion for some of the troop, with Mannie, Mary, Jerry and our other female, Sile, all having spent time together at Sydney Zoo, and all coming from the same zoo in Germany prior to that.
“Zoo visitors can now find Many and Mary in the main enclosure after a closely monitored transition over the last few days.”
Zoo Team Leader and Chimpanzee Specialist, Blair Chapman said as part of the transition, the pair were first introduced to Alon, as the troop’s alpha.
“While we saw the usual signs of dominance early on from Alon towards Many, the boys settled quickly and we have witnessed Many inviting Alon to play and both being groomed by the girls as a group,” Mr Chapman said.
“Many at this stage has been quite reserved which we expect after being introduced to a new male, however we’re already seeing glimpses of his playful side as he begins forming bonds with the keepers.
“Mary is really coming out of her shell - as a lower-ranking female, she naturally avoids conflict however is still confident and has been going between individuals grooming to establish bonds.”
The new members now see the Rockhampton troop total seven, ranging in ages from five to 29 years old.
Zoo Director Liz Bellward said the new troop members enhance both the social and genetic diversity of the group and support the zoo’s long-term conservation goals.
“Mary brings a new bloodline from Germany into the Australasian region, and should breeding be successful between her and Alon, it will introduce much needed genetic diversity into the region’s breeding program,” Ms Bellward said.
“Many is not a complete male, so will not be included in potential breeding, however his presence is crucial to the troop’s social structure.
“It’s important for the alpha of a troop to have male peers- to be supported, to patrol together and build the 'boys club' dynamic that plays a key role in chimpanzee behaviour.
“We’re incredibly thankful to Sydney Zoo for the ongoing collaboration.”
Sydney Zoo Animal Care Manager for Primates, Lou Grossfeldt said mother and daughter, Leakey and Mzuri are doing well since transitioning to Sydney Zoo from Rockhampton last November.
“Both Leakey and Mzuri have settled in really well and their bonds with the troop are better than we could have hoped for, especially with our alpha, Fritz,” Ms Grossfeldt said.
“Mzuri has developed very strong ties with Fritz - she will at times run to him instead of mum, and you can often see the two of them curled up together.
“Leakey and our alpha are also displaying good social interactions, and we are hopeful that they may have their own infant together in the next twelve months or so.
“We can’t thank Rockhampton Zoo enough – we love collaborating and working together.”
Rockhampton Zoo is open from 9am until 4.15pm daily, and entry is free.
For more information, head to: www.rockhamptonzoo.com.au
The Rockhampton chimpanzee troop includes:
Alon - the alpha – 17 years old
Jerry – 29 years old
Many – 25 years old
Mary – 22 years old
Sile – 19 years old
Capri – seven years old
Gandali – five years old
ENDS