Safari park announces arrival of two chimpanzees

A safari park in Scotland has announced the arrival of two new chimpanzees.

Blair Drummond Safari Park has welcomed 33-year-old Karolina and her three-year-old daughter Karsa from Gdansk Zoo in Poland.

The pair arrived in Scotland on February 5 after travelling through six countries via land and sea.

Since then, they have been settling in behind the scenes, getting to know their fellow chimpanzees Chippie, 38, Gill, 55, and Peter, 33.

The chimps have been pictured after settling into the safari park for just over a month (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

To welcome the primates, the safari park has installed a new viewing window in the chimp house, allowing visitors to watch them indoors for the first time in the park’s history.

The transfer was coordinated as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for chimpanzees, run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

The programme works collaboratively across accredited zoos to ensure healthy, genetically diverse and socially stable populations of endangered species in human care.

The chimpanzees arrived from Poland on February 5 (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

The team said Karsa, who it said was still very much like an infant in both size and behaviour, had already shown “plenty of playful energy”.

Chimps team leader Ailsa McCormick said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding for the team to watch Karolina and Karsa find their feet here at Blair Drummond.

“Those first interactions with Chippie, Gill and Peter were really special to witness – they mark the start of new relationships that may last a lifetime.

A new viewing window has been installed to watch the primates play indoors (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

“Welcoming Karsa feels particularly significant for us. She’s the first infant chimp we’ve had here since Chippie was young.

“Young chimps bring curiosity, energy and playfulness, and that can have a positive ripple effect throughout the group.

“We’re very much looking forward to watching her grow up here alongside Karolina, Chippie, Gill and Peter.”