Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Whose your daddy? Chimp Haven wonders

It's both a surprise and a mystery. At Caddo Parish's Chimp Haven, where retired male chimpanzees all get vasectomies, a female chimp has turned up pregnant. Chimp Haven managers knew something was up when they could not find one of their chimps last week.

Teresa, who's been at Chimp Haven for the past year and a half, was missing during the morning rounds. Later, she appeared with a newborn chimpanzee in her arms.

Now Chimp Haven will have to determine paternity. "We're going to be doing a paternity test, just like you would do on people," Brent said.

Workers have started collecting hair samples from the chimps for testing. Once they identify the father, it's back to the operating room for him.

Teresa, who is in her 40s, had 10 other offspring before retiring to Chimp Haven. This is her first in 13 years.

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