ZOO Planckendael's bonobo group is one of the largest in Europe. In the wild, intelligent primates also live together in large groups according to their social system's fission-fusion principle. During the day, they split into smaller subgroups and in the evening, the small groups often merge back into a larger group to build a nest close to each other.
The corona pandemic doesn’t only affect humans, but animals as well. In collaboration with the University of Antwerp, we searched for the presence of the COVID-19- virus in 1.116 manure samples from the mammals of ZOO Antwerp and ZOO Planckendael.
ZOO Antwerp has set up a Biobank for European zoos. As a co-initiator, our scientists collect biological samples from as many animals from European zoos as possible in super freezers.
The family Barbary macaques, brought to Planckendael ZOO in 2019, display the same behaviour as in the wild. This is evident from close observation and scientific analyses. The animals were rescues from an illegal breeding centre.
It appears that Sulawesi is not as old as it was previously believed to be. Four million years ago just the central part of the island was above water; it was only two million years ago that the rest of the island was formed. This has been revealed by animal DNA analysis.
Zoos sometimes exchange animals. This is always preceded by a process of careful thought. Such aspects as genetics, gender, age and character are taken into consideration. Introductions into new groups happen at the animal's own pace.
Antwerp ZOO & Planckendael ZOO collaborate with Utrecht University in a scientific quest to develop a vaccine against herpes in elephants. In our own lab our researchers are also seeking to identify symptoms that trigger the virus.
In the summer of 2019, two Eurasian black vultures from Planckendael ZOO were released into the wild in Bulgaria. The species is critically endangered. These reintroductions are aimed at restoring the population throughout southern Europe and have proved quite successful so far.
Advanced research on bonobos could teach us a great deal about humans. Scientists at Planckendael ZOO are currently trying to fathom out how bonobos cooperate with each other and how their emotions can influence their decisions.
Animal welfare is high on our agenda, that’s why we have our own animal welfare scientist. Her job is to initiate, develop and conduct zoo-based research projects aimed at better understanding the welfare state of the animals in our care.
First ever pair of black vultures to adopt two chicks at once. Scientists from Antwerp ZOO & Plankendael ZOO have also succeeded in analysing DNA from dried out blood vessels in a hatched egg shell of a black vulture.
Penguins, and other birds, see differently to us. Thanks to installing special lighting, the sexually mature penguins at Antwerp ZOO are now able to see the purplish areas on each other's beaks. This should result in better matched pairs and encourage breeding success.