Jessie joins Colchester Zoo in chimpanzee breeding move
Colchester Zoo welcomed colchester zoo on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, when 26-year-old female chimpanzee Jessie arrived from Welsh Mountain Zoo as part of a breeding recommendation. She is now in a separate section of Chimpanzee Lookout while keepers begin the process of settling her in.
The move is linked to Napoleon, the male chimpanzee at the zoo, who became a father to baby Keira on January 17. Zoo staff hope Jessie will form a bond with him, then join the troop after an acclimatisation period that lets her watch the group from a distance.
Jessie at Chimpanzee Lookout
Visitors have been asked to remain quiet around Chimpanzee Lookout so Jessie can adjust to her new surroundings. The zoo said she will be introduced to the group gradually once the animal care team decides she is ready.
A Colchester Zoo spokesman said: "Every individual, like Jessie, plays a crucial role in the fight against extinction." The spokesman added: "Her arrival is not just a new and exciting chapter for the zoo, it is also part of a much bigger, coordinated conservation effort across Europe to help protect the future of this species."
Welsh Mountain Zoo transfer
The transfer from Welsh Mountain Zoo fits within the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex situ Programmes, known as EEPs. The spokesman said those programmes are "coordinated breeding programmes for over 500 animal species, designed to manage and conserve endangered species in European zoos."
He added: "They are a collaboration between zoos, conservation organisations, and governmental bodies to ensure the long-term survival of threatened species to maintain healthy and genetically diverse populations." Chimpanzees are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and wild populations face threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and hunting for bushmeat.
Napoleon and baby Keira
Napoleon’s role in the troop now sits alongside his new family tie after becoming a father to baby Keira on January 17. Jessie’s arrival gives the zoo a planned next step: watch how she settles, then move her closer to the chimpanzee group when keepers judge the timing right.
