CARYS MONTEATH/ The Press
NEW TREE: Willowbank Wildlife Reserve's chimpanzee Charlie, pictured, and Samantha are being moved to Australia.:
Monkey business in the South Island is coming to an end with the region's only chimps moving to Australia.
The father and daughter pair, Charlie and Samantha, have been at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve since 1985. They are to move to Mogo Zoo, south of Sydney, next month.
"It has taken four years and over $600,000 (A$500,000) but finally their new enclosure at Mogo Zoo is ready," Willowbank manager Kirsty Willis said.
"Awaiting them are two other chimpanzees, Holly and Luis. They will be introduced to each other and, hopefully, begin a breeding programme."
The chimps' new home was in the limelight this week after more than 30 visitors to Mogo Zoo were locked in "safe houses" after a lioness escaped from her enclosure.
The hand-reared nine-year-old lioness, Jamelia, was shot dead by a zookeeper at the zoo on Tuesday morning.
A spokesman said the lion "never reached a public area, but there was a concern that she may have".
Meanwhile, Willis said there was a number of reasons for the chimps' move from Christchurch to New South Wales.
"Charlie is getting quite old and the Christchurch winters are too tough on him," she said.
From a breeding perspective, the chimps were important as they were not related to any chimps within Australasia.
Willis expected the chimps to be happier in Australia.
"The enclosure we have, used to be state of the art, and now it's not really up to scratch," she said. "They need something bigger and open."
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