HOUSTON – The Houston Zoo is celebrating the arrival of six new animals that will call The African Forest exhibit home.
Six chimpanzees made their public debut Tuesday.
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The chimpanzees named Toby, Kenya, Tanzee, Kira, Chaos and Sierra have been at the Zoo since October 30.
They were brought to Houston thanks to the combined efforts of Lincoln Park Zoo's Project ChimpCARE, the Houston Zoo, and Curtis and Bea Shepperson, the chimps' owners.
The Sheppersons had been under pressure from officials in the Mechanicsville, Virginia area to relocate the chimpanzees because of a recent escape and the lack of proper licenses.
The chimpanzees have been on a 30-day quarantine period, but can now enjoy their new home in the African Forest's Onstead Foundation Chimpanzee Habitat.
It is the newest such facility in the nation and widely regarded as one of the world's pre-eminent facilities.
The public debut Tuesday, was also Sierra's 14th birthday.