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Five-year-old William Shumaker meets a trumpeter swan held by Dr. Benjamin Beck, director of conservation at Great Ape Trust.
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Des Moines, Iowa – Two trumpeter swans have a new home at Great Ape Trust of Iowa and after they’ve had a chance to settle in, they’ll soon have new names, thanks to their bonobo neighbors.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources released a breeding pair of trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) on the campus of the great ape scientific research facility in southeast Des Moines on April 3. The two adult swans joined seven bonobos and three orangutans on the Great Ape Trust campus and have access to a 30-acre lake and a specially-designed nesting platform. The swan release was coordinated by Ron Andrews with the Iowa DNR’s Trumpeter Swan Restoration project and Dr. Benjamin Beck, director of conservation at The Trust.
“Iowa's trumpeter swan reintroduction program is one of the most successful programs in the history of restoration biology. Having a pair of reintroduced swans on our campus provides a wonderful opportunity to extend our international conservation efforts to our own back yard,” said Beck. “This collaboration allows us to lead by example, and to educate and delight our staff and visitors. We admire the work of Ron Andrews and his staff at DNR and are grateful to be a part of this program.”
Trumpeter swans, native to Iowa, disappeared as nesting birds in 1883. In the early 1930’s only 69 trumpeters existed in the continental U.S. Since 1995, the Iowa DNR has released 750 swans in Iowa.
 Naming of the swans will be decided by the family of bonobos living at Great Ape Trust. Once the bonobos have had an opportunity to observe the swans, the apes will select two names – either of their choosing or from a recommended list. Dr. Karyl Swartz, resident scientist at The Trust, is coordinating the naming project with the bonobos.
“The bonobos are extremely sensitive to their environment and we feel it is important that they are informed of any changes to that environment,” said Swartz. “From their home, the bonobos overlook the lake where the swans will live. By informing them of the arrival of the swans, talking to them about what the birds are like, and allowing them an opportunity to participate in the project through naming the birds, we are providing the bonobos with control over their environment.”
Swartz added that the philosophy at Great Ape Trust emphasizes the importance of collaborating with the apes in all aspects of their lives. “That includes providing information and choice to them in their daily lives as well as in scientific research.”
Panbanisha Meets the Swans: View Video
Swan Release: View Video
Swan Release: View Slideshow
Great Ape Trust Background
When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.
Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
