MAYOR'S MONKEY BUSINESS; RIORDAN SEEKS CHIMP'S FATHER.Byline: Lisa Weiss Daily News Staff Writer The paternity The state or condition of a father; the relationship of a father. English and U.S. Common Law have recognized the importance of establishing the paternity of children. of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Zoo's newborn chimpanzee chimpanzee, an ape, genus Pan, of the equatorial forests of central and W Africa. The common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, lives N of the Congo River. Full-grown animals of this species are up to 5 ft (1. , Toshi, remained a mystery Thursday despite the sleuthing Sleuthing See also Crime Fighting. Alleyn, Inspector detective in Ngaio Marsh’s many mystery stories. [New Zealand Lit.: Harvey, 520] Archer, Lew tough solver of brutal crimes. [Am. Lit. of Detective Richard Riordan. The mayor was at the zoo Thursday to help debut endangered reptiles that were confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. from smugglers by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But he couldn't resist a side trip to the chimpanzee exhibit to visit the zoo's other new addition, who was born over the weekend. Handlers didn't know the mother, Yoshiko, was pregnant and don't have a clue to who the father is. ``I'm going to find the father and have the city sue him for child support,'' Riordan said jokingly as he joined other zoo visitors to look in on mother and chimp. The mayor also joked that he knows the identity of the father: Toto. That chimp is his favorite at the zoo, a Riordan spokeswoman said. Zoo officials, however, are less sure. They said they a DNA test will determine whom baby Toshi calls Daddy, but that won't happen until mama Yoshi allows handlers to get close enough to her baby, said zoo director Manuel Mollinedo. ``We have DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. samples from all of the adults, but we won't be able to get one from the baby for three or four months, when she can be apart from her mother,'' he said. Mollinedo said the father could be a juvenile chimpanzee that was not believed to be capable of siring or another chimp that had undergone a faulty vasectomy vasectomy, male sterilization by surgical excision of the vas deferens, the thin duct that carries sperm cells from the testicles to the prostate and the penis. . The confiscated reptiles, such as Komodo dragons with their prehistoric appearance and Madagascar radiated tortoises with brilliantly colored shells, are prized as additions to private menageries. These reptiles, on loan to the zoo, can fetch up to $30,000 on the black market. Mollinedo explained to Riordan the Komodo dragon's habit of eating its own kind. ``Kind of like the City Council?'' he quipped. ``I didn't say that,'' Riordan replied. The reptiles are indigenous to specific, isolated habitats in far-flung places around the globe, and their species are nearing extinction. Now that they are at the zoo, they can be bred with animals at other zoos. They are staying at the zoo until the criminal cases against the smugglers have been decided. Visitors can see the animals in surroundings zoo officials say will be improved with money from Proposition CC, a citywide measure that passed in November. ``It's kind of embarrassing,'' Mollinedo said. ``When you see our reptile house, it's very run-down. It's very decrepit de·crep·it adj. Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use. See Synonyms at weak. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin d . ``In two years, we are going to have one of the best reptile houses in the United States.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos PHOTO (1) Mayor Richard Riordan tries to hang on to a false gavial gavial (gā`vēəl), large reptile of the crocodile order, found in rivers from Pakistan to Myanmar. Also called gharial, the gavial (Gavialis gangeticus from Borneo on Thursday at the L.A. Zoo. (2) New mother Yoshiko displays her teeth while cradling her baby, Toshi, at the zoo's chimpanzee exhibit. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News |
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