Chimp “Babies”

If you ask someone about their favorite childhood toy, you are bound to get a variety of answers. Some people will say dolls, while others will say they enjoyed building blocks or toy cars. But some people will think of a very specific toy, a toy that they always carried with them.

Looking back on my own childhood, I vividly remember my sister’s stuffed chihuahua, who accompanied us everywhere we went. Staying the night at Grandma’s? Chihuahua came with. Going to the grocery store with Mom? Chihuahua was along for the ride. That little stuffed dog was never far from her reach.

Like my sister and many other kids, some of the chimps at Chimp Haven have adopted different objects that they carry around with them. We affectionately call these items “babies.”

Occasionally we give out stuffed animals as enrichment. While some groups enjoy destroying the stuffies and making a mess of stuffing for their caregivers to clean (looking at you, Gracie’s group), others prefer to cuddle or carry around these toys.

Debbie, Katy, Iris, and Sonya are just some of the chimps who have been known to carry around a baby for a few days. Ashley Lynn also enjoys a good stuffy, but her favorites are green dinos. She is more of a hands-off mom, though, and will often have her friend, Toya, carry her baby around for her when they move through their space.

There are a few chimps who keep their babies with them all the time – so much so that it’s almost shocking to see them without their signature baby. For Opal, it’s a set (sometimes two or three sets) of toy keys. Sahba has a red dumbbell that is never far from reach. If you don’t see it in her hands, it’s likely stashed in her hip pocket for safekeeping. Sahba’s groupmate, Debbie, recently began carrying around a dumbbell of her own, though not with nearly the same frequency as Sahba.

For some chimps, their comfort object changes from day to day. Other times, the baby stays the same, but they don’t have it 24/7. Take Pancake, for instance. She likes small objects as her baby. These objects vary from a singular piece of chow to the tip of the banana peel. Regardless of what object she chooses, she will carry it around with her the rest of the day, even holding it while she naps.

Another chimp, Blue, can be found carrying or holding onto a bright orange traffic cone. Unlike Opal or Sahba, he doesn’t always carry it with him. But it’s his go to baby when he needs a little extra comfort.

I can’t talk about chimps with their “babies” without giving a brief mention to one of our chimps with her real baby. Bumble lives in a group with her daughter, Onyx. Bumble is an attentive mom; she can often be found diligently grooming Onyx. Distance won’t stop her from bonding with her daughter. Sometimes Bumble will make the motions and sounds of grooming even when Onyx is across the room. The two may spend some time apart during the day, but they spend most nights cuddled together on a shelf.

No matter the size, shape, or form a chimp’s baby takes, we love giving them the opportunity to choose an object to bring them a little extra joy and comfort.

Brianna Little