The Things They’re Grateful For

It can sometimes be hard to imagine that animals feel in the same ways we do. While we cannot possibly speak for every species we share the earth with, we can comfortably say that we know our chimps. Our closest relatives are very expressive in their wide range of emotions –  love, fear, curiosity, grief, gratitude – and for the 300 chimpanzees who call Chimp Haven home, there is a lot to love and be grateful for.

Below are just a few of the things I would imagine the chimps are grateful for this year.

A lot of our chimps grow attached to material objects and even become known for carrying around items that are specific to them. Our care staff have affectionately dubbed these items as their “babies”. Whenever big changes happen in their family groups or environment, it can be comforting to have a constant that they can care for.

For Sahba in Yeltsin’s group, this item would be her signature red dumbbell, a long-time resident in her hip pocket. You will rarely see her without it (though we can promise it will never be too far). That dumbbell has been with her through multiple big changes in her time at Chimp Haven – enclosure moves, finding a more suitable family group, and the loss of a friend. Sahba is no stranger to change, but she will always have her red dumbbell. We can make sure of that.

Across the way in Spider’s group, you’ll find Opal, a dedicated mom to a set of toy keys. When she is feeling particularly maternal, she will have multiple sets of these keys with her. But like every busy mom, she sometimes needs a break. When those times come, she will enlist another group member, Sassy, to babysit (whether she wants to or not).

But, we can’t talk about dedicated “moms” without bringing up Happy from Sparky’s group, who refuses to be separated from her stuffed animal baby, Grumpy. Typically a very calm personality, though quick to anger if she thinks you might take her baby away, Happy never lets Grumpy leave her side.

Finally, another iconic baby lover is Ashley Lynn from Toya’s group. While Ashley Lynn is capable of loving any stuffed animals, she has a special place in her heart for dinosaurs – green dinosaurs to be specific. And while she may not be as attentive a mom as the other girls mentioned, she will always love her green dinos.

No matter the form their chosen baby takes, these “moms” are surely grateful for the chance to exercise their maternal instincts, as well as the constant comfort of having babies by their side.

It’s always sweet to see the love some chimps show to the seemingly boring objects in their enclosures (milk crates, boomer balls, and, of course, red dumbbells), but for some chimps, their excitement comes in the form of some very specific interactions with their human caregivers.

Sparky, the namesake of his group, absolutely loves boots. He will follow his care staff around the perimeter of his enclosure and wait for them to put their boots up against the mesh for him. He likes to groom the boots and even gives them the occasional kiss. And even if you can’t give your boots, Sparky is content to just walk around the yard with you, and will often make a beeline for his favorite members of the Chimp Haven staff.

Bo, who is also the namesake of his group, can take a little more time than most to get comfortable with new staff members. But you will always know when you’ve won him over when he starts to show his playful side. Whenever his favorite people walk in, he will almost immediately start bouncing on all fours, and he really wants you to join him. If we could, we would spend far too much time (or not enough) just bouncing with Bo-Bean.

Down the hall we have Fancy, from Zort’s group, who is known for a personality that is as big as her belly. While she certainly has days where she wants absolutely nothing to do with us, catching her in a playful mood is always a fun time. Her particular obsession? Belly pokes. Fancy will throw herself up against the mesh for any human she sees and will demand that they poke her belly. And, when she’s feeling particularly demanding, she’ll even provided you with a stick she found outside so that you have no excuse to deny her. She’s a chimp who knows what she wants.

Shahee and Chester from Gracie’s group are just two peas in a pod when it comes to how they like to interact with care staff. Similarly to Fancy, they like to demand what they want. In the case of these two boys, they will both sit at the mesh, blowing raspberries and pointing at whatever forgotten treat they have their hearts set on. It does not matter how many pieces of floor chow you give them; they will always move on to the next and beg for it just as fervently as they did the first.

Another duo, this time from Pierre’s group, is Devon and Papa Bear Pierre himself. While these two don’t necessarily have much in common with each other, they do share a love for one thing: running with their caregivers. While Devon likes to run back and forth between their bedrooms, Pierre prefers to run a lap around their corral-style enclosure. Either way, you can rest assured knowing that they will never fail to get their steps in.

While we do always encourage the chimpanzees here at Chimp Haven to interact with their groupmates and engage in species specific behavior, some of them are just more people-oriented than others. Whether the interaction they crave comes in the form of a game of chase or demanding their very niche desires, these chimps are always grateful for the caregivers that show them that extra bit of love and attention.

Although all of our friends here at Chimp Haven are lovely angels who can do no wrong, some of them do find an extra sense of joy when it comes to messing with both their chimp friends and human caregivers.

Sydney, in Sean’s group, and Orianna, in Blue’s group, both seem to relish the minor despair care staff experiences when working around them. These are two girls whom we would say are too smart for their own good. Their favorite game seems to be cornering a caregiver to throw at them, messing with our tools if we are unfortunate enough to leave them too close, or fully stealing our items from us. These girls may breathe mischief, but it’s all in good fun!

In a similar vein, Sassy from Spider’s group also fancies herself a little troublemaker. However, the trouble she causes is not with her humans, but instead with her chimp family. From stealing her friend’s key baby to use as a weapon, to picking on the smallest male, Sassy has earned the title of “Chaos Queen.” But although she is always quick to start trouble, she rarely sticks around to participate in the ensuing drama. Like Regina George, she just wants to watch the world burn.

Their methods of self-entertainment may not always be the most convenient for us humans, but these mischievous chimps love any opportunity to challenge both us and themselves.

Sometimes what brings our chimps the most joy isn’t a comfort object, favorite humans, or even any kind of interaction at all. Sometimes, all it takes to light up their day is the simple pleasure of doing something they love.

For Suhna in Gracie’s group, that would be nest making. Building nests is a natural, albeit learned behavior that even wild chimpanzees participate in. Some chimps here at Chimp Haven are more interested in nest building than others. Suhna is one of these chimps. Few things excite her as much as a fresh pile of hay to take for herself. Or better yet, some nice, cozy blankets to fashion into a nest. Not many other chimps will nest with as much fervor as Suhna does.

Where Suhna’s favorite activity is a natural behavior seen in most chimpanzees, Zoe from Tabu’s group has a fun little quirk that is all her own: she loves to spin. We like to joke that Zoe does not know how to walk in a straight line, because every chance she gets, she will spin, twirl, and somersault her way over. Up high in the brachiation bars, or down low on the ground, Zoe loves to use the environment around her to facilitate her ballerina dreams.

Getting to live out their retirement here at Chimp Haven means that chimps like Suhna and Zoe have the freedom to do what they please, in whatever way it pleases them. The opportunity to be able to utilize their environments in ways that bring them joy is absolutely something worth feeling grateful for.

All of our chimps have such unique and distinct personalities, with their own likes and dislikes but, there are some things that we can confidently say they are all grateful for: their friends. It would take a lifetime to go into detail about each unique friendship here at Chimp Haven, so let us just highlight one:

Jana in Yeltsin’s group is a strong personality. She is a lady who knows what she wants, and can hardly be convinced to do something she doesn’t want to do. This includes moving out of her indoor space when it’s cleaning time. You would think that the daily food toss of fresh veggies and fruit would be enough to entice her to go outside, but the thing is…Jana has great friends. Jana’s friends, Lyle in particular, will bring her food back to the bedroom to make sure that she does not have to leave if she does not want to. We have to admit, it is very sweet. How can you not feel grateful with friends like that?

From makeshift babies, to games of chase, messing with their friends, and building the best nest ever, there is so much to be grateful for when you’re living the Chimp Life. And as the lucky humans who get to care for them every day, we are also so grateful to have that privilege. We love our chimp friends here at Chimp Haven, and we are forever grateful for the ways in which they challenge us and enrich our lives on the daily.