Meet the Chimps

There’s no denying it: Mitch is a little rough around the edges. You might say he’s a bit aloof, or hard to get to know, but that’s just his serious nature. He rarely shows his “play face” unless a care giver really puts in the time to get to know him and gain his trust. He prefers the company of his fellow chimps – unless a crabby mood strikes, in which case, they better leave him alone too! Despite his rough exterior, he loves chin scratches and has been known to run up to staff when he hears them make raspberry noises (only from his few favored people, of course).

With her no-nonsense approach to getting what she wants and a group of strong ladies to back her up, it’s no wonder staff jokes that Slim should run for president. Slim enjoys the simple things in life and her role as a feminist icon comes with certain privileges – she enjoys stealing things from fellow chimps, for example, who always let her get away with it, and making things a little bit difficult for her caregivers, just for fun. Although her status affords her certain advantages, at the end of the day, she’s just high-ranking lady who wants to chill outside…until she senses an opportunity to stir up some more trouble, that is.

Fearless tough girl Heather is the quintessential nosy neighbor, and she never passes up an opportunity to remind others who they’re dealing with. She loves to show off with physical displays, especially when new groups move into the neighborhood, and she regularly takes a stroll down to the moat area of her habitat, just to keep an eye on things. When she’s not on neighborhood watch, she’s a big foodie, and despite the ruckus she might cause with fellow chimps, she does not tend to cause issues for her caregivers (maybe because they’re delivering all her favorite treats?).

Buster hit the sanctuary scene as part of the Treetop Ten in late 2022, and he’s been solidifying his reputation as a charismatic ladies’ man ever since. Although he’s a tough alpha male, he’s got a serious sweet side, and he loves spending a rainy day inside cuddled up in cozy blankets, enjoying his enrichment, painting, and brushing his teeth (we love a guy committed to his dental health). When the weather’s clear, you can find Buster outside with his buddy, Connor, charming his caregivers into “hosy squirts” as they clean. Although he’d never lived in a space with trees before coming to Chimp Haven, Buster was the first in his group to take to climbing, and you can often find him up in the treetops beaming down at his caregivers.

Pocket-sized gentleman Devon might be one of the smallest male chimps at the sanctuary, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he carries himself. Over the past couple of years Devon has come out of his shell and moved up the social ranks, serving as beta to his group’s leader, Bryan. He loves greeting his caregivers when they arrive at the sanctuary, and as they approach his living space, they can hear his distinctive shuffling walk and breathy laugh from down the hall, anticipating a play session. Groupmate Pamela is head over heels for Devon, but it seems to be a one-side infatuation. While Devon certainly doesn’t mind having a groupmate who showers him with attention and thinks he’s better than a bushel of bananas, sadly, he pays her little mind otherwise.

As Jimmy Dean starts to approach his adult years, he seems to really be coming into his own. A strong, handsome boy, he’s settled into his role as a high-ranking male and fun uncle to the sanctuary’s youngest chimp, Carlee. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and prefers to sit back from the drama, but he is protective of little Carlee, especially when she’s doing her Positive Reinforcement Training (although he has no qualms about others riding roughshod over his own training session!). Even as he grows older, he hasn’t lost his playful, silly personality, and he loves looking at himself in the mirror and giving staff his best play face.

With his gorgeous head of hair and laidback attitude, big guy Randy is a handsome gentle giant. His impressive strength and size could make it easy for him to be high-ranking, but he prefers to kick back and relax with his buds and let someone else take on the leadership role in the group. He remains close to the “Bachelor Boys” he arrived at Chimp Haven with in 2018, and each of them has thrived in their current family group of 15; with his buddy Bryan taking on the role of alpha, Randy enjoys some of the perks of his social position, even if he’s mostly just interested in relaxing.

Everybody knows that one guy who is the life of the party, quick with a joke, and dances to the beat of his own drummer. That sums up J.R. in a nutshell. He gets along with anyone he meets – chimps or people – and everyone wants to be his friend, even when what he is doing is not what you want him to do. With his terrible poker face, you’ll immediately know if J.R. is up to no good; he loves to play tricks but his expressive face always gives him away. He’s been a reliable beta to his group’s alpha, Pepi, and part of the group’s “inner circle” of high-ranking chimps. As Pepi and Hayden vie for the future of their group’s leadership, J.R. is usually in the mix, either as a backup or making plays for the role himself.

In a group of very smart chimps, Ivy dominates with her strong will and impressive intellect. Feisty might be an understatement for this girl – she loves to stir up trouble, and she’s not above using manipulation tactics to get what she wants from chimps and humans alike. One on hand, she’s an artsy girl who loves to paint and cuddle up in a cozy blanket on a cool day. She insists on helping her caregivers clean her food trough (and will express her displeasure if they do it without her!). On the other hand, she can’t resist tormenting her groupmates – she’s been known to sit on Emma just to enjoy the loud sounds Emma makes when she screams, and she loves to poke Jaybird just to rile him up a bit. Even though she’s a little bit toxic, we can’t help but admire her commitment to doing exactly what she wants. We can only hope she calms down with age!

Crystal is a girl who’s always on the move, and she wants you to move with her! She absolutely loves Gympanzee and never misses and opportunity to exercise with her caregivers by going on walks together around the perimeter of her play yard. She’s such a Gympanzee super star, she’s gotten fit and improved her mobility over the past several years thanks to her dedication. She also loves the rubber boots her caregivers wear, and insists on touching and playing with them as her reward. Although Crystal came to the sanctuary with just one eye, it doesn’t slow her down whatsoever. She’s a one-eyed beauty with a heart of gold.

While Radar tends to be a relaxed, laidback guy, he holds a high social ranking in his family group – could it be because of his gorgeous hair? Besides being admired for his disheveled locks, Radar wins social points by being a great mediator within his group. Even an even-keeled guy has to get his laughs somewhere, though, and Radar is known to engage in some playful thievery with his friends. He’s also incredibly food motivated (hence the occasional food heist).

Playful Gracie loves to interact with humans, so much so that she can sometimes be a bit of an attention hog. She loves a game of chase and any enrichment that involves crinkling paper. Any good chimp retiree knows their caregivers are there to give them the very best, and Gracie insists on having her preferences accommodated – she will take her chow outside, thank you very much, and she’ll patiently wait for you to deliver it to her. This girl loves nuts, juice, and popsicles, and like any social butterfly, she’s a bit distractable. She was vote “Most Likely to Talk Loudly in a Movie Theater.”