Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

A Man of Extremes

by

Burrito is a man of extremes. Being a male chimp, he has a tendency to cause havoc just for kicks. I don’t envy the girls who have to live with him – it’s like being locked in a room with the Tasmanian Devil.

But there’s a gentler side to him. He can often be found taking a nap in one of the front rooms (as you can see in this photo), enjoying the seclusion. And surprisingly, he and Negra groom each other quite often. My guess is that Negra is currying favor with him so that she’ll be spared when he goes on a rampage, but maybe I’m being too cynical.

He can also be very playful. Usually he plays with a youthful intensity – whereas some of the girls like to tickle or play tug-of-war, Burrito prefers an all-out race around the building, banging on the walls as he goes. But once and a while he’ll sit for a quiet game, sticking his face up against the caging so we can blow in his mouth or in his ears.

When we arrive at the chimp house each morning, we’re never sure which Burrito we are going to meet. But usually, a cold mouthful of water in the face tells me that the mischevious Burrito is ready for breakfast.

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Comments

  1. oh my, such a handsome devil, thanks so much JB for this great post!

    hey I was wondering, when you guys are filming, then he puts his two cents in by seemingly coming out of no where loudly banging on the fencing right in front of the camera — do you think he is warning you and protecting his buddies (like, don’t get too close!?!) Or maybe he is just annoyed!?
    I know it’s difficult to determine what anything actually means, but just wondering what you maybe think about it when he does that.. Thank you!

  2. He sounds pretty mischevious, but he is VERY handsome & cute!!!! He probably thinks he is helping out by causing some excitement in the house!! 🙂 Maybe he thinks the cold water in the morning helps you wake up……….(maybe not). :/ Thank you for the great post! I Love Burrito!!

  3. What a fun photo and post, JB, thanks so much. I love learning more about Burrito’s personality. That mischieviousness can be very charming – well, at least if you’re a human primate who doesn’t have to bear the brunt of it! 😉

  5. I think it’s wonderful that Burrito is displaying and showing his power just like a male chimpanzee should be doing. He is such a handsome guy! Maybe the water in the mornings is just his way of saying “thanks for letting me be me.”

  6. Burrito is a wonder! I do love hearing all the fun sides of him. Maybe Negra and Burrito are enjoying the time they might have had with their own mom or son. I love all the ideas people are coming up with. Call me crazy but I would love to have a face full of cold water every so often just to know they care. Thanks JB for the great information.