Annie is the most anxious member of the Cle Elum Seven, but you wouldn’t know it from the photos we take. She always looks so serene:
Missy rivals Foxie for “most playful member of the group”. Here’s Missy in the middle of a game of tug-of-war with me today. She always looks like she’s up to no good:
Love the pictures, JB. Maybe Annie has to look serene so others won’t know what she is up to, since she is low man on the totem pole. Missy looks great and I’m sure I don’t have to ask who won the tug o war!
I’ve been noticing Annie’s reactions to noises and when she was playing with Missy on 10-15. I think it was Negra who moved behind her to get past her and Annie quickly turned around to see who it was.
J.B., is it because she is low-ranking that she’s nervous or just her personality? I understand the gist of low-ranking, but if someone could explain it a little more I’d appreciate it. Does Annie get picked on because she is low-ranking? Do low-ranking chimpanzees have similar characteristics?
Do any of our chimps have a role in the group? I’m not saying this correctly so I’ll give an example: Jinga on Chimp Eden is a peacemaker within her group. Her role is peacemaker, so something like that is what I’m asking about our chimps.
Candy — great questions!
I think Missy looks a little like Abe Lincoln in that last photo. 🙂
Missy is the picture of health. When I look at this picture I still remember when she first arrived with her hairless little tummy, can’t say that anymore.
Amy: I had to LOL, Missy does have that Abe Lincoln look.
When I was in South Africa at Chimp Eden observing the groups I was totally fascinated watching the politics of the chimps. Claudette, the lowest ranking female of the adult group was sometimes jumpy and wary when the higher ranking females were close. Except for Jinga, the alpha female. Jinga was indeed a peace keeper and did not tolerate bullying even from Mimi, the second ranking female that she grew up with and was good friends with. Jinga would even go after Nikky, the second ranking male and put him in his place when she felt he was being a pain. During feeding, Claudette would back off if a piece of fruit was thrown in the group and a higher ranking member was near. She and Lika, another low ranking female would take the food given to them and go to the bush then return to the feeding site for any scraps left behind rather than risk confrontation.
Thanks, Theresa for the information. I love Chimp Eden and hope to go someday.
My pleasure, Candy. You should go visit. It’s a wonderful place with wonderful people who make you feel welcome. You get to know each chimp and their personality and when they respond to you it’s truly a great feeling. I intend to make it an annual trip. Phillip, the sanctuary manager has vast knowledge of chimps and is generous in sharing his knowledge. I learned so much about chimps and their behaviors.
Candy – Good questions. I’ll try my best to answer them.
I think the low rank/anxious personality connection is a chicken and egg problem. Is she low ranking because she lacks confidence to stand up for herself, or does she lack confidence because she’s been on the losing end of so many social interactions? I think both factors work together and reinforce each other.
Rank in chimpanzee social groups is much more complicated than it may seem, but in essence, it’s the sum total of all the outcomes of an individual’s social interactions. For example, if there is one piece of fruit and two chimpanzees, who gets it? It’s not just about speed and strength – a lower ranking chimpanzee would probably not even attempt to take it from a higher ranking individual, because it breaks a social rule. If two chimpanzees both want to sit in the same place, who gets to do that? Subordinate chimps will often move out of the way when a higher ranking individual approaches them.
When two chimpanzees first meet, they may work through all of these things physically. In other words, they may fight every time there is competition over food or space. But eventually, based on the outcomes of those previous competitions, they come to an understanding, and everyone is saved the stress and risk of injury from all of those fights, because they know what the outcome will be anyway.
Now, this is an overly simplified explanation of rank. Its not always so clear cut, and hierarchies are not static. But in Annie’s case, it is pretty clear. She defers to everyone! And I don’t see that changing.
As for roles, I wish we had a peacemaker! I think of Jody and Jamie as the Enforcers – they know what the rules are, they know where people and chimps stand in relation to one another, and if anyone breaks a rule…they are going to get it. That might mean going after Burrito for getting a bit too rowdy, or, unfortunately for us, it may mean spitting a mouthful (or twenty mouthfuls) of water on a caregiver for closing a door that they thought should have been left open at that time. They are very intimidating girls.
Other than that, I can’t think of any obvious social roles that the other chimps hold. I guess you could think of Burrito as Instigator or Agitator 🙂
Our group is led by Jamie, and she is not a benevolent leader. She rules through cunning and ruthlessness. Not to say she is always aggressive and manipulative, but she enjoys stirring the pot, as long as she comes out on top.
Thanks J.B. your answers were very thorough. I recognize what you’re saying about Jamie, for i.e., when she held onto Foxie’s troll necklace and, eventually, allowed Foxie to retrieve it from her. Another i.e., was on 10-10 when Foxie and Jamie were playing and Jamie got hold of Doris for a few seconds before Foxie retrieved her. I believe that Jamie’s making a subtle point, or maybe not, she’s one smart cookie. Out of all the chimpanzees you’ve met how would you rank her intelligence?
Do you think they spit more now, in sanctuary or while in the lab? I think it would be more now because they have grown accustomed to a better life, free of fear and pain. Also, I think they like being able to do their own thing, on their own time.
Thanks again J.B. for taking the time to respond to my questions.
Candy – I usually avoid saying that certain chimpanzees are smarter than others, because I am hesitant to judge them by our standards (which even we humans disagree on). Having said that, I think Jamie is a genius. She is a great problem solver, she is intensely curious, she has unbelievable focus, and she is a master of social manipulation. She can make caring for her a challenge, and I think she enjoys that. I do too, most of the time 🙂
I’m not sure whether they spit more now or when they were in the lab. In the lab, their water boxes consisted of a metal reservoirs with plastic tubes that connected to metal nipples on the chimps side. So if the chimps were spitting too much, the staff could disconnect the hose from the nipple. This was done a few times when we visited. At CSNW, the chimps have unrestricted access to their water fountains. So they are certainly *able* to spit more here at CSNW, but whether they spit more overall, I can’t really say.
Thank you all for the great info. I just can’t get enough – I guess “obsessed’ with chimps would be the correct word. They’re just fascinating and beautiful creatures.