Foxie and Burrito are very good friends. But even best friends fight from time to time.
This morning, as we were preparing to serve breakfast, Burrito launched into a display in the outdoor area. He had been on edge all morning and his display was probably a little more aggressive than usual. I couldn’t see what happened, but in an instant there was a lot of screaming and Burrito was tearing back into the playroom with Foxie hot on his heels. A few seconds later, the girls had him cornered, and Foxie tackled him from behind.
When chimps fight, everything happens so quickly that it’s difficult to make out what exactly happened. But after the fight had ended, Burrito was left with a cut above his eye, a cut on his back, and a huge bruise to his ego.
The rest of the day was uneventful but tense, as Burrito’s conflict with Foxie and the other girls still had not been resolved. Chimps seek out reassurance, often immediately after a fight, but Burrito and Foxie had not yet made up. So later in the afternoon, Burrito launched into a brief display and then dove into Foxie’s arms. They hugged momentarily and then spent 15 minutes quietly grooming one another. Burrito found the reassurance he was looking for.
