Jamie is probably the smartest primate you’ll ever meet. Her exact birthdate is unknown, but she was likely born in 1977. We celebrate her birthday on Halloween every year – it fits her mischievous personality. Jamie’s early years were spent around humans. She lived with a trainer and was probably used in some form of entertainment. She was clearly exposed to a lot more human-like things than most lab chimpanzees are.
Jamie’s records are really scarce. What we can decipher is that Buckshire likely purchased Jamie in the mid 80s, after she was with a trainer for about nine years. After that, she may have been leased to the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) in New York, where she was given the tattoo “#CH522.” She was likely used in hepatitis B vaccine trials, and possibly as a breeder, though we have no records of any offspring.
Jamie’s tattoo on her chest reads “522.” On her first day at CSNW, you could still make it out on her pale skin:
All of the technician notes from Jamie’s physicals including something along the lines of “pulls hair from stomach.” In captivity, and especially in dismal conditions, chimpanzees will develop stereotypic behaviors such as over-grooming by pulling their hair. Diana noted Jamie’s bare belly on their first visit to Buckshire. In the lab, Jamie had very little choices and zero control over her life. She resorted to pulling her hair out due to pure boredom.
Unfortunately, Jamie still exhibits this behavior. For the first year she was at the sanctuary, we saw no sign of her hair plucking. Now it varies from no sign at all to a small, bare patch. Though her environment has improved exponentially, the habits that chimpanzees pick up in situations of deprivation often continue even when their environment improves. And no captive situation can provide the rich social, emotional, and mental stimulation that chimpanzees evolved to experience. It is unfair that Jamie has to live in captivity, and we think she knows that.
It’s impossible to imagine Jamie in a small biomedical cage with nothing to keep her mind stimulated, and we’re so happy that we can now provide ways for her to stay active. Whether it’s drawing, putting together tools, taking things apart, working on a tricky project, getting a new boot, or expressing her innate chimpanzee-ness on Young’s Hill, these are all things that she did not have during her decades when she was viewed as a mere tool for biomedical progress.
Jamie enjoying a piece of fruit from her breakfast forage:
Jamie and Jody investigating something on the hill:
Jamie, quite content, taking a nap with a boot:
Celebrate the “boss lady” and her amazing new freedom she has in sanctuary. Give Five today and share with your friends!
I am so happy that she is with you now. She is a beautiful lady. Every time I think about the 7 and all the others who are still being used for research I become angry it is so unnecessary/
How did you become of Jamie’s love ofboots
We became aware of Jamie’s love for boots pretty much just based on her reaction to them—just like how Foxie reacts to trolls and now Dora the Explorer dolls. Jamie has always liked to look at people’s shoes, touch them, and even groom them! And she especially likes it when people wear boots. So, we gave her some of her own and she just fell in love. Not a single day goes by that we don’t give Jamie some boots—and she wouldn’t have in any other way!
Oh, Jamie Jame…. The Boss… One smart cookie…
Just a look at her, she is proud and takes her roll as alpha very seriously. Have a look back at some blog posts, look at her stature, how straight her back is, how calculating each and very move is. She is one proud being.
Jamie can be frustrating to understand but I always think about how frustrating it must be for her. The staff is very good at trying to figure it out her needs and give her needs attention but I think what she really wants is out of that darn cage. She of all of the “7” understands the difference between her caregivers ability to come and go and her being in a cage. It is a very sad situation for her. CSNW is the best it can be for a captive chimp but it is still captivity for a being who should be free living.
The last picture of this blog post is very special as Jamie is not one to relax and let her guard down. For her to actually sleep tells me she is secure with her home and can relax even if it is for just a moment.
What a beautiful story and thank you for recapturing her amazing journey for us. I can hear it a thousand times and still be amazed each and every time at what they went through and how wonderful their lives are now.
I hope to be able to donate $5 for each of the CE7 for the Give 5 project (gotta wait for pay day…)
The picture where you can see her tatto is heartbreaking.