As volunteers at CSNW advance in their training, there comes a point when they are tested on their ability to identify the chimps. Understandably, this can cause some anxiety. After all, when you are new to being around chimps, you can’t help but focus on how different they look from us, instead of how different they look from each other. At first you look for prominent features and try to put them together like a puzzle:
Missing ear + Big belly + Bald head = Negra
Missing toes + Heart shaped brow ridge + Hairless forearms = Jody
Perfect posture + Intense gaze = Jamie
Notch in ear + Kind of looks like Shrek = Annie
Slight build + Troll in hand = Foxie
No neck + Silvery back = Missy
Testicles = Burrito!
But then one day it all comes together, and instead of seeing individual features, you see personalities. Instead of seeing parts, you see people. And you wonder how on earth you could have missed it before.
Missy:
Jody:
Negra:
Jamie:
Annie:
Burrito:
Foxie:
I wonder if Burrito understands why people look at his nether parts for identification? I remember him be hirsute more than the other chimps.
They are all so beautiful & handsome!
I always know Burrito by his “freckles.” He has a very distinctive face. And lots of hair!
A most attractive group! Love the faces!
Hi Negra! Love you.
Even from far away, across the internet, I thought I would never be able to tell the 7 apart. For me it was:
Missy: freckles, no neck, zoomies on the move
Annie: bed head, notch in ear, next to Missy
Foxie: troll or Dora in hand, and from the side a most distinct profile—something about her mouth or chin.
Negra: Big, beautiful, and sometimes looking forlorn, or she had blanket on her silly head!
Jody: Long face, big brow, silly lips, distinct eyes
Jamie: intelligent! Intense eyes, boots!
Burrito: Freckles, and hair standing on end, silly and adorable!
All your posts help in getting to know the chimps on a personal level. Annie, Jody, and Jamie confused me most times, especially in videos. And sometimes I mixed up Foxie (if no troll in photos) and Annie. But just like you said, even just from following your blog, one day something clicked and I saw something different in the photos. I recognized them and I felt like I knew them and it was such a great feeling. Just like getting to know a good friend over time. All of sudden the chimps became something entirely different to me. I no longer see the initial markings — I see them. (But I do get confused in the videos still when everyone is on the move!) : )
You are so right JB, when they first arrived and I was first volunteering it was kind of confusing. But what you may not realize is how years of reading the blog and watching the chimps even virtually makes their individuality stand out. So when I came back this year I was looking at 7 beings with very different eyes wondering why I ever was confused. All the daily videos and stories have created individual identities from afar that resonate even more when being near them and I seem to know then intuitively not just from features but from body language, gazes and ….. freckles!!!!
Indeed, they are quite different from one another,
, When I first saw the Fauna Chimps ,, I was mesmerized by how small some are (females)
and how huge some of the males are,!
Then I noted,
how different each and every face is As well as their personality’s
and how UNIQUELY different each one is~
I hope to one day visit the CE-7 during the summer visit period,
Really? The volunteers are actually tested to see if they can identify the individual chimps? Doesn’t that become apparent after just a few days, or weeks of being around them? And if not, what happens when they cannot tell them apart or see their so obvious differences? They would have to have their eyes closed if they could not know who was who after observing them in person, even after a short period. 🙂