Every once and a while, there’s a little more tension in the group than usual. Fights break out more often, and when they do, they result in more injuries. But chimps have a mechanism for dealing with this tension.
After a big conflict last weekend, they’ve been working hard to reestablish their relationships through grooming.
Chances are, some of the wounds they are grooming on each other are wounds they themselves inflicted.
But that’s life for a chimp. You fight, and you make up. Then, maybe, you fight again.
But you always make up.
Not unlike humans. <3
Who is that Annie is grooming? At least they care enough to make up, unlike some humans. 😉
Annie is grooming Missy.
J.B. I understand chimpanzees fight and they also make up. But do your think that Burrito’s situation could have caused a tension or insecurity within the chimps that could have caused the big fight? It must have been a cause for worry for the 6 girls while Burrito went through his procedure and recovery. And for Burrito himself, It must be difficult dealing with all he has been through. I’ve been curious about this in the ‘politics’ of it all.
And I did notice photos of poor Foxie with a big wound on her shoulder. Chimps are amazing, they make up and work things out much better than we humans do! I never connected the dots to the fact that they are often grooming the very wounds they know they inflicted! (duh)
Hi Kathleen – Yes, it’s possible, but I am always wary of attributing these conflicts to a specific cause like that because they also happen so often without that same cause. It seems like the tension had been building even before Burrito fractured his tooth, and long before the procedures, and it probably would have come to a head anyway. But Burrito’s situation could have been a proximate factor for sure.
The conflict actually began when Annie tried to pick up some food during a forage, and Jamie started screaming in response. If Jamie were truly dominant, and Annie was a good subordinate chimp that knew her place, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But Annie didn’t back down, and things escalated from there.
In life, we often root for the underdog and against the bully, but in chimp society, sometimes it’s better to respect the dominant chimp and forget about concepts like fairness 🙂
Very interesting that it is quiet Annie who stands her ground to the Boss Jamie. Was Annie picking up food Jamie wanted or is it more about Jamie, sort of being the dominant chimp as you put it, having the first dibs on food and others should wait their turn to see if Jamie selects the food first?
It must be hard coming from a lab, where you live mostly in isolation, and now you need to figure out what should come naturally such as society rules and politics.
Do the ladies ever respect Burrito as the dominant chimp simply because he is a male and he displays or is he sadly never taken seriously?
I think that Annie just picked up some food in Jamie’s general vicinity, and when Jamie noticed, she decided that she wanted that same food and began to scream. If I were Annie’s Chimpanzee Life Coach, I would have advised her to reach slowly toward the food while looking in Jamie’s direction. If Jamie began to react, she could withdraw and all would be well. That is the way that subordinate chimps often act around dominant chimps. But instead, Annie grabbed a handful of food and risked the consequences.
Burrito is taken seriously because of his speed and strength, but the girls know that when they act together he doesn’t stand a chance. So he can push his luck one-on-one for a while with the girls, but if he pushes too far, they know they can take him.
Perfect discussion of conflict and reconciliation strategies for my honors class. Thanks for sharing this.