Chimpanzees are charming, playful and adorable:
They are quiet, gentle, and kind:
They are willful, strong, and unpredictable:
They are intelligent, curious, and intense:
They are violent, petty, and dangerous:
It sounds like pretty much every other species of animal, including our own, doesn’t it? We tend to show more of their adorable and playful sides than we do of their other sides, but we respect the full spectrum of who they are. It really can be pretty intense to be a chimpanzee. They tend to be drama queens (and kings). Their dramas are, in my opinion, way more interesting than any reality television show.
Tonight, for example, the after-dinner enrichment was kongs filled with spiralized zucchini noodles in peanut sauce (are you jealous?). Jamie was a little later coming to the party than the other chimpanzees, which is nice, because that meant the other chimps had a chance to find the kongs before Jamie dominated the scene.
By the time Jamie came in, most of the kongs were spoken for, but she very astutely checked under the blue barrel in the playroom, finding the one remaining kong. She carried the kong into the front rooms, put it down on the ground by a blanket, and then, by gesturing, she asked me for her boots, which I went to get from the kitchen/enrichment area.
When I came back, Annie was in the room with Jamie and had a fear grimace, while Jamie sat calmly a few feet away from her. I saw Annie look at the kong, and I surmised that she wanted to try to take it, but she knew it was Jamie’s. This was a challenging situation for Annie to be in, and it wasn’t clear what Jamie was going to do. I decided to busy myself with something else because we humans try not to involve ourselves in the chimps’ conflicts-they live with each other 24/7 and need to work out their relationships without human interference.
When I came back to see what was transpiring, Jamie had left Annie in the room with the kong and was climbing the stairs to the loft of the playroom. She still had a good view of Annie and was watching her like a hawk. Annie very slowly and carefully picked up the kong, and Jamie immediately started screaming, at first not very loudly, but her volume increased rapidly, and she reached dramatically out to other chimpanzees who were in the vicinity.
This caused the whole chimp house to erupt into screaming, and everyone began running around, banging on things and throwing objects. This is not in any way an unusual occurrence. Chimpanzees tend to be either very quiet or very loud, and minor conflicts occur virtually every day, sometimes multiple times a day. This particular conflict didn’t last very long, no one was injured, and Annie held onto her kong (I think Jamie had pretty much emptied it anyway).
This rather bold behavior on the part of Annie is becoming more and more frequent. Is Jamie’s leadership role as secure as it was eight years ago? Is it possible that Annie is attempting to rise from the bottom of the hierarchy like Mike, described in the blog post last Saturday? I don’t know. Stay tuned.
Amazing Annie!
Maybe the blue headband/waistband is giving Annie strength and courage, like Wonder Woman. ???? I can’t imagine CSNW withou Jamie as The Boss. But this is all very interesting…..
Forget about leadership, it’s the pecking order. Look for the one that gets respect without a display of power, that’s the leader.
Just a minor point, still like the pictures and stories, don’t worry.
C.S.
Hi Diana!
I can’t stop thinking about this post and Annie’s brave move but even more so, Jamie’s forethought. I am aware of studies regarding animals “planning for the future”. Jamie would be well aware of Annie’s recent changes and challenges, even if they never lead anywhere. From my naive perspective, Jamie understood that Annie wanted her Kong but it also appears that Jamie didn’t want to “fight” over it, might make her look “bad” in the eyes of the others and it seems wise to ensure that Annie looks like she is the one making the “wrong” move instead. Jamie leaving that Kong innocently on the floor while she walks upstairs (to keep a birds eye view on everything below no less!) seems to imply that Jamie was deliberately setting Annie up. Jamie knew Annie would approach the Kong and Jamie planned to have the advantage of reaching out to the others for reassurances if Annie took her Kong. Is any of this correct? It’s all so fascinating to me!
From the books I have read, many power shifts work slowly and are well thought out and played out. It is like a game of chess! Displays of strength are part of it but growing or solidifying your alliances are just as important. Was Jamie choosing not to display or “fight” over the Kong initially so she could instead solidify her alliances?
And I can’t help but think about Missy in all this! Oh my. Missy and Annie are the most amazing BFF’s but you also state that Missy is the first to be “loyal” to Jamie in a disagreement. IF, by any chance there is the start of a shift in power going on, what will Missy do? Where will her alliances go? Perhaps straight down the middle and her new role will be a peace keeper. So many implications. My head is spinning. Very interesting post!
Hi Kathleen – your interpretation mirrors my own. We hesitate to presume that we know the intentions or thoughts behind the chimps’ actions, but if I had been observing a cunning human do the same thing, that’s certainly how I would interpret Jamie’s behavior. The question of what Missy will do is a good one. My guess would be that Missy is the kind of smart political player that would side with the chimpanzee who is most likely to take the alpha position, though, as you say, changes in power often occur over long stretches of time, so Missy might have some tough decisions to make. To add to this, we have been observing Annie and Burrito spending more time together lately…
Thank you Diana for the reply. I guess this is what sanctuary is all about isn’t? Allowing these chimps to be able to be chimps and have their life play out for them as they choose. It is so fascinating to see their individual personalities grow Sigh…….