We tend to equate mothers with maternity. But whether or not we find ourselves in the position of mothering children, I believe we are all mothers in some form, at some point. Maybe it’s mothering our animal friends, loved ones and family, ourselves, our plants, or even a creative project we’ve put our hearts into. It’s that innate sense we have to nurture, protect and care for someone or something we hold dear, or sometimes just a compassion and empathy that comes from witnessing a fellow being just trying to get through life the same as we are.
If you’re new to the blog or the chimps’ histories you may not be aware that Annie, Missy, Negra, Jody and Foxie were all used as “breeders” during their time in biomedical research. Each of them was forced to have child after child only to have their babies stolen from them shortly after birth, destined to a future as horrid as their parents. (To our knowledge Jamie has never had any children). You can learn more about the chimps’ histories on our Eyes on Apes page.
Foxie is mother to four children. Two daughters, Angie (who thankfully resides at Save the Chimps in Florida, and Kelsey (who resides at Alamogordo Primate Facility), and a rare set of twin sons, David and Steve (who are sadly both deceased now).
Foxie is rarely without at least one of her troll or Dora dolls and appears to have a tendency to carry two at a time. Maybe when Foxie chooses to carry two dolls at a time she can’t decide between favored dolls, perhaps two are the most she can comfortably carry, or it’s another reason I can’t possibly imagine. We can never say with certainty what the chimps are thinking, but I often wonder if it’s indicative of memories of her twins.
After breakfast yesterday the chimps headed out onto Young’s Hill and Foxie and her two Doras du jour headed off to explore on their own.
Walking along the perimeter with Jamie, as we got to the top of the hill I thought I spotted Foxie and the Doras high atop “Jamie’s Tower,” but she wasn’t immediately visible. Then reaching the other side of the structure, I could see her spying through the slats, enjoying her own world.
Gazing at her Dora dolls:
I stood watching Foxie, utterly mesmerized by how tiny she appeared against the backdrop of the stunning views surrounding her sanctuary home. Then for the first time that I’ve seen, Foxie began “phantom” nesting (nesting behavior in the absence of nesting material) with her dolls on the tower. Foxie doesn’t build nests as most chimps do, but we often see her (and sometimes Burrito) engaging in this behavior in a corner of the chimp house during which she claps and clasps her hands together while moving her arms up, across, and down, almost in a figure eight. Similar to movements chimps in the wild make as they bend in and fold branches around them when they create nests, as well as chimps in captivity who use blankets and other nesting material to build their nests. We don’t know a lot about this behavior, but as far as we know it’s only been observed in captive chimps and is not commonly seen.
We can’t know if any of the chimps would have been good mothers given their unnatural circumstances and the trauma they endured, but chances are had they not been deprived of the right to their natural lives, they would have been.
I’m not sure if Foxie was mothering her dolls or mothering herself through the comfort and joy they provide her, both, or neither. And it doesn’t matter. In whatever form it takes, Foxie is a good mother.
This tiny chimpanzee woman’s world has grown exponentially from what it was for the first 32 years of her life. But her heart and spirit can never be constrained by space.
Wendy Hicks says
Beautifully written. I cried tears of heartache for her loss of her babies.
Thank you for working to enrich the chimps lives. Love to the chimps and hugs for all you wonderful folks for all your hard work.
Donna Oleksiuk says
Thank you for the deeply moving story. My heart aches for her. Your work takes great courage – to be able to acknowledge all those poor chimps went through in an unflinching manner. Your work is precious and priceless. I feel love for those dear chimps who are with you and I am so grateful they can experience some love and happiness at this point in their lives. I feel outrage towards those who hurt them.
Lisa McCurdy says
This is such a beautiful post. Thank you for capturing this moment and sharing it. ??
Cindy Kodnovich says
We can only hope that her mothering behaviors are just instinctive, and not from sad memories she may be having. Thank you for your blogs about the chimps. They always make my day.
Dalyce Kowalski says
I love this post! Thank you …
Kathleen says
Oh Katelyn, your blog posts are very touching and expressive. The phantom nesting was so interesting, how lucky you were to witness it. All I could think of was how wonderful it is that Foxy has that beautiful place to go to, and be all alone if she chooses (well she’s not really alone when she’s with Dora’s and her Trolls!), peeking through the slats at that gorgeous expanse, viewing the world as if she were in the tree tops. It’s as if her “inner wild” can take over up there. I love thinking she was with her twins, nesting with them and making them safe. Thank you for your insight and your beautiful, caring heart.
PatC says
<3
Lori says
What a great thing, this is. That you are able to observe these moments. Capture them with beautiful photographs and share them with us. I love being able to see these chimps free to explore the sanctuary grounds and know that each day, they are now with people who love them. It’s so evident in your words and observations. It’s a bright spot in my day. Thank you.
Pauline says
She definitely missed her babies She loves her Doras like her babies. Goodness knows what she’s thinking however the Dora seem to make her happy
Jeani Goodrich says
Katelyn you have such a way with words. Thank you for a wonderful post. It is so nice to see Foxie enjoying her day with the Dora’s and the sun and fresh air. What a difference these 8 years have made in her life. And the pictures told the rest of the story.