As many of you know, Jamie considers herself the boss of all the primates that surround her. She rules with an iron fist, not always clear about what she wants, but definitely firm that she NEEDS it NOW. Missy in a one-on-one interaction with a caregiver can range from playful to aloof, all while being relatively casual, relaxed and easygoing. However, put her in close proximity to an annoyed group mate, she becomes an entirely different chimpanzee. Most of the chimps will threat bark or bang at caregivers when they don’t like something they are doing. This is exactly how you might think, a simple way of saying “what do you think you’re doing?” Sometimes this behavior requires that the caregiver make simple adjustments like serving a food item slower (Negra doesn’t like fast movement) or serving faster (Jamie needs a second serving right NOW). These reminders are often followed with a much more intense threat from Missy. Missy is infamous for sharply casting retribution down onto caregivers who have somehow (no matter how innocently) wronged her friends. Her threat bark is more of a “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! WHO GAVE YOU CLEARANCE TO DO THAT?! YOU BETTER KNOCK IT OFF RIGHT NOW!!” If you’ve ever seen Missy full-on threaten a caregiver, you’ll know exactly why we don’t go into the enclosures with the chimpanzees.
Missy looked a bit like a body guard today as Jamie relaxed in her tunnel hideout:
