We had a question recently on YouTube wondering if the chimpanzees fight less than other groups. It made us realize that we really don’t share that part of their daily lives much. I tried to provide some answers as to why in this video, but maybe there are other reasons that are less obvious (number of likes on Facebook? I hope that’s not it!).
We do have a category called “Fights” for blog posts, so you can check out previous posts on the subject here.
Let us know what you think – does this surprise you or make you uncomfortable to see the chimpanzees fighting?
Kathleen says
My love of chimps all began with Nim and then Washoe, Moja, Tau, Loulis and Dar. It sadden me deeply to hear the building is being demolished. I guess after Tatu and Loulis moved to Fauna I never thought of what would become of their old home. The chimps of Roger Fouts are such an important piece of history! I wish I had attended a Chimposium and met the sign language chimps — sigh. “Next Of Kin” is still one of my all time most favorite reads, I recommend it to everyone who has a passion for chimpanzees!!
It is very fitting that Washoe, Moja, Tau, Lou and Dar’s surroundings become a part of CSNW. You are all so deeply connected. I have worried that their lives could someday be forgotten so moving that heavy load to CSNW seems like the perfect way of breathing new life into their story. And it is always such fun to follow Tatu and Loulis at Fauna Foundation!!
Thanks for the hysterical video of the BFF’s! Touching that Missy and Annie are still such good buds after all these years. The “Gone Fishing” game with the blankets was the very best. Thanks for the laugh. And thanks for reminding me that friendships, especially old friendships, are worth holding on to, in any form. ??
Diana says
Good question. They are less likely to fight outside. When a fight breaks out within the building and someone is outside, they tend to run in to join or at least observe. They don’t disperse like you might guess they would. But it could be that having a bigger space during forages, for example, lessons the possibility of conflict.
Amy M says
Thanks, Diana. It makes sense, I would imagine, for any wild animal in captivity. Us humans, too, lol.
Jo Lathrop says
Seems that all primates and even those lower on the chain do fight at times. It’s a part of being alive, I think. Processing those emotions and feelings is something else. But let’s also remember that these beautiful creatures ARE in captivity. They are not wild and even in the wild I’m SURE there are fights that often do erupt into violence! . U All do such a beautiful and wonderful job of providing for them and filming and keeping us informed. BRAVO and love and hugs to you all!!
Diana says
True! Chimpanzees in the wild are definitely violent, sometimes more so than in captivity because they have neighboring groups that they fight with and those fights can be lethal.
Jackie Downey says
The Thinker!!
Diana says
Ha ha – yes!
Carla René says
Hi, Diana,
I know if it were me, and I was operating a sanctuary for chimpanzees coming from highly-publicised backgrounds of abuse, I might think twice before posting anything having to do with fighting or other activities that could show the sanctuary staff in a potential bad light.
The following two jumped to mind when I first saw your question.
People on social media don’t always use the best part of their brains not composed of cookie dough and cat dung paste when making decisions about how to react to things posted that they don’t fully understand. So rather than stop and try to admit to that and then make positive steps toward reacting appropriately, they see one dumbass open his big mouth with something negative, and then before you know it, you’ve got a lot of ignorant people reacting out of a mob mentality in full attack mode. If the reaction grows to be something substantial, that could be enough to call the very business and intent of the sanctuary into question (EXACTLY like what happened with Foxie and the Huffington Post article!). The whole benign article was supposed to generate a reaction of sympathy and empathy, but you saw what happened.
I don’t envy people in the child or animal care bidness for these very reasons of having to deal with the sometimes overblown, always ignorant overreactions of a knee-jerk public that won’t take the time to investigate something fully before making their value judgments against it.
The second is that not everyone understands the incredibly complex hierarchical relationships of chimpanzees, and haven’t or won’t take the time to understand the actual importance of fighting in a troop. Instead of trying to see how a troop can’t operate in a healthy way without the established dominance, all they see are animals behaving like…well, animals, and it bothers them. It’s highly possible these people don’t deal with conflict well in their own daily lives and don’t want to see it in the animals they follow or the animals they support. I guess it is such a thing that you *could* lose supporters over it if it boiled to that scale.
These are just my hypotheses (apologies for the verbosity); any or all parts may be true or untrue, but they could just be reasons maybe you hadn’t thought of. Whatever the case, I’m one of those that is definitely down with everything about the chimps: the good, the bad, and the ugly, posted via flying-poop airlines. So post what you can when you can get them in frame. I swear I think I’ve come to the conclusion the instant we see a Kodak moment we want to save, we must give off a smell that tips them off and they’re gone. 😀
Cheers! <3
Jackie says
A beautiful day! Thanks for sharing.
Tobin says
Discovering “Next of Kin”, which led to my discovery of CSNW, literally changed my life. I am glad to that part of the university structure is going to be adapted to the expansion of the Cle Elum home. I wonder what, if any, present connection Roger and Debbie Fouts have to CSNW?
lisa says
foxie would have been the best momma. i know that they took four babies from her. ouch. thank you all CSNW for giving her the best life in her adult / senior years. each of them is so, so worthy of the beautiful, simple and quiet moments that they get from all of you at the sanctuary. i cannot even begin to imagine all of the hard work that each and every one of you workers and volunteers do there at the sanctuary. “it takes a village” and i am grateful. thanks for blogging these beautiful moments. and even some of the sassy ones too. most sincerely, lisa
Kathleen says
Your description “She shot out onto the hill…” cracked me up. I could see Missy vividly, shooting out the door like a cannonball!! Wonderful how she makes up for lost time. I just love her. Thank you for giving Missy her true self.
Kathleen says
This is the sweetest post Kelsi. I can feel your admiration and love for Jamie. You are so lucky to be able to bond and form friendships with Jamie and the gang. I envy you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and all of these wonderful photos!
Mary Russell says
Great post. Always informative and honest. Life is not always roses.
What all of you at the sanctuary do for the chimpanzees is amazing. Thank you for all of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Gabi Ford says
Ahhhh, look at Foxie carrying her doll on her back! I love it! Nice time for relaxed chimpanzees on an outing. Thanks for capturing these moments.
Leslie Sodaro says
the primate we humans and The Seven (common chimpanzees) should take a page from are bonobos. while i know that bonobos fight also, the are generally more on the ‘make love not war’ side of the situation.
Jo Lathrop says
Beautiful post Kelsi!! Thank you for it!! Yes, the little moments are treasures, you are soooooo right! Love and hugs to you all….
Karen Roberts says
I think that all of us that follow & support these chimps, understand that their lives, while so nice now, are not always perfection. None of our lives are either. We support everything about their sanctuary lives, the good and the bad. Of course there will be disagreements, that is life. The chimps seem to mostly vocalize their anger, and then try to avoid each other
Ginny F. says
She seems to be making chewing motions as though wishing that stuff could be edible, which would be the perfect play material!