This past Tuesday marked my first day back from maternity leave and let me tell you, it’s good to be back! As we all regrettably know, the world looks a lot different right now. A pandemic was definitely not part of my worries as I started to plan my return to work, but now it’s the biggest worry (of course it is for all of us). On the bright side, my chimp friends and my coworkers are still here, right where I left them! The chimpanzees are still their reliable old playful selves and it’s great to see that their lives are relatively unaffected by the outside chaos.
Today Jamie made sure that I know nothing has changed on her watch.
Awkwardly sized boot on my foot…✔️
Perimeter walk around Young’s Hill…✔️
Gather a tumbleweed to use for some grooming time…✔️
In other news, we have some good changes happening around here. Chad, who was filling in for me during my temporary leave of absence, has agreed to stay on as a full-time permanent staff member! We’re feeling pretty fortunate that we get to keep him around!
Oh and this…My husband and I welcomed our daughter Luna Nyca Lockey to the world on January 2nd 2020. The chimps met her from a safe distance just a few weeks later. The highlights: Honey B was obsessed with her and really wanted her to come closer and Foxie was fascinated and shot a few mouthfuls of water her direction. My favorite moment was when Negra (pictured here) blew her a few kisses and head nodded a request to see her do some dancing (aka do a little bit of bouncing, the best a newborn can do).
