Before I get to the brief content of this blog post, I have a question for you, or, rather I have a request for your questions.
Several months ago, I recorded a conversation with Jen Feuerstein about integrating groups of chimpanzees with one another. Before that conversation, I invited blog readers to submit your questions for Jen. Then I made that recording available for a small donation.
I am going to be talking with Jen again in just a few days so that I can follow up with her now that she helped us make the final leap in putting the two groups of chimpanzees together. The group of nine has been together for just over a month, so the timing seems right.
Once again, I am inviting you to submit your questions about the integration process and now also post-integration considerations, worries, and expectations.
Your questions can be general to captive chimpanzees or specific to the integration that we just did. My thought is to add the follow-up conversation to the original video and make the whole thing more widely available for anyone who is interested in watching it (perhaps with a donation suggestion but available for free).
Let me know what you think, and write your questions in the comments to this blog post or send them to me by email at [email protected]. Thank you!!
On to today’s musings:
We’ve written about nightbags before. They are the post-dinner packaged treat that we give the chimpanzees. I’ve never met a chimp who didn’t like them.
It’s more than just the food at this point, though.
It’s the ritual.
The crinkling of the paper as your caregiver twists the bag to hand it to you though the mesh.
The cracking open of the bag (however you might choose to get into the contents of your bag – some break the twisted bag in half, others carefully unroll it, open the bag, and reach in).
The immediate gratification of staying right where you are to partake or taking your bag and going to your favorite spot, away from everyone else.
The spreading out on a surface, then sorting with your fingers or lips, or just shaking the contents and pouring the seeds, peanuts, popcorn, and dried fruit right into your mouth (your individual method has been honed to your personal preference over the years).
The finding someone else’s nightbag spot and picking through the leftovers to see if there are any surprise shells with seeds still contained.
All of it is so satisfying.
Just ask Annie:
Or Foxie:
Kathleen says
Nightbags are a brilliant idea. Always so much fun to see the various ways the chimps work their way through the bags. And all the sounds that accompany the ritual — the rustling paper, cracking of nuts and seeds and then there’s the chimps chirping, squeaking, and crunching too! And I love the way Negra claps for her nightbag, favoring it over all things (same goes for her daytime chowbag). Thanks for the pics of Annie and Foxie enjoying their bags.
I am beginning to think the human world needs nightbags and the pure, simple joys that go with them.
Integration process — I often have questions but when you ask us to sumit them, my head goes blank! I enjoyed your first Q&A, looking forwrd to your follow up!
Nancy Duryea says
I have the same problem …the blank mind when I need it.
Tami Roy says
i love reading your blog posts every night and seeing what they do in a day.
When integrating, what actions do you take if a fight breaks out?
Linda C says
I think they mentioned a spray from the hose as distraction
Kim Harris says
The nightbag ritual sounds almost like getting tucked in for bed every night. Speaking of food rituals, I’ve read on the Fauna Foundation’s website that their chimps have access to food trolleys during the day should they want a snack between meals. I know several of you have worked at the Fauna Foundation and I’ve always been curious why CSNW doesn’t utilize a similar setup, whether it is due to physical space limitations, group dynamics, just not a good idea at CSNW, etc.
Second question, this one is integration related, but more for the daily caretakers rather than Jen. Before each introduction session, did you have preselected individuals in mind who you felt the timing was right them to meet (or meet again), or was it more of a random meetup of the first two from each group into the meeting rooms? If you did have preselected individuals in mind, how would you try to entice those specific individuals away from the others and into separate meeting areas?
Post integration question for Jen. Considering that our group is relatively small in number, has a roughly even male-to-female ratio, and they are of similar older ages, what can we expect to see in terms hierarchy development? We’ve recently seen Cy establish himself as the leader, which seems appropriate and good for the group. Being these are older, captive chimps, I wouldn’t think there would be much jockeying from the other boys for the alpha spot. And as for all nine, does each have a hierarchical rank, or are the more equals with other? Just seeing the new relationships being forged is so exciting… I mean, Mave got just what she wanted for her birthday, a Dora! I laughed out loud when I read that!
Jeani Goodrich says
Diana, I loved your blog on the nightbags, particularly bc you drew a vidio in our minds to create. I could hear the bags crinkle and the chimps hoot, clap, and make all kind of happy noises. Thank you for the photos to go with my thoughts.
One question: how long does a caregiver wait, especially before they intervene? If it isn’t JB or Diana watching over the chimps how long and is there a time when you wake them up? What do Diana and JB do when they are on and the chimps go ballistic?
Carrie says
The entire process of integration, from the (scarier than rattlesnakes) incident with Burrito right up to the delightful Mave’s Birthday Dora has been intense and educational. I really like the idea of a followup video with Jen and adding it to the first video and sharing it widely for optional donation. The more people who get to see the video the better! Also, thanks for the cozy nightbags blog and photos, a balm in the agitator-cycle of the times. 🙂
Marya says
Diana, I loved the video meeting with Jen and everyone. I’m so impressed with the amount of heart and soul that all the people involved have put into the lives of the chimps that needed sanctuary, including the staff at CSNW, of course, but also the folks at all the centers. And I’m thrilled, relieved and grateful that there are now specific homes for the remaining chimps at the Waystation!
A question re integration — Do Terry and Willy B have power struggles over female “companionship”? Given Terry’s interest in Dora, I wonder how his relationship with Willy is coming along. And where are Cy and Gordo in the hierarchy of the group at this point? Given that Burrito is the only male and the women are more dominant in his group I wonder about how female hierarchies differ in behavior than in the new group. Of course, Neggie got hurt somehow and a laceration requiring big medical attention ensued so power dynamics clearly aren’t solely in the purview of the males.
I’m sure there’s great curiosity among us about exactly how Negra got hurt. I personally want to thank you and the team for NOT telling us the specifics! If it was from a Neggie-caused event like a fall I’m pretty sure we would have been told that. So evidently there was some kind of powerful scuffle. I’d rather no one have bad feelings (including me) towards another chimp in her group who just got too wound up in adrenalin and power issues. How is the dynamic in the group now?
Another question is about the female hierarchy in the newly integrated group. Mave seems to be taking on a wonderul new role with the new members but I wonder where does Honey B fit in with some of the new women around? Does Terry have any interest in her, or only in Dora?
Thanks for this opportunity to engage a bit more!!
Pamela says
I was wondering how Neggie was tended to while in the midst of her group of six other chimps in the room. How, in the midst of a scuffle are the other chimps separated from the room to be able to enter the room and medically treat Neggie? Thank you for considering my question.
Linda C says
I think they used chewing gum in the past :slight_smile:
CarolR says
Two questions for you: Once the outdoor spaces are finished, I assume that the two groups will not be out there together? How much do they see of each other now?
And, are there any hassles at meal times with the new nine or are they too busy enjoying their yummy food to bother who gets theirs first?