A couple months ago I wrote about Jody’s lineage and her son Levi who I had worked with previously. Today I’m gonna talk about the Queen’s dynasty, Negra’s daughter Heidi who currently resides at another sanctuary. It is a unique privilege to have been able to work with both mother and daughter, and I thought you all would enjoy getting to know more about this royal family.
Negra is known for her exacting standards when it comes to her caregivers but she tends to be low key in her group, generally not getting overly involved in disputes, instead preferring to enjoy time in her nest. During the quiet times within the group you really start to see her fun personality come out with her group though, whether it be playing with Burrito or grooming with Jamie.
Heidi is a different story, she tends to be very forgiving of her caregivers shortcomings and is very sweet towards all the caregivers she meets. She enjoys quality time with her caregivers, whether it be getting head scratches or belly tickles or staring at them sweetly. However, she is in a social group with 14 other chimpanzee’s, and she is well known for being spitfire. Heidi is bold and does not hesitate to express her likes and dislikes with her group mates. She is quick to stand up for herself, and not so quick to let it go. It is a quality you don’t really expect when you first meet and she comes off as pleasant and seemingly low key.
Heidi’s nickname is the Bowling Ball, due to her petite but chunky physique and when I first met her and the girls she came to sanctuary with one thing I did not expect was that someone like Heidi would be such good friends with another girl in her group named Robbie (a.k.a. Roberta, or ‘Berta to her friends), who is also nicknamed the Wrecking ball. Robbie is a large, high ranking chimp who throws her weight around and is sure to get what she wants. This friendship makes sense when you get to know Heidi better and see how spicy she is, it’s nice to know she always has ‘Berta to have her back and that they get to enjoy their retirement together.
Neggie and Heidi may have different strategies for navigating their social lives in their groups but one thing these ladies do have in common is they know what they want, and they want it their way. No exceptions.
Neggie:
Heidi:
Thoughtful Neggie:
Thoughtful Heidi:
Neggie:
Heidi:
Neggie:
Heidi:
Neggie:
Heidi:
Very fun to learn and see both the Queen Mum, Negra and her Fairy Princess daughter, Heidi. Loved it!
Very interesting, Sabrina! Thank you. Two beautiful girls.
i love learning these tid bits! thank you for sharing!!!
How fortunate for you to have the opprtunity to work with mother and daughter. Thank you for telling us about their indivilual personalities.
Forehead appears to run in the family line:face_with_monocle::grin:
Marie, i thought the same thing about their mother-daughter hairline.
What luck to work with both of these amazing ladies! Heidi really does have a sweet face. Thank you for sharing.
How wonderful you know both Levi and Heidi and now, their mothers. As the saying goes, it’s a small world, and I am sure that is very true if you work within the chimpanzee sanctuary world.
What great photos, thanks so much for sharing Heidi with us! I enjoyed studying the comparison photos of these two beautiful and unique girls. If Negra is our Queen I guess this makes Heidi a Princess!
oh how lovely to get this family comparisons. darling Negra. i wish she could have known her daughter.
It is so tearjerking to think these beautiful souls had their offspring snatched away from them and besides the loss they never got to know them.
It is a wonder they even begin to engage with a human at all.
I see the similarities in that brow ridge and the mouth, though she doesn’t quite have Neggie’s fabulous lips
I think Neggie just doesn’t know how to tell you what she wants. She just knows she wants it, bless her.
Sabrina, don’t the lines/bags under Heidi’s eyes show she’s a bit dehydrated?
Amazing that you were able to get so many similar poses/ shots!
Sabrina, thank you for the interesting facts about Heidi, Neggie’s daughter. Loved the great pictures too.
Just loved this photo of Heidi and Neggie. Heidi is so adorable and just like the Queen
What a privilege to be able to work with both the mother and the daughter. It is uncanny how much Heidi resembles Neggie.
I know that Neggie loves nothing more than a late morning in her nest. Does Heidi also nest to perfection and sleep in late? Just curious they seem to have so much else in common. Thanks for sharing this “insider” info.
Hey Debi,
Heidi actually does not make nests, she sleeps directly on the shelf typically with no bedding, which is her preference. None of the other chimps in her group are nest makers either, it seems to just be soemthing they didnt learn to do, so they are instead provided hammocks, hay and shelves as sleeping options.