Being Jamie’s friend means you have accept her on her terms, love her for who she is, and take her on her good days and bad days (or minutes or hours). I love Jamie to pieces, but I also understand that living with her is probably not the easiest at times. She can be a tad bit controlling or even manipulative. Sometimes being her friend is knowing that she will beckoning you to come over, making you think she wants to groom or play when really she just wants you to give her grapes. Or that at some point while grooming she may decide she is over it and want you to go away, but instead of disengaging from the interaction she will act like she is going to throw poop at you or even actually throw poop at you. Sometimes being Jamie’s friend is watching her make questionable social decisions in her group. However, these are all parts of Jamie, it makes her who she is and Jamie is a remarkable chimpanzee.
I know I have written a blog like this many times, but I think the sentiment is worth repeating, especially for a chimp like Jamie. She is so extremely intelligent and very aware of her situation. Jamie uses her brilliance to her full advantage, as she should! For example, not letting us close off Young’s Hill at night, making it so staff can’t go home. Jamie is tough, stubborn, and controlling. However, Jamie’s controlling nature gives her power in a situation where she has surely felt powerless in her life. In sanctuary we want the chimps to feel free to make choices and give them that power back. I think chimps like Jamie show how comfortable they are in sanctuary when they can be themselves and are accepted for it.
As serious as Jamie is, it’s important to take advantage of the times when she does decide to let loose. When Jamie wants to play, you drop everything and say yes! Like this morning, Jamie was so funny. We played chase for a long time and Bat Jamie even joined us! Jamie has so many different layers to her and I love each and every one of them :).
Bat James:
