One of the best things about working here with the chimpanzees is that you are always excited to see them in the morning when you get to the Chimp House and if you’re lucky the chimps are equally thrilled to see you. When the mornings are quiet, it is so enriching for us and the chimps to have a quick grooming session or a game of chase to get the day started.
One of the more challenging aspects comes when one of us gets sick. I recently had my first experience with Covid-19, so I was out of work for over a week and I was finally able to return a few days ago. This is challenging for most caregivers because we definitely feel some amount of sadness over not being able to be a part of the chimps daily lives when we’re sick. I know for me personally, I miss them when I’m away for more than a few days and I find myself wondering what they’re doing a lot during my day.
While we can’t know if the chimps think of us or wonder where we are, we do get some indications that we’ve been missed when we come back and are greeted with very exuberant pant hoots and invitations to groom and/or play.
A memorable instance of this occurred when J.B. took a vacation last year. After a week-long absence, he came by to visit the chimp house when he returned, only to be spotted immediately by Jamie from Young’s Hill. Jamie, in her excitement let out an enthusiastic vocalization, that I imagine must have been just for J.B., and the whole group came out very excitedly to see him and take him on a walk around the Hill.
Also, Honey B is home with her group after her recent separation for an injury near her eye! More on her homecoming in an upcoming blog!
