Some of the greatest joys of being a chimpanzee caregiver are all the little moments spent with the chimps each day… games of chase, tickles, grooming, kisses (safely, to the backs of our hands), breathy-panting, and getting to be downright silly with our chimpanzee friends every day. And we get paid to do it! In today’s blog video, join me for a surprise (to me) play session with Mave!
Mave is someone who does not often seek attention from me, and that’s okay! It is completely up to her who she wants to interact with and when, and oftentimes she prefers the company of her chimpanzee friends to the humans. So imagine my surprise when I arrived at the sanctuary one morning and there she was, breathy panting and head bobbing…at me! I looked around briefly to see if it was directed at someone else, before realizing my time had come. I dropped everything I was doing and accepted that we’d be running a little bit behind schedule that morning, because that’s what you do when Mave wants to play!
i’m happy your shoe passed the inspection.Putting up hrr foot almost seemed like she wanted you to knspect her shoeless sole.
Lucky you, Ellen! She left her BFF Dora to play with you!
I love how all of you at CSNW love, respect, enjoy, and play with these lucky chimps to help them find their best life!
Maeve and her cute asymmetrical lips. It looks like she had fun with you today and will look forward to more next time. How lucky you were to get your hand kissed by miss Mavis.
Mave is the most distinctive-looking chimp (IMHO) at the sanctuary and has long been a favorite of mine. I’m glad she took some “time off” to interact with one of her keepers.
Oh Ellen, soooo glad to see Ms. Mavis as single subject in this blog.
You lucky woman!
Could it be that she misses the other girls (Lucky and Raynie) to be with when Dora is having fun with Honey B.?
Anyway she is looking happy and her Buddah-self.
Mavis, greatest hugger of all time! I love her.
Ellen! That was beyond Marvelous! Clearly, at long last, you are IN. You’ve passed Miss Mave’s initiation. Look at her droopy bottom lip. And that almost dizzying circular head bob!! At the end she appears to be curious about what’s going on near her (perhaps it’s Dora she’s keeping a close eye on) but Mave chooses to be with YOU! Then she looks up into your eyes…..be still my beating heart.