When we are learning how to identify each chimp, we pay attention to the little details: a pronounced brow ridge, how their hair falls on their head, any missing digits or abnormal features (such as half of an ear), their skin texture, the color of their hair on the back, and so on.
At CSNW, we also have objects that are paired with an individual, such as Foxie with dolls, Cy with magazines, and Jamie with cowboy boots and her Lucy bonobo book. However, we are taught during initial training, to never rely on these objects to identify a chimpanzee. For example, if you can see a chimpanzee holding a doll, but they are laying down and you can’t see any other features about them, we are not allowed to assume the unidentified chimpanzee is Foxie. Not only is this extremely important for safety purposes, but it’s also just not always factually correct to assume it’s Foxie.
Many of Jamie’s group members hold dolls. Of course, not anywhere close to the same frequency as Foxie does, but it still reminds us that we cannot rely on the objects.
Foxie with a doll:
Negra with a doll:
Jamie with a doll:
Burrito with a doll:
Annie with a doll:
Missy with a doll:
Another example of this is Cy and magazines. Cy spends a lot of time reading magazines and you can often find him doing so. However, he is not the only one who reads magazines, so we should never use a magazine as a way to identify him from others.
Cy reading a magazine:
Rayne reading a magazine:
Jamie with a magazine:
Burrito with a magazine:
Honey B with a magazine:
Another identifier could be nest location, since many of the chimps nest in the same locations daily. However, we have learned this is also something we should not rely on. It’s important to always see their face or enough of their body, to positively identify each chimpanzee.
For example:
Negra always nests in the SE corner of Playroom 1.
However, sometimes another freckly face steals her nest…
We’ve been posting about “Fake Negra” for many years. Check out one blog from 2017 here.
Here is Fake Neggie (a.k.a Missy) next to the Real Neggie:
When you can only see the freckles peeking out of the blanket and it’s in Negra’s nesting spot, it can be quite confusing.
Missy:
Missy, still Fake Neggie:
The real Neggie:
Another identifier could be the FLOOF.
Mave and Terry commonly get confused by new volunteers because of their amount of floofiness. They both always look like they got a fresh blow out. It’s impressive.
Many people comment about how large Terry is, which he is, but both Cy and Willy B are bigger than him. He looks bigger than he is because of the floof.
Terry:
His hair is adorable in this photo:
Don’t confuse the floof! Terry’s half sister, Mave:
Mave (L) and Terry (R):
I have finally come to a place where I can identify everyone by their face and some, but not all, by their bodies.
That’s very impressive, Cindee!
Fake Neggie?! Oh, I am not inclined to sit idly by when the reputation of someone so accomplished as Dr. Missy is besmirched by an accusation of pseudo-Negraism! To the contrary, I think that Missy deserves all of our support as a Transsimian who identified as a Neggie (at least when the opportunity to nest in the Royal Nesting Berth in the southeast corner of the day-room). And, we should all use Missy’s preferred pronouns, which are ‘”More” and “Tomatoes”.
Fake Neggie?! Oh, I am not inclined to sit idly by when the reputation of someone so accomplished as Dr. Missy is besmirched by an accusation of pseudo-Negraism! To the contrary, I think that Missy deserves all of our support as a Transsimian who identified as a Neggie (at least when the opportunity to nest in the Royal Nesting Berth in the southeast corner of the day-room). And, we should all use Missy’s preferred pronouns, which are ‘”More” and “Tomatoes”.
Fake Neggie?! Oh, I am not inclined to sit idly by when the reputation of someone so accomplished as Dr. Missy is besmirched by an accusation of pseudo-Negraism! To the contrary, I think that Missy deserves all of our support as a Transsimian who identifiea as a Neggie (at least when the opportunity to nest in the Royal Nesting Berth in the southeast corner of the day-room). And, we should all use Missy’s preferred pronouns, which are ‘”More” and “Tomatoes”.
Yes Tobin, we got it !!:joy:
I still need more practice, I’ll blame it on my small phone screen. These are great pictures of all though.
Thanks, Jenna!
It’s so good to see Mavis outside!
Honey B really looks like she’s perusing the morning news over cereal.
My apologies: I did not intend to enter a triplicate of comments. Suffice it to say that Raynie seems interested in the latest issue of Mountain Bike Monthly while the noted gourmand Burrito devours a food magazine (naturally).
Don’t stress it, Tobin. It has happened to all of those of us who are mere mortals at least once.:wink:
When I read the first line of my Daily Blog email I instantly thought of “Fake Neggie”! A few of your photo selections cracked me up like Rayne enjoying her issue of MountainBike! (My husband might take a special interest in Rayne after seeing this.) The photo of Honey B engrossed in her reading while snacking away has always been one of my all time favorites. Who can’t relate to that?! And I love to see Terry and/or Mave all floofed up.
Speaking of size, who is the largest male—Cy or Willy B?
Kathleen, I looked up their weights to correctly answer the question and they weigh within a kilogram of eachother. Gosh, they’re close!
That IS close…. but which one is bigger!?!?:smile:
Why do they like bonobo books? Or rather, do they prefer pictures of bonobos over pictures of chimps?
Before, it was an architectural magazine, for Jamie. :person_shrugging_tone1:?
We can only guess.
But these books , the “Lucy” books, are about a baby bonobos growing up. So mybe they like looking at babies and families.
Thank you, that makes sense.
Jamie specifically loves bonobo books! I’m not exactly sure why, but she does love pics of baby chimps too.
Thank you. I know that before they were identified as different, zoos would put chimps and bonobos together and they’d sometimes hybridize, so maybe they don’t mind bonobos too much. I’ve seen that some of them really hate pictures of certain animals.
Lol, that would be Cy! There’s a whole laundry list of pics he can’t handle! :laughing:
And with Jamie, it’s snakes!
Can I just say here how excited I am about George!?!?
I guess quarantine is near the clinic… is thr idea to try him with Jamie’s group?! Is Bubba gonna get a Bubba!?
I love this post and ALL of the photos!
They are all – ALL OF THEM – so interesting and fascinating!