George and Cy: Connecting on The Bray

Introductions are unpredictable. You never quite know what the chimps are going to do, how they’ll react, or how they’ll respond to neighbors making noise (and yes, sometimes the neighbors do heighten the situation). But that’s the point of these meet-ups — to give them the opportunity to work through situations or conflicts and gain more confidence as we build this group, especially for George.

Last Saturday, we did an all day introduction with George and Cy. We wanted to give them more time to work through different scenarios and bond together. Bonding with Cy will be a critical part of this introduction process. Cy is an exceptional leader, and I think he’ll really help show George the ropes, helping him build confidence and engage in typical chimp activities, like grooming. We also want George to understand the hierarchy and recognize Cy as the leader. And what better way to do that than to give them extended time together and introduce them to a new space they’d have to navigate side by side? So, we gave Cy and George access to the chute and The Bray!

We are so incredibly proud of George. He was actually the one encouraging Cy to go out onto The Bray, while Cy seemed a bit apprehensive. Since this was a space they hadn’t shared together before, it caused a moment of uncertainty for Cy. However, George beckoned for Cy to come — and he did! This was a big step for them in bonding and building a friendship. I think Cy has really grown fond of the little guy! As a side note, Cy was also really distracted because he really wanted to hangout in front room 7. It’s his favorite room because you can see so much in the chimp house, Cy hasn’t had access to it in a long time!

The week before, we had tried giving George and Gordo access to the same space, but Gordo, being the cautious soul he is, thought there was a catch and refused to go outside with George. George was so patient and tried hard to encourage him, but Gordo just couldn’t do it. However, as you saw in Tuesday’s blog, Gordo also had an all day introduction with George, and eventually, he found the courage to run out onto The Bray with him.

Setting up introduction days is a lot of work. Behind the scenes, getting the chimps to shift and move where they need to be can be quite challenging. Not everyone is always eager to cooperate (cough, cough — Honey B, Terry, and now Rayne). Sometimes, if the chimps don’t shift, it can really affect the whole day, and we have to get creative with our shifting plans. Mentally, it can be extremely taxing.

However, that makes it all the more rewarding to witness these milestones. George has been alone for over two years since his companion at his previous home passed away. Watching George beckon Cy over and seeing them embrace on The Bray brought tears to my eyes. George has had to explore much of his new surroundings alone, so it strikes a deep chord to see him finally sharing the experience with another chimp. Moments like these really fill our cups and remind us that this is the heart of our work- providing opportunities, offering choice, and fostering meaningful social connections.