Annie is one of our quieter chimps. She doesn’t ask for much attention from her caregivers, not because she doesn’t enjoy it, but because Annie is truly more of a chimp’s chimp. I’ve written before about how some chimps naturally gravitate more toward people, while others find their comfort and fulfillment primarily within their chimpanzee group. When we talk about those differences, we also recognize the fact that many of our residents didn’t get to live natural lives, and some grew up with humans.
What matters most to us is that Annie gets what she needs from her group, which she does! Seeing chimps maintain strong, healthy relationships with one another is always a priority here. We are constantly encouraging chimp-to-chimp interactions because those bonds are so important, which is why if we are interacting with a chimp and another chimps joins, we will remove ourselves if they chimps are engaged with each other.
Because Annie gravitates more to her group, interactions like today feel all the more special! It is a gentle reminder that trust can look different for every chimp, and that honoring who Annie is means celebrating both her independence and the moments she invites us into her world.
