Just before dinner, I looked up on the hill and saw Negra and Jody eating dandelion leaves on top of what we call “Missy’s Mound” (a small hill with a tunnel running through it). They were a good 150 feet or so from the building, which I think is the farthest that Negra has ever traveled up the hill. Negra has always been one of the most sedentary chimps that I’ve ever known; now it looks like Young’s Hill has finally given her a reason to get out of bed.
Awww she’s beautiful!
Really nice to see and with Summer before us we may see many more happy days with Negra getting out and learning to enjoy her safety and freedom.
Thanks for sharing – just beautiful!
I Love Negra so much! How wonderful to see her getting out on the hill! Thank you for sharing this!!
She seems like she might be a little overweight. Is that normal for older chimps, or is it because she’s more sedentary? I’m glad she’s spending more time out on the Hill!
Carissa – Yes, Negra is very overweight. I think her weight is a result of a combination of factors, the most important of which is her level of inactivity. She doesn’t play as much as the other chimps, she doesn’t explore in the same way, and she is less socially involved overall compared to the others. She shows symptoms that are consistent with PTSD and depression (see: http://www.pcrm.org/media/online/jul2011/chimpanzees-used-in-experiments-suffer-mood-and).
Negra’s lab records indicate that she was already being treated for her weight when she was nine years old. She would be separated from her cage mate so that she could be fed separately.
At the sanctuary, we have done well to give her healthy, wholesome food in reasonable quantities. But frankly we have not always dialed back on her food enough to compensate for her decreased level of exercise. She and Missy certainly don’t need to eat the same amount of food, given their different levels of activity, but there’s a natural tendency to give everyone the same amount.
We’re thrilled that Negra is enjoying the new enclosure and I think this exercise will help her shed a few pounds. We have a new scale that will allow us to track her progress (see: https://chimpsnw.org/2012/05/scale-or-new-place-to-sit/). Weight can be a vicious cycle, because excess weight can make exercise more difficult. We hope that Negra’s activity on the hill will lead to a positive cycle that will make her feel better overall.
Thanks for responding. That makes me so sad that she shows symptoms of PTSD and depression, but it makes sense considering all she’s been through with medical testing. I’m so glad she can enjoy her retirement in such a great sanctuary.
So happy for, and proud of, Negra for taking that big step out to the hill. Altho I fully support lounging around if that’s what she wants to do, I’m glad she’s feeling confident enough to venture outside, get some fresh air, and munch on some grass and dandelion leaves. She looks beautiful out there!!
I certainly can relate to inactivity not allowing weight loss! I was wondering, will the chimps have access to the hill during the winter? Thanks.
Yes, they will. This past winter, they had access every day except for a 3-week period when there was deep snow on the ground. They all spend less time outdoors when it is cold and each chimp has his or her own tolerance of colder temperatures. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of Negra on the hill this summer but come winter, I’m pretty sure she will stick to the greenhouse or stay under the covers in bed.
Thank’s for sharing, I too, love Negra. I am happy she has meandered out with Jody and got some dandilions. She just needs to soak up a little sunshine, breathe a little fresh aire to brighten her spirits. I know you all take such wonderful care of these chimps, I love each and everyone of ’em! Thanks for keeping me posted.
Her Happiness is probably the best medicine :). Her Birthday is coming up in June I think so see a party opportunity!
Negra’s new outdoor adventures surely are the story of the season. I continue to be so thrilled at every new step she takes out there and every post that shares her successes.
Female chimpanzees must also go through a menopausal stage and for any woman who’s gone through it (or going through it) we know that weight can be a greater challenge during this time. At least she’ll be getting more fresh greens now that she’s on the Hill so maybe she’ll be less hungry when she’s inside.
Menopause in chimpanzees does occur, but it arrives so late in life that most won’t live long enough to experience it. It is virtually nonexistent in wild chimpanzees, and in captive chimpanzees (who are free from predation and many of the diseases that afflict their wild counterparts) it seems to occur sometime around age 50. While this is similar to the age of onset in humans, chimpanzees live only half as long as humans in industrialized societies.
We’re not sure why Negra doesn’t cycle. Although menopause is rare, and Negra is only 38 years old, it could still be a hormonal issue. Alternatively, she may have had a hysterectomy that wasn’t recorded in the lab files that were given to us (she has no scar, however, so I don’t think this is likely).
Thank you for the reply JB! We all love learning as much as we can about the chimps. How interesting that the onset of menopause is similar in age between humans and chimpanzees. I think (and I realize what I know about chimps could still only fill a dixie cup) that a hormonal issue – whether related to menopause or not, may be a critical factor here. I wonder if some of the experiments they conducted affected her thyroid function? Do the lab files you have access to give CSNW a way to examine leads like this?
Interesting that you should ask about her thyroid function because we actually tested that a few years ago. When Negra came to us, she exhibited many of the signs of hypothyroidism (depression, fatigue, overweight, dry skin, and sensitivity to cold). We knew from the folks at the lab and from lab records that she had exhibited many of these symptoms for years – almost her entire life. Some people just have a different metabolism and it doesn’t necessarily reach the significance of a clinical disorder, but we thought it would be worth at least ruling out thyroid dysfunction. We were able to obtain a banked blood sample from her last physical exam at the lab and had that tested and there were no indications of abnormal thyroid function.
The lab files don’t tell us much, unfortunately. We have dates of physicals, blood draws, cage transfers, etc. for certain periods of their lives, but there is so much missing.