As you may already know, chimpanzees groom each other for both socialization and hygiene. They keep diligent track of any injury their friends have sustained and are always on hand to squeeze, prod, pick at, or even gently bite an offending wound. This does a pretty good job of keeping things open and clean. At the sanctuary, no one is more dedicated to the job of wound groomer than Missy Chimpanzee (AKA Dr. Missy).
Last week we had to do a quick surgical procedure to stitch Jody’s partially detached eyelid back together. She continues to recover and improve, but as an added precaution to make sure she heals smoothly (and gets to keep her stitches as long as possible), we separated her again from the group yesterday evening. Dr. Missy will need to wait a bit longer before she can do some serious grooming.
The doctor in action:
the first picture of missy looking at jody’s eye . . . priceless. I love the lip-action. I would just like to give her a kiss. thanks for the great pics today (and every day).
I was wondering about the others and “needing” to groom when one of the others has a “wound”. It sounds like Missy was responding with an innate behavior. Dogs and cats usually end up with “the cone of shame”…
Definitely an innate behaviour. I won’t speak for the staff, but from what I’ve learned so far, the law of the jungle can play a role in wild animals’ behaviours. Any animal with a perceived weakness can cause other troop/group members to leave them. Even our domesticated house cats still try to hide their illnesses.
I remember seeing a clip from the movie “Jane” recently about a high-ranking chimp in her Gombé group that contracted polio and eventually couldn’t walk. ONE CHIMP stayed behind to help him when he lost use of his arms, but when he could no longer walk anymore, even that chimp abandoned him to die alone. If wild animals have illnesses or wounds, it can tend to slow down the whole group, making them vulnerable to competitors, and so perhaps chimpanzees developed the grooming and over-grooming to help minimise that general weakness.
It’s a whole anthropology thing similar to humans, except we’re not generally known for simply dumping those who can’t fend for themselves.
Cheers.
Well Doctor Missy
your just what I’m looking for. Im having major arm and wrist surgery tomorrow. Hope you have a few weeks free love to have you as my favorite caregiver.
1. Love smoothies
2. Not to crazy aboutgreens
3. Love love love watermelons and pineapples.
4. Love all kind of
nuts
You think you can handle this 66 year old lady?
Be careful during recovery. Will be praying for u to get back to normal
. Take carebesutiful
TAKE CARE BEAUTIFUL ONE
These photos brought a smile to my face so I guess they are medicine enough for me. Especially the second photo of Dr. Missy and the last photo of Negra and Missy’s grooming hands. Hope Jody is enjoying her quiet time again and I hope those stitches can stay in long enough to mend. Now I am curious if Jody would self groom and disturb her own stitches (?!). Nothing easy about it I guess but I am not going to worry as I know Jody couldn’t be in better hands.
These photographs capture so much love and intelligence exuding from the Good Doctor and her patients.