Does this video need an commentary? I think it stands on its own, but I can provide a little more storytelling.
It was not in my plan for the day to move Dora from her usual group into her secondary group with friends Mave, Honey B, and Willy B, but she was not shifting quickly, so I seized the opportunity. Maybe she had it in her mind that could happen. Maybe it was her plan for the day. Or maybe she just took it all in stride.
As you can see from the video, Honey B and Dora were thrilled to see each other, and Mave just wanted to be sure to stay within an arm’s reach. Willy B too was happy to see Dora, and she gave him an enthusiastic greeting.
When some initial cleaning was complete and it came time to shift them again, Willy B decided to stay behind, alone on the Bray, while Mave, Dora, and Honey B enjoyed some snacks and some “girl time” in the Mezzanine.
As a practice, we don’t generally close chimpanzees in the outdoor habitats. Willy B, however, seemed pretty content out there, sometimes displaying and sometimes lying down. It reminded me of the old days when he had begun is solo conquest of the outdoors. J.B. wrote about it in his blog post: The King of the Courtyard and his Growing Kingdom.
Witnessing Willy B’s desire to remain on the Bray, I decided to close him out there while I cleaned the chute and we got some other areas spic and span. I don’t know what prompted him to play king of the Bray today, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Every once in a while I would hear some screaming from Missy and Foxie which let me know that he was displaying and getting just the reaction he was hoping for. And it gave Honey B, Mave, and Dora some time with each other without having to worry about him turning his intimidation tactics towards them.
These social primates made some good decisions today.
Here’s a bonus close-up of Miss Negra to cap it off:
What a heartening video to watch! I am glad that the Mora B Girls Club could hold a meeting. And how generous of Neggie to practice Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by extending an invitation to one of her human friends to her grooming party.
Maybe cute little Dora did get just what she wanted today. No matter the reason, it was fun seeing the Girls Club together again. It is sweet to see Mave patiently waiting and watching for her time with Dora. She is comfy just being near Dora. I believe in my heart Mave wished Dora had approached her first, with a big hug! And I am proud of Willy B. It appears he had a nice grooming session with Dora but he knew when it was time to graciously bow out to enjoy his Bray Kingdom all by himself. Maybe he has grown some. 🙂
Most of all, I loved seeing Jamie grooming and tenderly caring for Negra. (Especially with Burrito goofballing with his slinky right next to them.) Much like Mave needing to touch Dora, Jamie resting her hand on Negra brought comfort to both old friends. Very touching.