I always marvel at how far Mave has come at the sanctuary. She is social savvy with the chimps she meets, she is a peaceful presence in her group, and she has become so brave exploring the Bray all on her own. Today was so hot, but that didn’t stop Mave from going out and exploring the Bray in the mid-morning heat. I always refer to Mave as a California babe, she doesn’t seem to mind warm weather in the slightest. She took me by surprise today, because not only was she out exploring the Bray on her own, but we also had a small group visiting outside of the fence. Mave is known to be more in the background when we have summer visit groups, she is more interested in her chimp friends. However, today she waltzed up to go say hi and sit out on Ryan’s Lookout. As I went out to take picture of her on the Bray I was in awe of her confidence to not only be in her outdoor enclosure exploring alone, but also to be out when we had visitors. I love watching the chimps grown more confident in there surroundings and themselves in sanctuary. It’s a great reminder of our purpose here.
Mave:
MAVE!!
We thought we’d never see it, but there she is!
I wish she had more roommates..
Marvelous Mave! An absolute love of a girl.