We have several human-oriented chimpanzee residents. These are the type of chimps that yearn for human attention for play, grooming, or just quiet time (ex: Burrito, Terry, Cy). The human-oriented chimps are very easy to become friends with because they’re not picky, they just want love and attention from you. These three boys: Burrito, Terry, and Cy, are also the most interested in volunteers or visitors as well. They want to check each and every person out and spend time with them.
On the contrary, we also have chimpanzee residents who do not crave human attention (ex: Missy, Annie, Gordo, Mave, Dora, etc). Gordo specifically, will avoid eye contact with humans, as much as possible. He typically doesn’t want us to acknowledge him unless we need him for something specific (e.g. meal time, gum, etc). However, he will breathy pant with us during exciting occasions (such as a party day) or seek reassurance (when a scary train goes by). Every so often, Gordo will glance at his caregivers quickly while scratching his arms, legs, and torso. If the caregiver picks up on these cues, the game of chase has been accepted. Seconds later, Gordo will start running, expecting you to chase after him.
Another thing about Gordo is that he typically doesn’t build elaborate nests. He will nest with some random pieces of paper or a nearby firehose, but he is not interested in nesting with blankets. The other day I caught him nesting downstairs in the Playroom with paper, boxes, and toys. He does not often nest before bedtime so I captured the occasion on camera! Which, as you will see, ended in a fun game of chase!
Gordo doesn’t need our attention often, but it sure is fun when he wants it!
