Chimps fight a lot, and occasionally they get wounded. Serious injuries are treated under the direction of a veterinarian, but we leave the smaller stuff to Missy.
groom
Face Washing, Pt. 2
A while back, we told you about Annie’s habit of washing her face.
I finally managed to catch it on video. Whether she’s actually cleaning herself or she just finds it refreshing, we can’t really say. But it is fairly unique.
Boots and Grooming
As J.B. explained a few weeks ago, Jamie has a particular need from her caregivers lately – that we put on cowboy boots and run or walk around the hill while she walks or runs on the other side of the fencing. She goes back inside the greenhouse once she is satisfied with this activity. Sometimes this is after just one lap around the hill, and sometimes it takes two, or three, or four. Once she’s back in the building, she often wants the boot that she’s been “chasing.”
Lately, though, she doesn’t want the boot immediately. Rather, she wants to sit in the greenhouse and groom the boot while the caregiver is still wearing it. This is precisely what we did this morning.
And she groomed my knee for a little while too:
I’m sure all of Jamie’s caregivers would agree that there is very little in life more gratifying than satisfying Jamie.
taking care of the boss
As we’ve mentioned before, grooming is an important aspect of chimpanzee culture. Between lunch and dinner in the afternoon is probably the most popular time for grooming among the Cle Elum Seven.
Even though she’s the boss, Jamie is not always the center of grooming. Missy grooms Jamie fairly often (see some photos from about a year ago on this blog post).
But Burrito is a less frequent grooming partner to Jamie.
Today Burrito and Missy were both grooming Jamie at the same time as they all sat in front of one of the windows on the catwalk of the playroom.
Burrito kept looking at me while I was taking photos.
Grooming
The chimps spend a good deal of each day grooming. Grooming serves a hygienic function, but it also helps to strengthen social bonds between individuals. In some ways, grooming is the glue that holds the group together.
Conflict and Reassurance
Foxie and Burrito are very good friends. But even best friends fight from time to time.
This morning, as we were preparing to serve breakfast, Burrito launched into a display in the outdoor area. He had been on edge all morning and his display was probably a little more aggressive than usual. I couldn’t see what happened, but in an instant there was a lot of screaming and Burrito was tearing back into the playroom with Foxie hot on his heels. A few seconds later, the girls had him cornered, and Foxie tackled him from behind.
When chimps fight, everything happens so quickly that it’s difficult to make out what exactly happened. But after the fight had ended, Burrito was left with a cut above his eye, a cut on his back, and a huge bruise to his ego.
The rest of the day was uneventful but tense, as Burrito’s conflict with Foxie and the other girls still had not been resolved. Chimps seek out reassurance, often immediately after a fight, but Burrito and Foxie had not yet made up. So later in the afternoon, Burrito launched into a brief display and then dove into Foxie’s arms. They hugged momentarily and then spent 15 minutes quietly grooming one another. Burrito found the reassurance he was looking for.
Grooming
Grooming, generally a very calm activity, is a really important part of chimpanzee culture. It establishes and strengthens friendships and alliances. Chimps part the hair and pick out any debris or dead skin. They also will groom scabs off of themselves and each other.
Left to right: Missy grooms Burrito’s head. Burrito grooms Foxie’s back. Foxie grooms Burrito’s arm.
Annie (right) grooms Missy’s face. Chimpanzees often use their lips as well as their fingers to groom themselves and others.
Jody (left) and Missy (right) groom Jamie (center, wearing scarf of trolls). This photo was taken shortly after Jamie had been ill for a few days and had been separated briefly from the group (though they could all still see each other). Grooming is very common when chimpanzees are reunited after even a short separation.