Meet Jennifer: An Unsung Hero
By Anna Lietman
Meet Jennifer: An Unsung Hero
Jenny isn’t one of our most famous residents, but we wanted to bring her into the spotlight. If you read on, you’ll find out why we consider Jenny a chimp hero!
About Jennifer
One of our caregivers, Alan, is especially eager to showcase Jenny. Alan works with the Cedar Tree Villa group, and has gotten to know Jenny over their two-and-a-half years together. He speaks of her fondly, with a desire to “show everyone that Jenny is a really spectacular chimp.”
He describes Jenny as “unusually lanky,” loyal, and agreeable. Staff can pick Jenny apart from the rest of the chimps thanks to her goofy smile and extra-long limbs.
A Loyal Friend
Aside from her physical features, one of Jenny’s most notable traits is the way she makes friends so easily. “She’s just got a really friendly personality,” Alan says. Jenny gets along well with the human staff and her chimp peers.
She’s strongly bonded with chimps Jabari, Gertrude, and Latricia. Her loyalty within these friendships caught Alan’s attention. Jenny often grooms her friends, and will back them up during disagreements and reassure them after a fight.
Jenny and Jabari have one of the closest, most affectionate male-female friendships at Project Chimps. As for her female friends, Gertrude and Jenny are tightly knit half-sisters. The two have learned to hold the door open for each other when they leave rooms, ensuring one doesn’t get left behind.
One story in particular speaks to Jenny’s character: Jenny saved Latricia’s life.
A Chimp Hero
Almost a year ago, Latricia developed an abscess on her backside that ruptured and bled. After losing blood, she grew weak and staff decided to intervene to give medical treatment. The healthcare team realized Latricia was unable to replenish her blood as quickly as she was losing it, and unable to replenish the lost blood with healthy, iron-rich blood.
While we previously documented Latricia’s medical scare in a health update, we never properly highlighted Jenny’s heroic role in the story.
Following their assessment, healthcare staff decided a blood transfusion would be the best course of action. And they nominated Jenny as the perfect blood donor! They made this match partly because Jenny is so friendly with her caregivers; she trusts them and will complete tasks they request of her. She would also make a wonderful “recovery pal,” staff reasoned. Indeed, throughout the ordeal Jenny faithfully stuck by her best friend’s side. She played a key role in nursing Latricia back to health, making her a true chimp hero.
Stay tuned for more blog features on our lesser-known chimps, as we draw attention to some of these remarkable ‘underdog’ characters.
