Meet Scott – curious, adventurous, and “enthusiastic”

By James Haworth

I know I shouldn’t judge a chimp by his cover, but when I look at Scott, I sense a calmness and confidence in his steady gaze. I see a curious soul—one who’s at peace in his new, wider world.

Scott is adventurous

Scott was born in 2003 at the New Iberia Research Center, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Three half-sisters—Gertrude, Manetta, and Nyia, all born at NIRC—now live at Project Chimps as well.

Scott came to the sanctuary in June 2022, one of a group of nine young adult males, ages 15 to 20. When his group was first given access to the outdoor Peachtree Habitat, Scott was among the most adventurous—going deeper and farther into the woods, surveying his vast, new backyard. And Scott was the first to climb up and onto one of the wooden platforms, high in the trees. He soaked in the sun, alone, for a good while, watching over the goings on below.

Scott is an introvert

Scott’s a bit of a loner, not especially social with the chimps in his group—although he’s made good friends with the twins, Kevin and Keith. He’s in the mid-to-lower range in the dominance hierarchy. He gets excited at dinnertime—it’s fun to see him sway back and forth with his whole body, anticipating a serving of pears or bananas or kiwis. 

Scott’s about average size, boasting a brown muzzle with pink spots. His hair can get out of control—caregivers joke that he needs to borrow a comb. And he’s a thumb sucker—the only one in his group.

Scott is meeting girls

At NIRC, the males and females live apart. When Scott and his group came to Project Chimps, the single-sex arrangement was maintained initially. But over the past month, our caregivers and behaviorist gradually have been introducing the males and females, four at a time: two females meet two males. 

Scott has been especially playful with the females—bordering on “overly enthusiastic.” His caregivers hope and expect that, with time, he’ll learn to be his more calm and gentle self with his new groupmates. We look forward to getting to know Scott better and better in the coming months, and anticipate that he’ll play an important role in creating a thriving, harmonious community of apes.

Show your support for Scott and his 95 chimp friends by making a donation for Giving Day for Apes today!