Greg’s Legacy: One Chimp’s Kindness
By Marissa Pena
In early April, we were sad to say goodbye to Greg, who passed away at 42 years old. He was a member of Kirk’s group and has lived at the sanctuary since 2019.
As the oldest chimp at the sanctuary, he was also a wise and respected member of his group. He was close with many of the younger female chimps in his group and loved to play with them. To honor his memory, we wanted to share a story about his friendship with Arielle, the youngest female chimp in the sanctuary.
Age and Social Hierarchy in Chimpanzees
Now that almost 100 chimps have made it to their forever home at Project Chimps, it’s our job to ensure their lifelong safety and comfort. Part of this involves a thorough understanding of chimpanzee social roles and hierarchy, as discussed here in our previous blogs.
Despite all coming from a background in medical testing, no two chimpanzees at our sanctuary are exactly alike. For example, did you know there was a 30-year age difference between the oldest and youngest chimps in Kirk’s group?
Meet Greg: Kind and Respected
Before his passing, caregivers described Greg as a gentle, comforting figure to the other chimps. Although he was quite elderly for a male chimpanzee, he was still an active member of his group. He loved grooming the other males and played very gently with the younger females.
“Greg is a very dynamic chimp,” said chimp care supervisor Tawnya Williams. “Even though he may look like he isn’t paying attention to the dynamics of the group, he is ever vigilant and will intervene when the alphas Kirk and Lindsey need him to. He plays with not only the other males, but the females.”
Greg was one of the higher ranking male chimps of his group, but didn’t act as the alpha or enforcer. Instead, his role was closer to that of a grandpa or trusted uncle. He was well respected and was often the first approached for reassurance or support when arguments occurred among his groupmates.
However, that’s not to say that things were always this easy going for him! He definitely dealt with mischief from younger chimps in the past, especially in the early days.
Meet Arielle: The Playful Troublemaker
At just 12 years old, Arielle is currently the youngest female chimpanzee within our sanctuary. On average, younger chimps tend to rank lower in the social hierarchy, so the same might be expected of Arielle. But while she may be young, Arielle is also quite the force to be reckoned with!
From the moment she was introduced to the males that became part of her group, Arielle loved to push boundaries. When the chimps first met in 2020, tensions were high, especially for those ranked towards the top. They weren’t sure if they could fully trust one another yet and were quick to defend against any perceived threats.
This is where Arielle tended to make mischief. Sort of like how a child might pretend to cry to get their sibling in trouble, Arielle thought it was hilarious to smack one of the new chimps and run screaming as if they had smacked her!
And of course, poor Greg wasn’t immune! Arielle would antagonize him by stealing his food and trying to get him in trouble with Lindsey, the alpha female. While this worked at first, as the chimps started to get the hang of cohabitation, Lindsey was catching on too. The next time Arielle tried getting Greg in trouble, Lindsey let her know she wasn’t falling for it anymore!
After realizing Lindsey would no longer fall for her pranks, Arielle also realized Greg made a better friend than enemy. Even though she might have picked on him in the past, Greg wasn’t the type to hold a grudge. As time passed, they could be found not only playing together, but sitting and eating next to each other too!
How Age Impacts Chimpanzee Roles and Behavior
Navigating change is always going to be at least a little awkward, but it’s a normal part of growing up. And according to Williams, this type of playful curiosity is pretty common for younger chimps like Arielle.
“(Younger chimps) tend to have higher energy and do not appear to think through their decisions as well. They try to get away with things and will antagonize just about anyone. If they build relationships with the higher-ranking chimps, they will push their luck even more than those without those relationships. This is a time for them to learn from older, more mature chimps what is acceptable and what is not. Even the lower ranking young chimps will test the waters with older chimps to see what they can get away with.”
Meanwhile, older chimps have their own status and roles within chimpanzee hierarchy.
“Older chimps tend to be better at navigating group dynamics. Age does come with experience and knowledge. We see some young chimps that are higher ranking than older chimps, but some of that is the fact that the older chimps seem to give them a bit more leeway in learning as well as the high-ranking young chimps have been socially savvy in who they make alliances with.”
Greg’s Legacy
Greg and Arielle may have been very different, but they also formed a close bond. He left a gentle legacy during his time at the sanctuary, and we felt truly honored to get to know him. From his adorable “old man shuffle” and love of sunbathing, everyone at Project Chimps will remember him fondly, especially Arielle.
As the younger chimps at our sanctuary continue to grow and mature, we will think back to Greg, who always treated them with kindness and patience. Greg’s legacy can be best summarized by his tribute from caregivers, which reads:
“Everyone, human and chimp alike, respected and felt honored to have spent time with him. He was affectionately known as Gregory by some, as his personality was more than the simple name of ‘Greg’ could encompass. It was a joy to see him play with the little girls with his big, gentle hands, and even though he was in the sunset of his life they loved to include him in their play sessions.
He took things slow, and his old man shuffle step slide gait was a quintessential sound of Chimps Ahoy Villa. Every one of us appreciated the ‘Greg shuffle,’ as he roamed about the room, he would head toward the care staff who would excitedly be ready to greet him, but he would fake us out by walking past and continue shuffling around the room.
His character was admirable, and in his old age he was consistently a comforting figure when his family needed him. He spent his final years watching the young chimps in his group grow up and taking deep naps in the sun.”
Thank you, Greg, for your warmth, patience, and kind heart. You are deeply missed.
The Remembrance Garden, where the chimp’s will be forever memorialized, will be opened in 2024. Members of the Legacy Society will be invited to the dedication ceremony. Find out more here.
