Kennedy’s First Time Outside
When you spend your life in one place, a new environment isn’t just intimidating. It’s terrifying. Even if it’s the one you were born to be in. This is what many former research chimpanzees experience who never got to go outside. So when the opportunity is placed right in front of them, wouldn’t they be excited? For some, yes. For others, it can take a little while to warm up to the idea. That’s what we saw leading up to Kennedy’s first time outside.
A Tough Nut to Crack
Kennedy was one of the young bachelors of the Laurie & Carlee McGrath Chateau, or Chateau group one. Sometimes called the “frat boy” group, this group was unique for housing several young male chimpanzees who arrived in 2018. They’re among the rowdier residents, with large personalities and lots of testosterone. However, Kennedy stood out from the beginning.
“Kennedy is kind of a tough nut to crack,” said India, a caregiver who has worked with Kennedy since 2021. “He’s a sensitive man. Although he’d like to show how big and tough he is, he’s got anxiety.”
Early on, Kennedy would often alarm bark at new things outside or rile up the other chimps with his displays, like stomping, slamming things, and generally making lots of noise. Seeing this, caregivers decided to try putting him on prescription medication to help his anxiety. Since then, caregivers noted significant positive changes in his behavior.
Through it all, India still knows his soft side. “Once you break through the macho guy exterior, he’s such a sweet little guy.” Kennedy is very fond of plush toys, especially the ones that look like chimpanzee babies. “He would carry those around with him, play with them, and sit with them tucked under his chin.”
When most of his group went into the outside habitat, Kennedy would hang back in the building with other chimps who disliked going outside. “He’d go into the tunnel, but stop at the door that led into the habitat like it was a forcefield,” said India. But that wasn’t the end of it. In fact, it was only the beginning of Kennedy’s first time outside.
Playing with the Big Boys
In 2025, Care Staff decided that Kennedy should move to another group. “He never seemed fully present when in Chateau,” India recalls. “But seeing him in Harmony, it’s like suddenly the lights are on and he’s home.”
Chimpanzees are patriarchal. They have a defined hierarchy with an alpha male at the top to keep the peace. Without that leader, young male chimps don’t have a role model to look to. This was the case in Chateau with the boys. Roles were constantly shifting with no defined leader.
Because of Kennedy’s anxiety and strong personality, his caregivers thought living with a well-established group would benefit him immensely. For moves like these, caregivers prefer to send chimps with a buddy to reduce anxiety. So, Care Staff selected Kennedy and Danner, a similar chimp they thought might benefit, for the process.
Finding Harmony
“Kareem’s group is perfect,” India said with a chuckle. “We had to weigh which groups had strong leadership. Kareem is a strong alpha. He’s always been called a gentle giant. He’s very imposing in size, but he doesn’t use aggression as frequently as you may see in other groups. He’s very hands-off unless he needs to step in.” Male chimps need male role models just like humans do. It’s important to learn what makes a good leader, and caregivers thought Kareem could model that for Kennedy.
“(Harmony has) a pretty solid hierarchy,” India continued. “There are three very dominant girls in that group, which Kennedy didn’t have in Chateau group one. Those girls would scatter if something happened. These girls will chase the boys.”
Just as young chimps need male role models, they need female role models as well. They do their part in keeping the peace just as the alpha male does. And these particular girls in Harmony will put a boy in his place if he tries to do too much!
But that isn’t the only part that makes Harmony Villa so great for Kennedy. “Beautifully, Kennedy’s father, Ronald, is also part of that group.” India said. “They don’t know that they’re related, but that’s the fun part for the humans. And to my understanding, it was primarily Ronald who encouraged Kennedy to go out into the habitat.”
Kennedy’s First Time Outside
It began with Kennedy poking his head out from time to time, just looking. Then, he took tentative steps outside before ducking back into the tunnel. But the day Kennedy finally stood inside the habitat proper, January 23rd, was one all of Chateau’s care staff remember.
“We were all cleaning, and our behaviorist radioed, saying something like, ‘Kennedy is on the hill.’ So, we all ran out and started looking and cheering for him. He ended up coming down to Chateau, which is the farthest he’s been in the habitat. He was getting reassurance from the group that this is ok. He hung out for a little bit, climbed on some stuff, walked around, and then headed back home.”
Family Beyond Words
We’re not sure why Kennedy was reluctant to go outside at first, nor why the change from Chateau to Harmony did the trick. One possibility was Ronald’s encouragement. When a group gains habitat access, it’s common for them to patrol the borders to make sure all is well. It was Ronald who often tried to get Kennedy to go with them for this patrol. It was only then Kennedy began to take his first steps in the outdoors.
Without this reassurance from the others, staff weren’t sure if Kennedy would ever break through his fears. “Based on my experience, I think if he hadn’t moved to another group, he wouldn’t have gone out into the habitat, or it would have been much, much longer until he did.” Said India.
Even if we never know the real answer, we can live without it. What matters is that Kennedy took his biggest step since he first came to the sanctuary. And we couldn’t be prouder of him. Kennedy’s first time outside isn’t just a huge milestone for him, but for Project Chimps as well.
Help a Chimp Out
The truth is, Kennedy isn’t the only resident at Project Chimps who needs encouragement. Other chimps at the sanctuary need support, too. Making the move from lab to sanctuary is a daunting event for most chimpanzees, and many of them need time before they’re ready to go outside. It’s up to us to anticipate their needs and support them as best we can.
It’s thanks to the many donors and readers whose support helps make it possible for moments like this to happen. Without your support, our residents would never have had a second chance to enjoy life on their terms, taking it one step at a time. So let’s continue to do our part to cheer on these awesome apes.
Want to help support another former research chimp like Kennedy? Paul is another indoorsy chimp who recently joined the roster of featured chimps for sponsorship. Find out how you can support him on his journey by becoming a sponsor today!
