Drama seems to follow Jason. He is currently at work sorting out becoming the new alpha’s right-hand. Jason was a part of Stirlene’s efforts to usurp the current alpha in the group, Bo.

Recently Ray cut his lower lip; we don’t know how he did it but he presented the injury to staff. Which got us curious about just how long chimps could heal versus humans.

After spending 4 months at Project Chimps, James Haworth is proof that internships at any age have value.

As I spoke with Holly about her current aspirations, I had an opportunity to see who Holly is outside of work. Considering her background in film, I asked her who some of her favorite directors are. Her tastes are as weird as it gets! She revealed to me she is super into both Quentin Tarantino, and David Lynch. One of her more recent favorite films is titled “Cloud Atlas”.

How much fun can you really have by donating your time to us? One of our volunteers, Catherine Dunlap, had a moment to discuss our “Enrichment Parties”; a volunteer event held that is part social gathering and part volunteer work!

By Gregory Rodriguez Sometimes chimps rescued from labs can be a little bit of a handful. When Sheena first arrived, she was known for flinging poop at her caregivers! Although that’s not the only peculiarity about Sheena. She has recently started this new habit we’ve connotated as “potatoing”, giving her the title of Sheena the…

“Why can’t the chimps be sent back to Africa?” is a common question we get at Project Chimps. So, let’s explain why that is a complicated and sometimes fatal move. 

Born in 2007, Bobby is the youngest in his group of nine male chimps. He’s the last chimp, so far, to set foot in the sanctuary. If we numbered the chimps by their arrival seniority, Bobby would currently be #99.

Keith, a 19-year-old chimpanzee with a short, stocky build and a distinguished white beard, is easy to enjoy. “He’s a sweet one,” says caregiver Fred Rubio, who holds a masters degree in primate behavior. “Keith’s engaging and playful—with his group mates and with caregivers.” And he’s easy to identify. “Keith’s got a prominent brow ridge that juts out like an Easter Island statue!”

When his group was first given access to the outdoor Peachtree Habitat, It was great to see Lancelot taking full advantage of the opportunity—chest out, head high, eyes wide open, taking in this exciting new world. When he climbed the fire-hose ladder leading high up into the trees, he looked confident—courageous, even. On top of the world.

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.

When Prince arrived at Project Chimps, in a group of nine young males, 15 to 20 years old, caregivers pegged him as a wallflower. But now they say Prince is emerging as one of the higher ranking, more influential chimps in the group.

Small (at 110 pounds) and shy, Paul is currently one of the lower ranking chimps in his group. “Care staff have witnessed positive interactions between Paul and his group mates, but he seems to prefer his own company for the most part.”

Some of the chimpanzees at Project Chimps are intrigued by humans. They study the actions of their caregivers, rush to the observation windows when tour groups visit, and engage with caregivers through the protective steel mesh. Zack on the other hand, is not into people.

Having a structured and customized animal behavior training program is very important, and that’s what Behavior Coordinator Kris Pritchard is working to develop at Project Chimps.