Celebrating TAZ’s 29th birthday!
“Cool guy” Taz is one of the higher-ranking males in his group and it isn’t hard to see why! Today, we’re thrilled to celebrate his 29th birthday by sharing a little about what makes him so unique.
As a high-ranking chimp, Taz could best be described as a mediator within his group. He’s skilled at resolving conflicts and keeping the others in line when needed. He’s also sure to give comfort and reassurance to all participants once the conflict has settled down.
Aside from his impressive conflict mediation skills, Taz is also quite playful when he wants to be! His favorite activities are playing with Patrick, Arthur, Quintin, Marlon, and Josh, who he’s been especially close with lately. While they occasionally have disagreements, they still hang out and groom each other, and sometimes even enjoy lunch together.
Taz is a huge foodie who really looks forward to mealtimes! His favorite foods are apples and sweet potatoes, but he also loves enrichment, especially smear boards. These are plastic plates or cutting boards with a sticky diluted peanut butter/applesauce/honey mixture, which are then frozen. Taz usually allows the other chimps to take things from him, but he tries very hard to hold onto these!
Taz stands out in part thanks to his awesome hair, which sticks out like wings on his head and shoulders. He also enjoys interacting with caregivers by shaking his head. According to one caregiver, when he gets especially playful, he shakes his head while opening his mouth and grunting happily.
We hope you’ll help us wish Taz a happy 29th birthday this year! If you’d like to send him a birthday gift, please consider peanut butter for smear boards from our Amazon Wishlist.
Alternatively, Taz is also a featured chimps you can sponsor monthly or annually here at Project Chimps! If you loved reading about Taz and want to support his continued care, we hope you’ll consider becoming a sponsor!
Taz, we’re so lucky to know a chimp like you! Thank you for always looking out for the other chimps in your group and making us smile. We hope today is filled with all your favorite treats!