Meet Kevin – twin, drummer & shy around girls

By James Haworth

Kevin, a mid-sized chimp with pale speckles on his chin, seemed nervous when it came time to meet some of the female chimps who lived nearby.

Kevin is Shy

For his first two months at Project Chimps, Kevin lived in a group of nine chimps, all males. When he and one of his cohorts were given the chance to meet two of the new females—we typically introduce chimps two pairs at a time—Kevin kept his distance, fidgeting and looking away. One of the girls, Muttie, approached Kevin, panting to signal her playful intentions and started tickling him. But Kevin ran to a corner and sat down, inspecting where she had just touched him. He continued to groom the spot, a self-soothing activity that chimps practice when they’re anxious.

His human caregivers weren’t surprised. “Kevin’s more people-oriented,” said Caregiver Fred Rubio. “He’s not a chimp’s chimp.”

Kevin is a Twin

One chimp that Kevin’s especially fond of, however, is Keith, his fraternal twin. “If you see one, the other’s usually close by.” The twins have two half-siblings who’ve been at Project Chimps for a while, and another half-sibling at the lab, waiting to come.

Twins are rare in chimpanzees, but here at Project Chimps we have three sets of twins! (Two full sets and one half who’s twin is still at the lab.)

Kevin is a Drummer

Kevin is a mid to lower-ranking chimp in his group. “He’s not assertive at the hopper,” said Fred. “He’s not pushing his way to the front when meals are served, but he’ll kick the screen mesh fencing—loudly—if he thinks we’re not getting the food out fast enough!” Making noise comes naturally to Kevin, it seems. Fred describes him as “acoustic” and a “bang on the drum” chimp, who enjoys playing a loud and steady beat on the metal doors of his indoor living space.

Fred’s hope for Kevin is that he’ll grow to be more comfortable meeting new chimps, especially the girls. “I hope he learns to relax and form new friendships with ease. I think he can do it!”

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