Dawn

When Dawn first arrived at Project Chimps in 2022, she looked quite different than she does now. Not only was Dawn physically overweight at the time, she was also quite shy. She struggled for a long time with the idea of going out into the habitat and hesitated to take her food from certain areas of the villa. However, we’re proud to report that’s no longer the case!

Dawn’s confidence continues to grow each year. Although she has always been assertive, as she’s become more adventurous and started exploring the outdoor habitat her ranking has increased, too. She’s particularly close with Thomas, a high-ranking male in her group and is one of the few female chimps who can take food from the hopper next to Thomas.

In the past few years, Dawn has lost almost 50 pounds of excess weight which is much healthier on her joints! She now goes out on patrols with some of the male chimps and seems to be enjoying herself in the outdoor habitat. We’re so proud of her incredible strength!