#ChimpChat: Brooke and Arthur

Caregiver Brooke describes 14-year old Arthur as stunning, charming, and enjoyable. She has worked with Arthur for the majority of his month-long residency at the Project Chimps sanctuary. In that time, they have formed quite the connection. “Since I started working with Arthur, his personality has evolved from a shy, timid chimp to a sweet, loving, and very personable guy,” Brooke explained. “I wanted to talk about Arthur because of his sweet demeanor. He has a kind, sweet face with the most mesmerizing eyes,” she said. “He’s much more quiet and reserved compared to the two more dominant males in the group, Marlon and Quintin, despite his large size”. Arthur is currently the largest male at the sanctuary, weighing close to 180 pounds. As a higher-ranking male, “Arthur is respected by all his group mates. He will even police situations if the other males get riled up by something,” Brooke explained. Arthur is also a foodie. “Of course, some of Arthur’s favorite foods are apples and bananas, but he recently tried fresh cranberries and he loved them! He also really likes radishes and a taste of ketchup,” Brooke said.

Arthur and Brooke enjoy spending time together grooming and playing. “I love to play with Arthur any chance I get,” she said. “Arthur enjoys spending time with me when no other chimps are around,” Brooke said. “He isn’t nosy in any way and he will wait his turn to come up to say hello”. As much as he enjoys spending time with his caregivers, Arthur also loves to hang out with his group mates. “Throughout the day you can find Arthur relaxing up on top of the decking, napping or participating in a group grooming session,” Brooke explained.

The group grooming sessions consist of “all seven male chimps lounging around, blowing raspberries, and sifting through each other’s hair”. Grooming is an important part of chimpanzee social life, especially for male chimps. A well-formed, stable group of male chimps will groom often. “It makes me so happy to see how well they all get along and how happy they are to have each other,” Brooke said.

“I want the public to know how sweet and fun loving Arthur is and how he really loves to spend time with his chimp friends,” Brooke explained. “He never starts any fights and cooperates well with everyone he lives with. He has this synergy with his group mates, which works really well. I am very lucky to work with Arthur and all of the amazing chimpanzees at Project Chimps!”