#ChimpChat: Jennifer and Michael

Jennifer, our focus for today’s #ChimpChat, was born at the New Iberia Research Center on April 21, 2006 where she lived for 10 years before retiring to the Project Chimps sanctuary in September of 2016. Caregiver Michael describes Jennifer as energetic, playful, and friendly. They seem to share a special bond. “Jenny will stop me from working by demanding my attention until I turn and look at her. We will intensely stare at each other for about 5 seconds until she walks away satisfied or initiates a game of chase,” Michael says.

Jennifer lives with eight other females, including her half sister Gertrude. “Jenny is a middle ranking female who aligns herself with the dominant females in her group like alpha female Latricia, Emma, and Gertrude,” Michael says. In fact, Latricia and Jennifer almost always nest together at night. Jennifer seems to really enjoy surprise boxes, a form of enrichment. Caregivers prepare cardboard boxes with shredded paper and hide food like nuts, seeds, and chopped veggies for the chimps to forage through. “Jenny gets really excited for corn and cheerios,” Michael says.

“If people are interested in the chimps, sometimes the best way to help out and support chimps like Jennifer is to tell your friends and family about the Project Chimps sanctuary. Join our Facebook page and share our story. The impact goes a long way,” Michael says.