Fathers Among Chimpanzees

What makes a good father? While chimpanzee mothers often form strong bonds with their babies, fathers among chimpanzees often take a more hands-off approach. So, when a father and son were united by coincidence, we never expected to see a bond beyond shared genes.

In recent news at Project Chimps, one of our residents has had some changes happen in his life. Kennedy, one of the younger male chimpanzees at the sanctuary, recently moved to a new villa – Harmony.

Before he moved to Harmony, Kennedy would sometimes engage in dissociative displays. In moments when the younger apes were startled, he would rile up himself and others with stomping and slamming. Because of this, caregivers decided the best thing for Kennedy would be to move into a new villa with strong leadership.

“Kennedy is a champ,” said Lauren Jenkins, one of the caregivers in Harmony. “He’s really anxious, but his playful side has really come out since coming to Harmony.” It was thanks to this change Kennedy experienced his first time going outside into the habitat. But this monumental event may never have happened if not for some unexpected encouragement.

*Ronald, Kennedy’s biological father, lives in Harmony villa too. He’s also the biological father of twins Buttercup and Charisse.*

One of the elder residents in Harmony, Ronald, is Kennedy’s biological father. However, since they came to the sanctuary from research, this means they were housed separately for most of their lives. Though they may not recognize each other as biological relatives, we at Project Chimps like to know these things.

“Ronald is a small man who thinks he’s a big man,” Lauren said with a laugh. “He’s the first to display if another chimp checks out the habitat where they can come up to the fence. He’s protective, but a little on the show-off side.”

Two of Ronald’s other children happen to reside at the sanctuary as well: the twins, Buttercup and Charisse. It was mere coincidence that Kennedy moved to his father’s group. But in a surprising turn of events, Ronald provided what every growing boy needs – some fatherly encouragement.

Father-Son Relationships

“Ronald would go outside, then come back in and reach out to Kennedy to give reassurance at the tunnel. He would kind of wait behind [the group] to see if Kennedy would come out.” Lauren said.

When a group goes outside at the sanctuary, their first order of business is often to patrol the borders of the habitat. When Kennedy was still working up the nerve to go outside, Ronald would often try to get Kennedy to go out with them. And thanks in large part to that encouragement, Kennedy now goes outside more often.

*Kennedy during his first time outside in the habitat after moving to Harmony villa.*

Even more surprisingly, Ronald and Kennedy’s relationship has evolved beyond males patrolling territory. The two also play together and groom each other, huge signs of affection and trust that build bonds between groupmates.

Fatherhood Beyond Genes

While Ronald is Kennedy’s biological father, that doesn’t mean other chimps can’t step into the role of father figure.

Kareem is one of the most influential residents at Project Chimps, not just because he’s a chill guy. The 38-year-old ape is the alpha of Harmony, and is noted by many to be a calm, wise old man. He only throws rank around when necessary, making him a model leader. So it would serve to consider him a possible positive role model for a certain anxious chimp.

This is part of why Project Chimps made the decision to move Kennedy to Harmony. Learning invaluable social skills from an already successful alpha male. While less involved in Kennedy’s journey to the outdoors than Ronald was, Kareem would also stay inside the villa with Kennedy on several occasions, keeping the younger chimp company on his conflicting journey. While he may not have any biological kids of his own, Kareem is definitely on our list of fathers among chimpanzees.

Kareem and Ronald sitting on a platform in the habitat. — *Ronald and Kareem sitting on a platform together in the habitat.*

What it Means to be a Man

Kennedy’s story doesn’t end there. His journey is a testament to the positive impacts good male role models can have on the lives of young humans (and chimps)! Lauren says the changes since moving to Harmony couldn’t be more profound.

“He’s definitely maturing. You can see that with how he treats the females,” Lauren mentioned. “Sometimes males can be kind of rough, but he’s very gentle with them. He’s not just more playful and present. He’s more confident in himself.” While he’s no Kareem, Kennedy has found a swagger that falls in harmony with the other chimps. Perhaps one day, like Kareem, he will find his place as one of the father-like figures among chimpanzees.

Fathers Among Chimpanzees and Those Who Make a Difference

Kennedy’s story looks like a classic coming-of-age, but it’s also his own. While Ronald and Kareem were there to support him, it was Kennedy who worked up the courage to enter the habitat for the first time. As a young chimp, he still has a lot of learning and growing to do, but now he has two positive male role models to learn from.

If you’d like to honor a positive role model in your life, sponsoring a chimp is a great way to do just that, especially Taz or Kareem! Like Kareem, Taz looks out for his fellow groupmates by mediating conflicts. You can choose from any of the other currently featured chimps on our sponsorship page to stay tuned on their recent adventures in sanctuary!