Girl Power
by Madelyn Kos
In the chimpanzee world, males lead the community. However, the hierarchy of female chimps is a power needed in order for the entire chimp group to be successful. While the males are in charge of making calls, the females heavily influence those calls in multiple ways, something we call ‘girl power.’
“The king may rule the kingdom, but it’s the queen who moves the board”
– D.M. Timney
Where does Girl Power fit in the hierarchy?
In most villas, there is about an equal number of males and females. Below the highest-ranking male chimp are the other males, and then the females typically are last on the hierarchy scale. Regardless of their place on the hierarchy scale, the females are in control of a lot of what goes on in their group.
The boys often pick on the girls by stealing their food or teasing them. While this behavior is normal, some of the girls do not stand for it. Leo used to tease the girls during lunch, but eventually the girls had enough. They ended up chasing Leo around until he learned not to mess with them.
Most of the boys in a group are scared of being punished by the girls, and therefore tend to not chase them back. A lot of the girls like to cause trouble and start fights, but luckily these fights get sorted out by higher-ranking females. Lindsey, a high-ranking female, holds a very high standing and tends to solve a lot of the problems her girls cause!
Higher-ranking females
The higher-ranking females have control over both the females and males. While Lindsey, Lucky, and Panielle are higher ranking due to age and experience, other females may have more influence on certain males.
Harriett is known to have a large influence on the boys. She is one of the main girls in her community and is highly respected by the males. She uses their respect to her advantage by yelling at the boys who bother her girls. Caregiver Aide, Fernanda, recalled one time when Oscar was picking on Betty. Harriett defended Betty by climbing on the mesh, yelling and spitting water at the boys involved.
Chloe also is not afraid to stand up to the boys. She will often chase and yell at the boys to a point where the boys stop messing with her. This behavior of girls and boys yelling and teasing each other is not uncommon and is needed in order to determine rankings. Their spats might sound harsh, but at the end of the day the chimps always look out for each other.
Lower-ranking females
Lower-ranking females also have a few tricks in order to get what they want. Since most lower-ranking females often do not get first pick in many situations, the girls find ways around them. Amy shows her power by pounding on the mesh and platforms. Amy is one of the smaller chimps, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for in personality.
Kyrstin and Krystal often behave like babies by crying when the boys get fed first. Krystin chases the boys and sometimes gives them a little slap. Krystal, on the other hand, forms many relationships with other chimps, so she is able to shape how others react to her crying. However, Krystal can flip a switch and create a big fuss in order to intimidate others (her nickname is Krystal Pistol)!
The females at the sanctuary paint the concept of girl power in everything they do. Whether it is influencing the males’ decisions or helping each other feel comfortable, the girls show they have power even if they are not at the top of the hierarchy.
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