Lizzy and her Grinch
By Jalil Goosby
Here at the sanctuary, most chimps have a toy they gravitate towards, and one chimp loves the Grinch! Toys can vary between chimp to chimp based on their own personal preferences. Some chimps might prefer chewy rubber toys, or maybe harder plastic toys are more their speed. Some toys aren’t always the best fit for chimps though. Plush toys can be short lived, only lasting a few days before the strength of the chimp turns the toy into a mess of fluff. Certain chimps manage to take better care of their softer toys. This includes Lizzy and her favorite plush toy.
Meet the ever-friendly Lizzy!
Lizzy is a 34-year-old female chimpanzee here at the sanctuary. She’s best known for her gentle eyes and her knack for building large, intricate nests with a variety of materials, including her own toys. “Lizzy’s nests are always on the bigger side. She really enjoys using whatever she can get her hands on to make them as big as she can.” Lizzy adores plush toys and can always be seen with one nearby. Her favorite of these plush toys is an LXSLFY brand Christmas Plush Toy in the style of The Grinch character. Lizzy and her Grinch plush are seen together often around the habitat. Inseparable from her favorite plush, Lizzy grooms the plush toy when she is not incorporating the toy in her nests. While she will play with other plush toys, it is always her Grinch toy that she returns to.
Lizzy and her Green Friend
In the wild, chimpanzees groom each other for two important reasons. Grooming is primarily for maintaining hygiene between chimps. Successful grooming can free the chimpanzees from things like bugs and other bothersome things from their coats. Sometimes bugs and pieces of food found in the coats of other chimps can serve as an added snack too.
The second reason, however, has to do with social bonding between chimps. Grooming is a daily occurrence between chimpanzees and is extremely relaxing to them. While Lizzy may just be keeping her favorite toy clean, Lizzy grooming her Grinch plush could also be a telling sign of the importance the toy has to her.
When asked, Sam Jones said “I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s the color or the size? But Lizzy and her Grinch are inseparable.” When not grooming the plush, Lizzy carrys it around with her in her hands or feet. “The toy is on the smaller side,” says Sam, “This makes it really easy for Lizzy to just keep it with her around the habitat.” Thanks to the help from our supporters, we are able to supply the chimps with an abundance of toys. It is our hope that some chimps will eventually find their own favorite toy, just like Lizzy and her Grinch.
If you’d like to donate to help the many chimps at the sanctuary, find their own ways to play and create, we invite you to visit our Amazon Wish List. Or visit the Ways to Give page on the Project Chimps website.
