Meet Kivuli: The Sanctuary’s Youngest Chimp 

At just 13 years old, Kivuli is the youngest chimp now living at Project Chimps! He arrived in 2018, two months after his seventh birthday and alongside eight other chimps. They were the youngest group of chimps to ever arrive at the sanctuary — a record they still hold today! 

At first, Kivuli was extremely timid. In the lab, chimpanzees are typically separated from their parents and kept in same-sex groups to prevent unwanted breeding. While the other boys in his group had lived together a while, Kivuli was a newer addition. 

“We were told Kivuli had been raised by his mom and was with her for a long time, and it really showed when he first arrived,” says Holly, one of Kivuli’s early caregivers. “You could tell he was still learning how to live with a group of males after living with a group of females.” 

It’s no wonder Kivuli may have felt a little lost at first. Male chimpanzees don’t reach adolescence until about eight years old and spend much of that time traveling with their mothers. Even so, Kivuli wasn’t alone… luckily, he found another chimp to lean on! 

Enter Hercules (AKA “Herky-Mama”)

Of the nine chimpanzees in Kivuli’s arrival squad, there was never any doubt who stepped up as the “mom” of the group. Although only 11 at the time, Hercules took on a protective role amongst the others. 

Before their arrival, he and Leo spent five years in the same lab forced to walk upright in a long-term study on human locomotion. During that time, they were kept indoors, far from their parents or any other older chimpanzees. It’s impossible to know if this is the reason why Hercules takes on a protective role in his group, but what we do know is that during those first few years, Hercules was exactly who Kivuli needed. 

“If there was conflict, you’d see Kivuli run behind Hercules and hold onto him,” says Holly. “We always joked he was “Herky-Mama” because Kivuli would run over to Hercules for protection, like a young chimp would run to their mom.” 

Making Strides

Although Kivuli preferred to hide behind Hercules at first, it didn’t take long before the youngest chimp found his stride. 

“Kivuli is definitely an agent of chaos,” India laughs. “All the boys in that group are pretty chaotic, but Kivuli’s in a league of his own. He’s a bit of a prankster and loves the spotlight. If he wants you to pay attention to him, you’ll hear him banging on the mesh like ‘hey, I’m here!’” 

“He expects to get away with a lot more than the others too,” Sam agrees. “When he comes back in from the habitat, Kivuli always kicks the door separating his group from the others. Kind of like, ‘look at me, I’m big tough Kivuli!’ But once, when he was trying to come in, the other group kicked the door back at him. He was screaming and hugging a tree because he didn’t want to come back through the tunnel. 

“We were all trying to be like, ‘Kivuli! It’s okay!’ Eventually he was brave enough to come back in, but he practically flew through the door. It was just classic Kivuli, big and tough until he’s not so tough.” 

Growing Up

A lot can change in six years, and that’s especially true for Kivuli! Since arriving, he’s doubled in size, growing into a large, confident teenager. 

The first time his group went out into the habitat, Kivuli chose to hang back. It took a while before he felt confident enough to join the rest of his group outdoors, but not anymore! Today, he’s always one of the last to come in from the habitat and even helps with patrols. 

“He went through a phase recently where everyone would be in and he’d be like ‘I gotta do one last lap,’” says India. “So, he’d go on a final patrol around the border of the habitat before coming in. There’s been many times he’s had dinner for one on the porch because he’s been so late coming in, we’ve had the inside already closed off just waiting for him to come back.” 

One of the Boys

Kivuli is the youngest chimp at the sanctuary, and he’s still only 13 years old! As a teenager, he’s still learning about himself and how he fits into his new group. Your donations are the reason he can continue to discover himself and live each day to the fullest in sanctuary. 

Kivuli and his group may be young, but many of the chimps we care for are old. Others have special needs from their time in research. Each one deserves the best we can give them, and by opening your heart to Kivuli and the rest of these chimps, you have the power to change their lives forever.

How You Can Help

Giving Day for Apes is an important time to raise funds and awareness for former research chimps in need. After recently constructing a new outdoor habitat area, this year we’re hoping to raise $75,000 for food, enrichment, medical care, and other sanctuary improvements, but we need your help to get there. 

Please help give these chimps the lifelong care they deserve by donating today… because it’s their time to live!