Posts Tagged ‘behavior’
On the Fence with Chimp Behavior
Gracie is one of the chimps who loves to keep the caregivers on the fence about what her behavior will be. With the new construction, everyone is curious about what her reaction will be.
Read MoreSocial Structure at Project Chimps
Thinking about getting an internship with experience? This intern at Project Chimps shows that a passion for animal care and a connection with a chimp can spark a summer-long research project.
Read MoreWhy human oriented isn’t always good for chimps
We have “chimp chimps” and “human oriented chimps”. Chimp chimps prefer interacting with their fellow troop members over interacting with human caregivers. Human oriented chimps like to focus their time and energy on human caregivers.
Read MoreInternships at Any Age: Meet James
After spending 4 months at Project Chimps, James Haworth is proof that internships at any age have value.
Read MoreBehavior Training Journey: Big Things Have Small Beginnings
Having a structured and customized animal behavior training program is very important, and that’s what Behavior Coordinator Kris Pritchard is working to develop at Project Chimps.
Read MoreChimps Ahoy: Hierarchy and Roles – Part 1 of 3
Chimpanzees are complex. Their social group dynamics thrive off the strength of their interconnecting web of relationships known as hierarchy. At Project Chimps, caregivers use three “levels” of hierarchy to help them discuss such a dynamic web: high-ranking, mid-ranking, and low-ranking.
Read MoreChimps Ahoy: Hierarchy and Roles – Part 2 of 3
The Chimps Ahoy group was really fun to watch! A majority of my time was spent watching a lot of grooming and napping—the two most common affiliative behaviors. This may seem like an uneventful behavior to some, but I got plenty of information on the relationships that the chimps had with each other.
Read MoreChimps Ahoy: Hierarchy and Roles – Part 3 of 3
From the beginning of my internship, we had our eyes on Justin and Rocko as possible enforcer candidates. Justin and Rocko are very dominant chimps that would usually be found around Kirk to show their high rank status.
Read MoreChimp Faces: Noticing & Reading Facial Expressions
Caregiver Aide Mackenzie explains the importance of closely observing the chimps, saying, “With the chimps we have to watch very carefully to determine how they’re feeling.” Staff must develop an understanding of the chimps’ baseline body and facial expressions so they can tell when something is ‘off’.
Read MoreBig Girls, Little Girls, Middle Girls: Female Chimps Learn From Each Other
When chimps come to sanctuary, they may be interacting with other chimps (or chimps of the opposite sex) for the first time. They may fail to understand social norms, and feel awkward, unsure, or anxious around other chimps. These interactions can be tricky because the chimps haven’t learned lessons that mom usually instills during childhood.
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