Posts Tagged ‘chimpanzee’
Chimp 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 MoreFrom Studying Chimps to Seeing Chimps
Studying chimps in her textbooks, India ultimately discovered, does not compare to meeting them in real life. She remembers her first day at Project Chimps clearly, because on this day she came face to face with a chimp for the first time.
Read MoreChimpanzee Menstrual Cycles
By Kayla Adgate Have you ever noticed that female chimpanzees seem to have a saggy bottom? That’s called a swelling and it’s an important part of their anatomy. Swelling, Health, and Fertility Although there is some conjecture regarding its exact function, scientists agree that chimp tumescence, or the process of swelling, and menstruation are physical…
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.
Read MoreChimps Helping Chimps – Chimps Healing Chimps
Treating ex lab chimps—who have undergone countless procedures before retiring at sanctuary—is complicated. Staff at Project Chimps are highly sensitive to chimp residents who are averse to needles, mistrusting of humans, or have other hold-ups stemming from their traumatic past.
Read MoreMeet Jennifer: An Unsung Hero
Jenny isn’t one of our most famous residents, but we wanted to bring her into the spotlight. If you read on, you’ll find out why we consider Jenny a chimp hero!
Read MoreWhat Does It Mean to Be an “Enforcer”?
Chimps have drama. They have police officers policing the drama. And, apparently, the police officers have “motorcycles.”
Read MoreChimp Play as a Diplomatic Tool: Neal Teaches Kirk
Neal uses chimp play as a tool to derail conflict and calm situations. He inserts play into disagreements, which diffuses such high-tension moments. His playfulness importantly serves to distract chimps from their arguing.
Read MoreProject Harvest Fall Garden
With the crisp air and falling leaves, it’s clearly fall around here. Bundled up in our Project Chimps hoodies and clump-clumping along in our boots, we trek out to water the babies. I don’t mean the chimps but our well cared-for seedlings in Project Harvest (and sometimes the bees too) in the fall garden.
Read MoreHealth Update: Armond (November 2021)
With a case such as Armond’s, there is little we can do to reverse those decades he spent in a confined space. Despite having access to decent size enclosures at the New Iberia lab for the years leading up to his retirement to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and despite now having access to multi-story villa and multi-acre yard.
Read More