Tristen

Tristen is one of the younger female chimps at the sanctuary and has grown a lot during her time here. Although she started out as a timid and low-ranking chimp, she’s since grown into a brave and confident member of her group. 

In the last couple of months, staff have noticed her befriending higher-ranking members of her group and working those new relationships to her advantage. She’s become much better at holding onto her food, even from her best friend Haylee, who has even mostly stopped trying to steal from her! Before, caregivers would have to serve Tristen before Haylee and reward Haylee for allowing Tristen to eat without interfering. But now, they can go ahead and serve whoever arrives at the hopper first. 

Tristen is very well known for having the loudest raspberry noises at the sanctuary, which she uses while grooming other chimps or when demanding additional treats. She also loves the paper bags that contain their chow, which she rips up to create a tail for herself.