You’re My Best Friend
By James Oatis
When the band Queen recorded their song “You’re My Best Friend”, the lyrics describe a caring and personal relationship between two people. The affection and beauty of friendship sung in the song is not exclusive to humans, as chimpanzees show much, if not more compassion in interpersonal bonds with fellow chimps.
How Are Chimp Friendships and Relationships Formed?
Chimps display signs of community, affection and friendship to one another in many ways. Citing Intergroup Relations in Chimpanzees[1], “chimpanzees live in groups called communities (van Lawick-Goodall 1968) or unit-groups (Nishida 1968) containing up to at least 150 individuals (Watts et al. 2002).” Within these groups friendships are made as “individuals travel, feed, and sleep in parties containing 1 to 20 or more individuals (Chapman et al. 1994).”, allowing the chimpanzees to become acquainted. These acquaintances can become very personal bonds with fellow chimpanzees. The behavior of chimps ‘interactions with their friends is seen with the strong companionship and connection between Jamie and Jurita at Project Chimps.
How Chimps Act with Friends
At Project Chimps, there is a special bond between two 35-year-old female chimps Jamie and Jurita, who have been friends since their arrival at the sanctuary. According to Project Chimps Veterinary Medical Director, Jenny Jaffe, the two chimp ladies engage in many activities together that exhibit signs of their friendship.
The two have been described as hugging each other for long intervals as if they are saying “you’re my best friend” as it provides comfort to both animals to embrace their friend, much like people. Jamie and Jurita spend many hours of the week together, showing the closeness and happiness they provide for each other. One of the strongest signs of their friendship can be seen when smoothies are distributed to the chimpanzees. To help out her friend Jurita, Jamie regularly takes and delivers the smoothie to her friend, as a kind of waitress, to make life easier for Jurita. Only once she is sure her best friend has gotten her special treat, will she go back to get her own smoothie.
Advanced Age Means Closer Bonds
One reason why Jamie and Jurita have such a close relationship could be their elderly age. A recent study on wild chimpanzees in Uganda found ways they interact and build bonds in their later years. The article Research shows aging chimps, like humans, value friendships[2], supports the thesis of aging chimps developing closer bonds by stating, “Using 20 years of behavioral data, researchers found that chimpanzees, like humans, increasingly prioritized mutual and equitable friendships with others that invested in them as they got older.”
Chimps and Us
Through looking at many sources and examples, chimpanzees can be seen executing many of the social dynamics people participate in. Actions such as embracing each other and helping our friends in need that are seen as the backbone of human friendships are also seen, if not more visible, in chimpanzees, as they care for one another. Chimpanzees’ actions truly are close to the expressions of friendship expressed in “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen.
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[1] Intergroup Relations in Chimpanzees
[2] Research shows aging chimps, like humans, value friendships