Many firsts at the Great Ape Passage this week! Make sure to read my last post, detailing the initial contact between the male and female Orangutans!
Tuesday (10.1) brought the first day of mesh access for the separated groups of three male and four female Chimpanzees. Catch-up ... After the successful integration of male Qadeer earlier this year, male Nick arrived in August and was introduced to Cobby and Qadeer. The three boys were separated from Maggie and Minnie, who were then a few weeks later introduced to Nick's former troop mates, Jamie and Twiggy. The two groups, boys and girls, remained separated with visuals of eachother across the hall in the bedrooms.
Tuesday morning all seemed as it had been since the new girls arrived. Although only Jamie and Minnie were in the Dayroom. Then all of a sudden hootin' and hollerin' came from the bedrooms, and they ran back there. No Chimps in sight but the sounds coming from the bedrooms were high energy screaming and banging, that went on for quite awhile. It was obvious that a new stage in introductions was taking place, and that a pair or all four of the girls were given access to the mesh at the boys bedroom! At one point Minnie came out and came over to me. She told me all about it, I told her it would all be ok. Then she sat down and started to lick her finger. She got injured in the mayhem. Poor girl. Slight injuries happen during introductions, but I think after that she wanted no part of the experience. She is the one who hasn't taken to the new additions as quick as Cobby and Maggie. A few times, she gave the door to the Yard a tug trying to open it and get away from it all.
The girls were finally let out to the Yard, and after a bit of cleaning, the boys were let into the Dayroom. Sounds like any other day, but it wasn't. The door between the Dayroom and the Yard was left open with the mesh exposed. As soon as the boys were let in the Dayroom, they ran to the mesh and all hell broke loose! The sounds I heard earlier now came with a visual. It was a Wow! moment to see all seven Chimps at the mesh screaming and jumping! This went on for some time on and off, but mostly on. Poor Twiggy seemed to be upset by all the energy, and good buddies Cobby and Qadeer seem to be on different pages about how to react to this whole thing, and it was showing in their treatment of each other. Chimp dynamics are complex. It can be nerve wracking and exciting to watch, and learn about.
I should have the video(s) up on my YouTube Channel by the end of the weekend. Till then, here's a short clip from my cell phone of the second meeting at the mesh, between the Dayroom and the Yard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyfl22jr1OM
After the initial excitement at the mesh, Cobby came over (twice) to sit with me and tell me all about his new friends! ... This cute capture is a screencap from one of my video clips. ... Through all the high energy, Minnie and Cobby seem to get some comfort in sharing their experience with me. I Love My Chimp Friends!
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