The behaviour and stories of chimpanzees
The tour of Chimp Eden was a fascinating and emotional experience. We were taken around the outside of the three enclosures and told the stories and backgrounds of the chimps while we observed their behaviour. There were some real characters. One female chimp, for example, stands up and claps for food when the keepers are near – a behaviour she learned from begging while living in a zoo.
Another very distinctive personality is one whom has never been in the wild, unlike the rest of the chimps who are victims of the bushmeat trade and lived in the wild before their mothers were killed. He was a victim of experimental research before being given to a gypsy who forced him to do tricks, wear clothes and eat with a knife and fork. He was also beaten with a baseball bat, resulting in brain damage,. Despite showing some behaviours which the keepers say indicate he is ‘not all there’, the others chimps are very accepting of him and seem to understand his disability. The relationships between the chimps are very strong and complex, which will be good to show the children who can identify to the chimps comforting and helping each other.
Another chimpanzee was kept as a pet and was dressed like a child and given a hair cut, as if he was a human. They shaved all his fur off apart from his hair on his head. As a result of this he thinks that he is a human. Even though he is now living with other chimps he will pluck off his hair on this body, which to him feels wrong to have this on him.
One chimpanzee who was kept in a circus now does handstands as this is what he was taught to do.
There is a huge success story at the sanctuary of a chimp who was kept as an attraction outside a nightclub, where he was given alcohol, cigarettes and drugs and humiliated by humans. After a difficulty recovery and rehabilitation from addiction, he has gone on to be the alpha male, the most respected position within a group. This is a story which may be used in a subtle way to illustrate to the children that it is possible to experience trauma and still go on to lead a happy, healthy and successful life.
All of these examples of stories may or may not apply to the children’s own behaviours and experiences but represents triggers and habits that have stayed later into life.
By Lindsey and John, March 19, 2010 @ 6:51 pm
Very sad stories, but thank goodness these chimps have been rescued, and hopefully their behaviour and stories will be able to help the children.