Chimfunshi Chimpanzee Project
Most of the chimps at Chimfunshi live in "The Project." At first sight, the project buildings looked like a horribly kept zoo. Chimps crammed into small dark cages, reaching through bars with pathetic expressions. Or staring, bored, into the distance. But really, the buildings are nothing more than a lunchroom and cool place for a midday nap.
For 22 hours a day, these chimps live and play as if in the wild, taking full advantage of freedom and safety of fenced acreage. At 11:30 each day, the chimps voluntarily come to the door of their area's building, ready for lunch and quiet time. There they are fed and checked over for any injuries or possible illnesses.
There are over 120 chimps, between four project areas, each with a fenced enclosure of 65-200 acres. Albert and the other keepers know each of them by name and they can tell you the whole social structure of the chimpanzee tribe. They know what troublemakers to watch out for, who's feeling a little blue, who still holds a grudge against whom, who's having a hard time finding a mate, and who's been having tummy trouble.
We came to the project directly from the orphanage, just at the end of lunchtime. We watched Albert feed the chimps in one project area. Then we strolled to a second project area. These chimps had finished their lunch. At precisely 1:30 (naptime is strictly enforced), Albert and his assistant released the chimps into the bush.
Albert's assistant rolled up a wheelbarrow full of oranges and they took turns tossing the oranges over the fence, making sure everybody got at least one.
| Did you know...
The 130 chimps at Chimfushi eat 1,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables a day. Each week, Sylvia and staff members drive a large freight truck to the nearest village for supplies. Along the way, they stop at several farms to load up the truck with oranges, cabbage, potatoes, apples, and whatever else the locals are selling. |
This is where we really got to see some group social behavior. Mischevious chimps stole oranges from others. Playful ones poked and teased, mean ones pounded and grabbed. It seemed like anarchy, but the chimps have their own rules and punishments worked out. When unruly adolescents get out of hand, one of the older chimps will reprimand with a shove or scream. If one chimp is getting picked on, his or her allies will come to the rescue. It's really not much different than the human world we know.
After a time, Judith, Kate, and I were ready for a rest ourselves (and a shower!). As we got in the car to head back to the visitors compound, Albert warned us, "You'll see another project area on your way back. Don't slow down to look at them. There are some troublemakers in that group who have been hurling rocks at passing cars. Just keep a steady pace." So Judith kept the pedal to the metal as we went by.
