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Age:
aprox. 11
Rescue Date:
1996
Ranked Position:
2nd
ranked male
Nikki’s Story:
Nikki was rescued by the Jane Goodall
Institute in 1996 from Liberia.
Orphaned by the bushmeat trade, Nikki
was raised by an expatriate South
African that did not quite know how to
raise a chimpanzee, so he was raised as
a human infant. Nikki was shaved
entirely, only leaving him with a little
boys haircut. He wore clothes and a gold
watch and was taught to eat at the table
using cutlery.When Nikki arrived in South Africa, he
was only 3 years old and was fully
clothed, holding a suitcase with
additional outfits. His owner did care
very much for Nikki but it was time for
Nikki to become a chimpanzee once again.
As there was no sanctuary in South Africa at
that stage, the Johannesburg Zoo agreed
to take care of Nikki until the Jane
Goodall Sanctuary was developed. Under
the supervision of the Head Curator of
the Johannesburg Zoo and now Sanctuary
Manager of JGI Chimpanzee Eden, Phillip
Cronje, Nikki was introduced to other
chimpanzees at the zoo. Sanctuary
development was delayed until March of
2006. At this time the Johannesburg Zoo
decided that their chimpanzee group
dynamics had changed with too many males
in the group. Nikki was relocated to the
sanctuary and became the first
chimpanzee at the sanctuary.
Personality:
Nikki is
intelligent and interactive. He is
interested in all forms of challenge,
whether removing artificial objects placed
by rehabilitation staff or enjoying the
results of using the enrichment gadgets
successfully. He never initiates conflict
between himself and another adult male but
used to stir between the two big males in
his enclosure. Nikki has been known to treat
the females a bit rough and often vents his
frustration on them, which is typical
behaviour for an adolescent male.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
5
Foraging
5
Tool use - sticks
5
Tool use - stones
4
Summary:
Nikki has formed a vital part in the
rehabilitation process of the adult group
due to his above average intelligence and
willingness to interact with the keepers. As
the ratings above show, Nikki has responded
very well to rehabilitation. He spends a lot
of his time on the challenges presented by
the primate staff and has therefore shown
great results. He is always the first
chimpanzee to study the new rehabilitation
gadgets set up by the staff inside the
enclosures and enjoys the challenges set by
them. Nikki is responsible for identifying a
snake in the enclosure; although he did not
make the kill he was successful in warning
the rest of the group of the impending
danger. Amadeus actually killed the snake.
Although he might be the most intelligent,
he fits into second position in the adult
hierarchy because he is younger and
physically smaller than Amadeus. Everyone
working with Nikki finds him to be a delight
and a warm personality. One will truly be
entertained by his antics on the research
cams and his collection of video clips.
As a result of the bush meat trade Amadeus was
also orphaned in Angola and rescued by the
original mission of 1996. He grew up with Abu
and Nikki at the Johannesburg Zoo whilst waiting
for the JGI South Africa sanctuary to open its
doors, which happened in March 2006. He was
relocated with Nikki and Abu to the sanctuary to
solve the dynamics of the Johannesburg Zoo group
and was the 3rd chimpanzee to be released into
the holding area. Amadeus has developed in more
than one way in the sanctuary and has shown
great strides in the development of his
self-confidence and physical size. Amadeus was
notoriously known as an escape artist, escaping
a few times at the Johannesburg Zoo. It was felt
that he might adapt better at the sanctuary and
was moved to Chimpanzee Eden. On his first
release day with Abu and Nikki into the training
enclosure (chimpanzees are subjected to a small
enclosure with electric fencing at lower
voltage, in order to prepare the animals for
their higher voltage enclosure), he could not
resist the allure presented by the wild forest
and hopped over the fence in an awesome display
of agility and strength. Now inside the actual
enclosure his only desire was to pluck flowers
and enjoy fruit from the guava trees in the
forest. Not displaying any danger to keepers or
sanctuary manager, Amadeus was reunited with his
group members in the training enclosure without
any serious incidents. This event left not a
staff member without tears in their eyes due to
the passion that these animals harbour for a
wild environment.
Personality:
When Amadeus was still the second ranking male,
he was the quiet thinker of the adult males and
enjoyed spending time in the forest by himself.
However, his displays have increased in
frequency over the last year while he was
challenging Abu’s dominance and he has grown
into a fine alpha male.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
2
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
5
Foraging
5
Tool use - sticks
2
Tool use - stones
0
Summary:
Amadeus shows us to what extent these primates
can exhibit emotion. Female visitors to the
sanctuary are intrigued by how he stares at
them. He is the quiet thinker of the group but
not to be underestimated. He has developed
physically to such an extent that he is no
longer intimidated by anyone else. Since Abu’s
death, Amadeus has become the undisputed alpha
male of the adult group. His male displays have
increased in frequency and are very impressive.
He has developed into a fine leader who no
longer sits alone in the forest and is usually
surrounded by his group members. When others are
fighting, he comes charging in to break up the
fight. The females as well as young Nikki show
him the necessary respect and will move out of
the way while he is displaying. He at first
showed interest in tools but, like Abu before
him, lacks the patience to figure out how to use
them. Though it is said in the literature that
hunting is a learnt behaviour in chimpanzees,
Amadeus has started to hunt and eat wild birds
in the enclosure without ever being taught.
With his distinctive looks, Joao is the oldest
resident at Chimpanzee Eden and could even be
the oldest in South Africa.Joao arrived at the Maputo Zoo in
Mozambique when he was 3 years old, left behind
by a touring Circus company.At that stage he had a companion but soon
after the war broke out in Mozambique, the war
lasted for more than 30 years and Joao saw it
from start to finish.His companion past away falling ill to an
unknown virus leaving Joao in isolation from
another chimpanzee until April 2006 when JGI
South Africa convinced the zoo to release him to
the care of JGI Chimpanzee Eden.Joao’s integration with other chimpanzees
was not easy; he had a smoking and alcohol
addiction which also had to be broken.The adult group did not accept him and he
preferred to be with humans, taking every
opportunity to attempt escape.Eventually the plan was formulated to
integrate him with the infants that spent time
adjacent to him in the quarantine.It was a match made in heaven, Joao
preferred to be in this environment, which also
one of the rehabilitation staff going in with
him.
This ensured that Joao did not want to leave the
enclosure whilst he got used to being with other
chimpanzees.He
now enjoys being a ‘granddad’ to the infants and
shares his parenting duties with two other
males, Zac and Cozy.
Personality:
Joao has a gentle but yet dominant personality.
He does not tolerate disrespect from Zac or Cozy
and attacks them when challenged.
He enjoys being a ‘granddad’ to the infants in
his enclosure and affectionately plays with
them, whilst also breaking up any conflicting
situation that might arise. He also disciplines
the infants when they step out of line.
Summary:
When Joao first arrived at Chimp Eden, he was
entirely dependent upon humans and did not like
to be inside the enclosure while his human
‘friends’ were outside. Although he still enjoys
human contact, he now turns to Zac or Cozy for
support. This is a good sign as he is gaining
independence from humans and behaving more like
a wild chimpanzee.
Joao shows the characteristics of a true leader,
taking care of the ones under his protection
while not wasting too much time on displaying.
Lately, Zac has been challenging his dominance.
In response, Joao’s displays are increasing in
order to maintain the alpha position. So far,
Zac has not posed much of a threat to the
experienced male.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
4
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Cozy was born in America and sold to an
entertainer in Italy. JGI South Africa is not
responsible for the rescue of European
chimpanzees but felt compelled to rescue Cozy
who was in a dilapidated state. Living the life
of a Gipsy, his owner traveled constantly in 2
caravan vehicles, the owner drove one and his
girlfriend the other.
Cozy was made to strike certain poses so that
tourists could have their
picture taken with him. To make him less
aggressive, the owner had Cozy castrated. This
did not lead to a reduction in aggression but
rather confused the young male.
Cozy was at a very young
age when his owner died suddenly, leaving his
girlfriend stranded next to the road without any
plan for the future. Time went past with both of
them being stranded where they originally
stopped the caravan. His now sole guardian
worked at a night club near the location of
their caravans and barely made enough money to
survive. 10 years past and JGI Italy heard of
the chimpanzee, JGI South Africa and Dr. Jane
Goodall was informed as well and a rescue
mission followed suite. Cozy was in dark
isolation for the better part of his life and
the effects where visible. The mission was an
urgent priority as no other sanctuary in Europe
could take him at such short notice. Cozy was
confined to a 1.5m by 1.5m cage for such a long
time that most of his muscle mass had
disappeared. Once at the sanctuary, cozy could
hardly walk and had no chance of attempting to
climb. A long process of rehabilitation had
started and it was decided that Cozy should
rather join the infants in their enclosure as he
would stand no chance in the adult enclosure.
Day by day his human rehabilitator persuaded him
to climb a tree, slowly Cozy made progress and
after 6 months he could climb any tree in the
enclosure. Cozy is one of the biggest success
stories of the techniques used at the sanctuary
and has given this chimpanzee a life worth
living for.
Personality:
Cozy has a colorful personality, constantly
entertaining himself, visitors and his fellow
chimpanzees.
He loves to interact with visitors through the
fence by throwing objects in their general
direction.He loves to interact with visitors
through the fence and enjoys being in the sun.He does have aggressive tendencies and
outbursts when exposed to things that remind him
of his past.
Summary:
Cozy’s physical rehabilitation has been a great
success. He had been deprived of any chance to
develop his skills whilst growing up and will
therefore have to stay at the sanctuary in a
constant rehabilitation programme. When he
arrived at Chimp Eden he couldn’t even walk.
Today, he runs upright when charging and is even
able to climb tall trees. However, the years of
isolation have left deep scars and his mental
rehabilitation is only in its beginning stages.
From the start, Cozy displayed anti-social
behaviour towards his group members because he
was never taught how to socialise with others.
His vocalisations are very different to those of
any other chimpanzee but the others have adapted
to his special dialect and he his now at least
able to communicate vocally. He at first
misjudged the body language of other
chimpanzees, which used to get him into trouble.
Now his social behaviour has improved so much
that he knows when it is best to get out of the
way. Due to the factthat he has been castrated,
other male chimps do not accept him as a male
and automatically outrank him.However, Cozy is the star of the
sanctuary and people come from far away to see
him. He always attempts tointeract and is known for
having hilarious facial expressions.Cozy is sure to make you laugh with his
antics.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Also an orphan of the bushmeat trade, Lika was
rescued from Luanda, Angola.
When Lika was first found, rescuers were shocked
that an
animal living in such conditions could survive
for so long.She was kept in a dark brick cage with
dimensions barely exceeding 4 square meters.Although the owner cared for her deeply,
he had nowhere to send her as
Angola
had only recently emerged from a long-term civil
war.She
clearly displayed signs of stereotypical
behavior: head-shaking and pacing up and down
inside her cage. Everyone involved knew that if
she was not rescued soon, she would not survive
due to hygienic conditions as well as to exhaust
fumes that where venting into her cage. It is
sad to say that it took JGI South Africa more
than two
years to negotiate their freedoms and in
November 2006 she was rescued with four other
chimpanzees. Lika had trouble adjusting to the
other animals at the Eden as she had not seen another chimpanzee during her
isolation in
Angola. During
integration processes she would hide away or
scream, discouraging contact with other
chimpanzees.It took five months for the sanctuary
manager to successfully integrate Lika into the
adult chimpanzee group and the resultshave been worth the wait.
Lika has lost all signs of her stereotypical
behavior and she eventually shed her solitary
behavior and started engaging in social behavior
with her fellow chimpanzees.
Personality:
Though still of a gentle and timid nature, Lika
has now shed her anti-social behaviour. She now
engages in typical chimp social behaviour and
enjoys grooming and playing with the others. At
first, she was easily bullied but will now
defend herself and fight back if attacked by
another female.
She has lost all signs of her stereotypical
behaviour. Though she was initially afraid of
the males, she now approaches them and will even
allow them to mate with her.
Summary:
Lika has made a remarkable recovery and
progresses more and more each day. She has
developed from being completely anti-social into
a sociable being, who shows all the natural
behaviours of a chimpanzee. She has become so
playful that she will even wake her group
members in order to play with them. It took her
about half a year to come into her first oestrus
but has been cycling regularly ever since.
Although she was very fearful of the males at
first, she now grooms, plays and mates with both
of them.
All chimpanzees are subject to a routine, which
includes entering the sleeping quarters at 4 pm
each day.Lika on the other hand enjoyed her
freedom so much at first that she refused to
come in and only after two weeks did she accept
the routine and enjoyed the comforts of the
indoor sleeping quarters.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
4
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Sally was first spotted in early 2005 at a
beachfront restaurant in
LuandaAngola.
The South African expatriate workers that
eventually took care of her explained that she
was kept in a small cage and that she was
absolutely terrified of being left alone. They
convinced the owners of the restaurant to part
with her and she spent more than one and a
half years living in a small housing
development, isolated from the harsh living
conditions that the people of
Luanda
were enduring on a daily basis. Due to the good
care that she received from the compassionate
expatriates, her trauma of the past is limited.
Fortunately, JGI South Africa was able to
relocate her to Chimpanzee Eden in April 2006.
Personality:
Sally still appreciates human contact but is
beginning to interact with other chimpanzees
positively.She is generally non-aggressive but will
fight back if provoked. In Joao she has found a
protector and will run to him if frightened
Summary:
As Sally does not fear humans, teaching her
necessary chimpanzee skills that her mother
would have taught her in the wild is a lot
easier for rehabilitating members of staff. She
concentrates intently when the staff teach her
specific tool making and hydrating techniques.
However, due to her need for close human
contact, her rehabilitation process is
difficult. She used to prefer to stay up ‘her’
eucalyptus tree rather than socialising with the
others in another part of the enclosure. She
also refused to enter the night rooms by herself
in theafternoons and waited for a
keeper to carry her inside. This behaviour,
although often interpreted as ‘cute’, is
unfavourable as nobody will want to carry her
around once she has reached adulthood. It took
us nearly two years to break but she now comes
inside with the rest of the group. Her behaviour
has improved since the Sudan infants
have been introduced. She is now frequently seen
on the ground with the others and comes to the
feeding times regularly.
She is undoubtedly the most famous chimpanzee at
the sanctuary due to the difficult and
frustrating rescue effort to get her to safety..
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Zeena’s natural origin is unknown as she was
rescued in the United Arab Emirates. She was kept
as a pet but was not receiving the
necessary attention for a wild animal. Like most
chimp pets, she was being raised as a little
girl. She had her own room equipped with a bed
and a lot of human toys (dolls etc). The food
she was receiving was less than adequate. The
chimpanzee diet consists mainly of ripe fruits
but Zeena was receiving chocolate cake etc. When
Zeena was under a year old she became very ill
and the owner took her to the vet. The vet
quickly educated the owner on that he was not
actually doing Zeena a favour by treating her
like a little girl. The owner saw his mistake
and made arrangements for a transfer to
Chimpanzee Eden.
Personality:
Zeena is a very intelligent infant and capable
of solving tasks
advanced for her age group. She is very
independent of humans and not keen on being
handled. Although she is very sociable, she can
be a bit rough when playing with the others.
Summary:
Zeena has done well since her arrival at
Chimpanzee Eden. The fact that she is not
dependent on human contact is helpful in her
rehabilitation. The primate staff lovingly calls
her ‘wild child’ as this best describes her
personality.
She likes to stir the relations between all the
different chimpanzees in the enclosure and if
there is a conflict amongst them, it is very
likely that Zeena might be the cause of it. When
she does not get her way, she often throws
temper tantrums.
Although she can sometimes be very rough when
she plays with other infants, she played a vital
role in integrating the
Sudan
infants into the group. During the period when
Zee was still very unsure of her new
surroundings, Zeena would ‘babysit’ her and
carry her around like a new doll. On one
occasion, Zee was not able to follow the others
into a tree and Zeena actually climbed down to
help her up. Zeena came equipped with the
knowledge of nest building and has constructed a
whole range of different day nests in the
enclosure. This is valuable as the other infants
are beginning to copy this behaviour.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
4
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Jinga was kept in the back of a liquor factory
inside a converted shipping container next to a
loud diesel generator. She was kept together
with two other chimps, including Mimi. While
Jinga and Mimi could be rescued, help came too
late for the male who had already passed away.
The environment that the chimps where kept in
gave opportunity to many workers and bystanders
to tease and withhold food from the chimps. This
resulted in Jinga and Mimi being extremely
‘grabby’ i.e. they grab the food from the hands
of their caretakers.Restricted to their small interlinked
cages, they spent all their time in captivity
with no behavioural enrichment to stimulate
them.
Personality:
Jinga is very intelligent and learns extremely
fast. She is very sociable and friendly towards
her group members and rarely causes conflict.
She protects lower ranking females from bullying
by Mimi and Nikki and even from alpha Amadeus.
She is a peacekeeper and has even been seen
intercepting fights between the males.
Summary:
When Jinga first arrived, she was very mistrusting
towards humans and would try to grab her
caretakers frequently. Throughout time she has
developed a more laid-back attitude and can now
be handled a lot easier. Her generally friendly
and helpful personality towards other chimps has
lead to other more submissive females often
seeking refuge with her. She is currently the
alpha female in the adult enclosure and does a
very good job of it. She strives for harmony and
is not afraid to enter a fight to restore peace.
Jinga and Mimi have a very close bond to their
background. However, Jinga will discipline Mimi
if she sees that Mimi is bullying others for no
apparent reasons.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Mimi was kept in the back of a spirit factory
inside a converted shipping container next to a
loud diesel generator. She was kept together
with two other chimps, including Jinga. While
Mimi and Jinga could be rescued, help came too
late for the male who had already passed away.
The people that kept the chimps were rather
cruel to them, only feeding them infrequently
and teasing them with food they would not
receive.
This resulted in Mimi and Jinga being extremely
‘grabby’ i.e. they grab the food from the hands
of their caretakers before it can be taken away.
The padlock to the small cage in which they were
being kept had been lost and the animals were
living in an extremely dirty environment.
Personality:
Mimi is highly sociable and very playful but
tends to bully the other females from time to
time, especially when food is involved. Though
she does not succeed in bullying higher-ranking
Jinga, she will often attack Lika, Josephine and
Claudette. She is very good at making and using
tools and is very imaginative in getting at food
which is difficult to reach.
Summary:
Although Mimi arrived together with Jinga, she is
still very mistrusting towards humans and tries
to grab her caretakers frequently. It is obvious
that she dislikes humans. She has become much
better in this respect over the last two years
and is now more trusting towards those feeing
her. She is very self-confident and stands up to
herself when bullied by adolescent male Nikki.
She will, however, show adequate respect to the
alpha Amadeus. She shares a close bond with
Jinga but will only receive back up from the
alpha female if she was not the one causing the
trouble in the first place.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Zac was kept chained to a tree outside of a
nightclub in
Luanda,
Angola with
female Guida. Their chains were very short and
did not allow for any physical contact between
the two animals as they were chained to two
different trees. They did not receive the
necessary attention and were fed irregularly.
Consequently, both Zac and Guida were extremely
undernourished and lacked fur on arrival at the
sanctuary. Zac was in such a poor condition that
the vet was unsure whether he would make it.
During their stay in front of the nightclub,
they were taught to drink alcohol and smoke
cigarettes for the mere entertainment of the
club visitors.
Zac’s improvement is probably one of the most
remarkable achievements of the sanctuary.
Personality:
Zac is relatively laid-back for a male chimp but
has learnt to be more aggressive since he has
seen our other males display. He is generally
friendly towards his group members and enjoys
playing with the infants. Though he has had bad
experiences with humans in the past, he is
generally at ease with his caretakers.
Summary:
Zac’s physical and mental condition have
improved by almost hundred percent from when he
first arrived at the sanctuary. He acts as a
good mentor to the infants and is able to teach
them ‘the way of the chimp’. Furthermore, he
disciplines the infants that have been
misbehaving and protects those who cannot stand
up for themselves. Whenever there is any kind of
commotion inside the juvenile enclosure, Zac
comes running to investigate. Lately, he has
begun to display more frequently around Jao,
indicating that he his challenging the old
males’ dominance. Only time will tell whether he
will take over the alpha position.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
4
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Thomas was handed over to a JGI safe house in
the Sudan by a
Major General in the South Sudanese Ministry of
Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, as an
example of the South Sudanese government’s
commitment to policing the chimp trade.Thomas had been kept as a pet and had
apparently been a great favourite with the Major
General’s children.Thomas and four other infants (Nina,
Charlie, Dinka and Zee) were rescued from the
Sudan at the same time and quarantined together.
Personality:
Thomas is a very bold little male and sees
himself as the protector of the Sudan orphans,
coming to their rescue whenever they are in
trouble. His lack of respect for the older males
in the juvenile enclosure sometimes gets him
into trouble.
Rehabilitation Status:
Thomas has adapted well to his new surroundings
and group members. His behaviour shows a
normally developed 4-year-old male, who
obviously strives for a dominant position. Due
to his helpful nature, he has a lot of
manipulative power over the other infants.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
1
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Nina was confiscated from bushmeat hunters by
the local authorities in South Sudan, and taken
to a zoo in the town of Wau.From there, she went to a JGI safe house
located in Rumbek Sudan. Nina and four other
infants (Thomas, Charlie, Dinka and Zee) were
rescued from the Sudan at the same time and
quarantined together.
Personality:
Nina is generally friendly towards her group
members but sometimes shows the tendency to
bully other infants. When one of the younger
infants is in trouble, she tries to help.
Rehabilitation Status:
When Nina was still in quarantine with the other
Sudan infants, she often bullied them for food
and played very roughly so that the others would
often avoid her. She has calmed down a lot since
being released into the juvenile enclosure and
is now very friendly towards others. Nina has
developed excellent climbing skills since she
has been introduced to the tall trees. Like
Thomas, she has adapted perfectly to her new
surroundings and is fascinated by the older
males. Her social skills are advanced for her
age and she likes to spend a lot of time
grooming.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
4
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
5
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Charlie, like Nina, was confiscated from
bushmeat hunters by the local authorities in
South Sudan, and taken to the zoo in the town of
Wau.When he was only about six months old,
Charlie was passed on to a JGI safe house in the
Sudan.
He was in a very poor condition and suffered
from meningitis, but recovered after careful
nursing. Charlie and four other infants (Thomas,
Nina, Dinka and Zee) were rescued from the Sudan
at the same time and quarantined together.
Personality:
Charlie is not particularly dominant and often
loses his food to another individual. He is very
social and enjoys playing with the other
infants. He is known to throw loud temper
tantrums when he does not get his own way. Due
to his medical history (meningitis), he is
sometimes a bit slow in learning compared to
Dinka, who is the same age.
Rehabilitation Status:
Compared to the state he was in when first
rescued, Charlie is doing very well. He is a
healthy infant now. He has a very strong need to
be with others and does not like being left
behind. After a fight with another infant, he
will scream for a long time afterwards. He will
also hold out his hand to the other party in an
attempt to reconcile and will only stop
screaming once reconciliation has taken place.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
4
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Dinka was confiscated from bushmeat hunters by
the local authorities in the Juba region of
South Sudan and brought to a JGI safe house.
Dinka and four other infants (Thomas, Nina,
Charlie and Zee) were rescued from the Sudan at
the same time and quarantined together.
Personality:
Dinka is very bold for his small size and is not
afraid of a run-in even with the older males.
Compared to Charlie he is quick and very able to
stand up for himself.
Rehabilitation Status:
Dinka is developing very well. Although he is
very small, he does not allow the others to
bully him. He rarely runs away screaming when
attacked but rather turns around and launches a
counter-attack. His need for human contact has
been reduced since being introduced to the
juvenile enclosure, making him very independent.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
1
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
4
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
When Zee was just a few months old, she arrived
in a shoebox at a JGI safe house in South Sudan.
A South African landmine removal expert had
found her in bad condition at the zoo in Wau,
South Sudan.
Zee was the very first chimp taken into the care
of the South Sudanese JGI safe house. Zee and
four other infants (Thomas, Nina, Charlie and
Dinka) were rescued from the Sudan at the same
time and quarantined together.
Personality:
Although Zee is the youngest of our infants she
is no pushover. She likes her food and is
prepared to fight for it even with chimps much
larger than herself. She is very social and
enjoys playing with chimps young and old.
Rehabilitation Status:
When first introduced to Jao, Zee was frightened
of him and unsure of herself. It took the large
alpha almost a month to get close to her. Since
then, she has changed a lot. She is no longer
timid or fearful and stands up for herself when
bullied. Her climbing skills are very good for
her age and she is generally able to keep up
with the others. She spends most of the day
playing with the others and has even been seen
grooming.
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
4
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
Josephine was kept in a modified shipping
container at the back of a printing factory in
Luanda,
Angola.
She seemed to have spent her entire adult life
inside the container – alone and without
sunlight, while enduring the constant racket
from the printing machinery. She was due to be
shot dead because the premises had been sold and
nobody knew how to move her or what to do with
her.
Summary:
Josephine has not been in the outside enclosure
long enough to comment for instance on her tool
using abilities but it has become apparent that
she is highly intelligent and will not be
bullied by anyone. Not even the two males were
able to get her to submit at first. She has
since than learnt to respect both the alpha male
Amadeus as well as the young male Nikki, with
whom she has a very special bond.For a chimp that was kept in isolation
for most of her life, she shows very good social
skills and will be a very powerful female inside
this enclosure one day..
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction –
Playing
0
Tree Climbing
2
Threat identification – snakes, spiders, scorpions etc.
Sampa was kept together
with Tony in a small cage in a backyard in
Luanda,
Angola.The cage had no proper
floor i.e. any flat space to sleep on and the
key to its padlock had been lost. Sampa had been inside the
cage for three to four years.Both animals had
been abused badly by their caretakers and were
in a poor condition when rescued. It was
difficult to extract her from the cage, as she
would dodge her rescuers and then cling
immovably to Tony.
Personality:
Due to her past, Sampa is very cautious of her
surroundings. She has opened up to her
caretakers at CE and is a delight to know. Sampa
sees Tony as her “child” and is very protective
of him.
.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
2
Social interaction – Grooming
1
Social interaction –
Playing
1
Tree Climbing
2
Threat identification – snakes, spiders, scorpions etc.
Tony was kept together with
Sampa in a small cage in a backyard in Luanda,
Angola.The cage had no
proper floor i.e. any flat space to sleep on and
the key to its padlock had been lost. Tony had
been inside the cage for about three years. Both
animals had been abused badly by their
caretakers and were in a poor condition when
rescued – Tony has a cataract in one eye
(right), and had abscessed teeth.He also lacks a
vital attribute of any male chimp: his canines.His incisors have
been pulled and his canines clipped, apparently
because he had bitten someone. It was difficult
to extract him from the cage, as he would dodge
his rescuers and then cling immovably to Sampa.
Personality:
Tony is a friendly natured infant. At first, he
would try to grab his caretakers but has now
learnt that he has nothing to fear at CE. He is
very fixed on his “teenage mother” Sampa and
rarely leaves her side
.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
2
Social interaction – Grooming
1
Social interaction –
Playing
1
Tree Climbing
1
Threat identification – snakes, spiders, scorpions etc.
Claudette was one of the first chimps rescued
from Angola by JGI South Africa along with Abu,
Amadeus and Nikki in 1996. She too had been kept
in the pet trade. Claudette had grown up with
the three males in the Johannesburg Zoo and has
close bonds to our two males Amadeus and Nikki.
She was always a low ranking female while still
at the zoo and often seen alone. After the loss
of her infant earlier on in 2008, she had
isolated herself from the rest of the group in
the zoo and was beginning to look depressed. The
decision was made to move her to Chimp Eden. She
recognised Amadeus and Nikki straight away and
the two males were very excited to see their
long lost friend again. She was briefly
introduced to the females and released into the
outside enclosure within one week.
Personality:
Although Claudette was one of the lower ranking
females at Joburg Zoo, she already made it to
number 3 within the first month at Chimp Eden.
Whereas there were much more older females at
the zoo, Claudette is one of the oldest in our
relatively young adult group. Though she is
submissive towards the two dominant females
Jinga and Mimi, she will bully low ranking Lika.
She is also dominant over Josephine at this
stage.
.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
N/A
Social interaction – Grooming
N/A
Social interaction –
Playing
N/A
Tree Climbing
N/A
Threat identification – snakes, spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use
- sticks
N/A
Tool use
- stones
N/A
Summary:
Claudette’s introduction
into the group was the fastest in the
history of Chimp Eden and she appears to be
doing much better after being reunited with
her two old buddies Amadeus and Nikki. She
seems to have made up her mind not to be the
lowest ranking female here and will
sometimes instigate a fight with either
Josephine or Lika. Though Lika usually
submits, Josephine is now beginning to
retaliate. Overall Claudette has settled in
well. Her climbing and social skills were
very good from the start and she fits well
into the group.
Suzie was kept as a local attraction in the
entertainment industry. Her former owner kept
her on a beach in Angola, where she was made to
take photos with tourists. She does not appear
to have been abused severely
Personality:
Suzie is very social and enjoys playing with the
younger infants in her group. She is strong-
willed and will push the others out of the way
to get food.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
4
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Suzie is socialising well within her group. She
is a little wary of Martha, as the larger female
will often charge her. Although she at first did
not get along with little Lilly, the two now
have a special bond and are often seen together.
The younger infants look up to Suzie as a big
sister figure and will generally follow her
lead. She is a good role model and will come to
the aid of her younger group members when
necessary. She has even been seen carrying Tamu
and Azie around her belly, as a mother would
with her infant. Suzie is very considerate of
the other chimps and will even wait for
Charleene when she falls behind.
Lilly became a victim of the bushmeat trade at a
very young age. The poacher, who shot Suzie’s
mother, took her in as a pet and hand reared
her. Her owner did not abuse her
physically but she was kept in a very bad
condition and neglected. Lilly was tied to a
wooden crate in the owner’s backyard. She was in
the sun the entire day and the rope around her
neck was too short to allow her to get into the
shade. Her rescuers could not see food or water
in near proximity.
Personality:
Lilly has been spoilt by humans, which is
evident from her behaviour and overall
appearance. She at this stage is still
overweight and very greedy when it comes to
feeding time. Though she is still young, she is
not a pushover and is willing to fight even the
larger infants.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
4
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Lilly has lost a lot of weight since arriving at
Chimp Eden but still has a long way to go before
she is the size she should be at her age. Though
she showed some antisocial tendencies when first
introduced to other infants, she has now learnt
to play nicely with the others. Her and Suzie
have formed a strong bond when they were still
in quarantine.
Marco was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants.
Personality:
Marco is very dominant infant and will probably be
a high-ranking male when he grows up. At this
stage, he is dominant over all the other infants
in his group and even over adolescent Suzie.
Although she is much larger, he manages to
intimidate her already.
Rehabilitation Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
2
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
4
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Marco has developed well and has a lot of
self-confidence. His social skills are well
developed and he plays and grooms with the other
infants regularly. It appears as if he has a
bond with Mowgli, who is just a few months
younger. Marco of course dominates his friend
and will also take food away from him
Mowgli was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants.
Personality:
Mowgli appears to be quite insecure at times and
will often cling to his friend Marco for
reassurance. When he does not get his way, he is
known to throw violent temper tantrums. He is
however generally a good natured chimp.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
4
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Mowgli was already at the Sudan safe house
when we launched our first rescue mission to
the Sudan in 2007. Due to a lack of permits,
he had to be left behind when the first five
Sudan infants were rescued. He has grown a
lot since then, under the loving care of his
caretakers in the Sudan and has bonded well
with his new group members
Mary was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants
Personality:
Mary is a timid chimp with a friendly
temperament. She has a close bond to young Azie
and the two are often seen together.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
4
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Mary socialises a lot with the other
youngsters. Azie looks up to Mary and will
cling on to her if unsure. When exploring
something new, Mary will secure the area and
then allow Azie to follow. She generally
does not get involved in fights between the
older chimps but will still stand her ground
if bullied.
Bazia was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants
Personality:
Bazia is generally quiet and a little
introverted. However, when she does not get her
will, she throws loud temper tantrums and even
attacks the other infants.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
4
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
4
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Bazia gets along well with the other chimps
but does not seem to have bonded with one
specific chimp yet. Her social behaviour is
good and she enjoys playing with others. Due
to her temper tantrums, she gives the
impression of being spoiled
Charlene was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants.
Personality:
Charlene is timid but very willful. Though she
moves slower than the other chimps, she is very
playful and will also fight if necessary.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
3
Tree Climbing
2
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
When Charlene arrived at Chimp Eden, she
had difficulties moving. She appears to have
been kept in a cage, which was too small for
her to move around. Since her arrival, her
condition has improved dramatically.
However, her movement is still slower than
that of the other infants. Though she is
slower than the others, she is intent on
keeping up with the group and will even
follow them into the tall trees at her own
speed. She is often seen with Suzie and
Lilly, who will both wait for her when she
falls behind.
Tamu was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants.
Personality:
Tamu is one of the smallest chimps and still
very much relies on the others for protection.
He is quite willing to grab food from one of the
others. However, in a new situation, he will
quickly hold on to one of the older chimps for
reassurance.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
3
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Tamu is doing well for one so young. He is
able to protect his food and capable of
climbing everywhere that the older animals
lead him. He will generally make sure that
one of the older group members is around him
in case he should need their assistance
Azie was orphaned by the bushmeat trade and
taken to a safe house in the Sudan along with
six other infants
Personality:
Azie is a feisty little chimp. Though she,
together with Tamu, is one of the smallest
chimps in the enclosure, she definitely knows
how to stand her ground, especially when food is
involved
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
3
Tree Climbing
3
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Though Azie is more than capable of standing
up for herself, she very much relies on Mary
for backup. The two females are often seen
together; usually Mary leads and Azie holds
on and follows. She, like Tamu, is verysocial and follows the others around
even into the taller trees.
Jessica
was kept as an entertainment animal in a South
African circus. They possibly also used her for
advertisement purposes on tv. When she became
too large and dangerous to handle, she was
locked in a small cage in a dark back room of
the circus owner’s zoo. She stayed here for
several years. During this time, she appears to
have been severely physically abused. There was
another chimp, Charles, in a cage adjacent to
hers, who was rescued at the same time and
transferred to Chimp Eden. Jessica has three
fingers missing on her right hand. When Jessica
arrived at Chimp Eden, she was physically in a
very bad state. She had lost or plucked a lot of
her fur and was basically starving.
Personality:
Although Jessica arrived in a very bad
physical condition, it quickly became clear that
she is mentally very fit. After only one week,
she was demanding food from her servants. She
was introduced to Martha and the infants after
only one month and displayed excellent social
behaviour. She has shown that she has brilliant
maternal skills and will play with, comfort and
discipline the youngsters when necessary. She
makes a good alpha female for the new infant
group.
Rehabilitation
Status:
Acceptance by group
5
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
4
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
3
Tool use - sticks
3
Tool use - stones
2
Summary:
All in all, Jessica has recovered from her
trauma very rapidly. She was unsure of her
caretakers for only one week but since then
has shown a lot of trust. Her rehabilitation
has been accelerated due to her excellent
social skills. She has bonded with all of
the infants and has become a mother-figure
to some of the younger ones, for example
Tamu. She is dominant over Martha, mainly
due to the fact that her social skills are
superior. Though she will take Martha’s
food, she is not overly aggressive towards
any of the other chimps. At this stage, she
is still underweight but working out in the
enclosure and a healthy diet should have her
fit within a few months.
Martha was hand reared to be
kept as a pet by her former owners in Ghana. At
3 years old she was given to a zoo and stayed
there until she was 14 years old. Though she was
never abused, she did not integrate into the
chimpanzee group in the zoo and was kept
isolated from the group. She more or less grew
up in social isolation inside of a concrete
cage.
Personality:
Martha is generally friendly natured but can be
aggressive. She does not like change or new
faces and will sometimes react to strangers by
spitting at them. Martha is a bit of a loner but
will interact with other chimps from time to
time.
Acceptance by group
2
Social interaction – Grooming
0
Social interaction – Playing
0
Tree Climbing
N/A
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
N/A
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Although it was not possible to integrate
Martha with other chimps in Ghana, efforts
by the Chimp Eden staff to integrate her
with the nine infants have been successful.
She is not particularly playful with them
but at least tolerates them being around.
Her integration into the outside enclosure
has been difficult. She previously had never
seen grass before and was very scared of it.
Charles was kept as an entertainment animal in a
South African circus. They possibly also used
him for advertisement purposes on TV. When he
became too large and dangerous to handle, he was
locked in a small cage in a dark back room of
the circus owner’s zoo. He stayed in isolation
for several years.During this time, he appears to have been
severely physically abused. There was another
chimp, Jessica, in a cage adjacent to his, who
was rescued at the same time as Charles and
taken to Chimp Eden. When Charles arrived at
Chimp
Eden, he was mentally in
a very bad state and was also malnourished. He
had plucked a lot of his fur, especially around
his face and arms. Charles was a very depressed
animal, who did not trust humans. After his
arrival at Chimp Eden, he was first introduced
to our adult group. After a failed introduction
there, he was moved to one of the infant groups
to meet up with his old friend Jessica
Personality:
Although Charles was at first depressed, he
lightened up a lot when moved the adult night
rooms. His social skills were excellent as he
showed us during the one-on-one introductions.
He displayed all normal behaviour patterns of a
chimpanzee during the introductions and was
quickly becoming much more demanding towards his
caretakers. When he was moved to Jessica’s
group, he showed very good social skills towards
the infants also.
Acceptance by group
4
Social interaction – Grooming
5
Social interaction – Playing
5
Tree Climbing
2
Threat identification – snakes,
spiders, scorpions etc.
N/A
Foraging
2
Tool use - sticks
N/A
Tool use - stones
N/A
Summary:
Charles has recovered from his trauma very
well and shows very good social behaviour.
He is gentle but assertive with the infants.
Charles will offer reassurance in form of a
hug and enjoys playing with the youngsters.
His adult social skills are also well
developed and he engages in long grooming
session with Jessica. As Jessica has been
leading the group alone until Charles
arrived, she gave him some problems at
first. He tried to avoid the confrontation
but will step up if pushed. He has won all
the disputes with Jessica and the group
clearly sees him as the alpha male.
