A New Beginning

Taffy is a strong girl who’s not afraid to stand her ground around rough-and-tumble boys. She’s a great friend to her groupmates, but she can rival any chimp in the sass department. If a groupmate decides to show off with a loud display a little too closely? She might toss a plastic toy shovel at their head. But then she’ll invite some pals to go on a nice patrol walk.

Jeff Lebowski is known around the sanctuary for his handsome good looks. While he’s mostly a chill, sweet guy, he’s got a real gift for starting drama in his group, usually by pestering poor Kerstin until she can’t take it anymore. Even when he starts a fight, he has no interest in finishing it – he’s just not hip to social graces, although he’s trying harder these days. When he’s not stirring the pot, Jeff can be a really sweetie, and can often be found sitting quietly with groupmate Halley.

While Sara Soda has deferred her former alpha position to Mason, she is still a powerful, high-ranking member of her social group. Sara is incredibly smart and loves to train with her care staff, and her nest-building skills are second to none. Carlee will often cozy into Sarah Soda’s old nests after she leaves and young Carlee is barely visible in the big, giant piles of hay and leaves Sara constructs.

Although Marcus is part of a large group, you can often find him doing his own thing. He may be a “grass is greener” chimp because he spends much of his time making heart eyes at the girls in his neighboring group, not paying much attention to his own groupmates. He tends to be a sweet flirt, softly knocking on his bedroom mesh to get the girls’ attention and then showing off with a quiet display and smile.

Sweet, endearing Angela is an older “auntie” figure who loves food and relishes in relaxation. Her rambunctious nephew, Riley, likes to push the limits of her patience with his hijinks, but she’ll playfully remind him that he’s not as big and tough as he thinks he is. When Angela was introduced to one of Chimp Haven’s brand new corrals, she made everyone proud by climbing up to the very top of the highest platforms, showing everyone that even an auntie still has some tricks up her sleeve.

Arden is by far the cleverest of the youngsters in her group: she doesn’t act without making careful observations. She’s always aware of where the other chimps are, especially those who are high-ranking. During a food toss, she’ll sometimes hide fruit under her feet, or behind her back, and wait until no one is looking at her before she eats it. She also knows exactly where to go, so no one can spot her while she enjoys her banana.

Austin is a sweet guy who often seems to be very deep in thought. He’s laid-back and relaxed, and enjoys spending a good sunny afternoon lounging around on the structure in his yard. He reminds staff of a quintessential surfer, very mellow. Hope is especially fond of Austin, and soon after he met her she was seen cuddling with him.

Barbara is big and beautiful, and although she can be aloof and independent, she’s still the apple of Henry’s eye. Barbara, however, is more interested in enjoying her favorite treats. She loves watermelon and will peer through the enrichment kitchen window for a sneak peek while staff are cutting it up. She’s also very adept at using tools to “fish” for treats hidden in enrichment devices.

Ed, a former alpha male, is living out his retirement in a large social group of chimpanzees who like to keep him on his toes. Ed is laid-back and remains calm even when others become upset. He’s proof that you can “teach an old chimp new tricks” as recently he has started climbing to the top of a structure during meal times to try and catch his food like his groupmate, Queenie B. He also has the absolute best pant-hoot lips around.

Easygoing Donovan’s idea of a good time is grabbing a bushel of bananas with his bros. He’s a big, handsome leader with a heart of gold who always looks out for the other chimps in his group.

We love a strong, bossy lady, and Cherry Blossom is one of the best. She uses her big, boisterous personality to live life to the fullest. Food is one of her great passions in life, and she always makes sure she gets the bananas she’s entitled to.

The words “quirky” and “unique” are very often used to describe Charity. This girl keeps everyone, human and chimp alike, on their toes. One second she’s happily squealing over belly tickles, the next she’s angry that the tickles went on too long (or not long enough!). She is very chimp-oriented, but will occasionally indulge in a game of stomps with her caregivers. Her closest chimp pal is Marie, but even sweet Marie knows to tread lightly if Charity is in a mood. Her unique flair for the dramatic doesn’t stop her legion of loyal fans in the neighboring groups – all the boys next door love to sit and see what Charity is up to today.

Ten out of ten caregivers agree: Bowen is one handsome chimp (it’s probably all of that gorgeous salt-and-pepper hair). And he likes them right back – he relishes in their attention. He also loves to lie under the mister in his bedroom and clap his feet together to show his enthusiasm. Recently, Bowen showed us his tough side by putting on a “very serious” display with a toy Slinky. At first glance he’s a handsome, stoic guy, but his play face will melt your heart.

Don’t let Betsy’s small frame fool you, she’s a tough old gal who’s flourished in a sometimes rough-and-tumble family group. She prefers onions and kale to bananas, does the best grunts when she’s tickled, and, in her golden years, she’s just getting better every year.

Flora was named “Chimp You’d Most Like to Have as a Mom” and it’s no mystery why: She’s a wonderful, nurturing mother and groupmate. She’s very in tune with her daughter, Valentina Rose, and never likes to be too far away from her. She’s attentive, smart, and a great teacher during enrichment, but she’s also quick to discipline when Rosie gets out of line!

Hawkins is a firm believer in the work hard, play hard mentality…emphasis on the play. His strong personality might seem intense to some, but that’s because he’s got very serious ideas about the best way to live the Chimp Life, and he’s not wasting any time getting to it. If some poo gets thrown in the process? So be it.

Chimp Haven’s only former pet, Henry, was found in a garage where he had lived in deplorable conditions for 15 years, severely underweight and almost completely bald due to malnutrition. Today, he is healthy and has overcome many of the struggles that coincide with transitioning from life as a pet to greater freedoms that Chimp Haven provides.

Hillary is a girl who you’ll never catch skipping her fruits and veggies. She’s a true foodie and loves trying everything on the menu, even things her groupmates have no interest in (like the time they received string cheese as a novel food item; the rest of the group quickly discarded theirs and Hillary walked around collecting them all!). She’s always on time for breakfast and has a high-pitched squeak she uses to keep others away from her food. When she’s not dreaming of her next snack, Hillary loves being outside and can often be found exploring her habitat or lounging on the structures. She rarely opposes a good grooming session with her friends, and she can almost always be seen carrying some kind of accessory – sticks, crates, toys, you name it, she’ll carry it.

Hope is the socialite of her group – everyone wants to be seen with her. The first time she was introduced to new pals at Chimp Haven, it was clear she was going to be Miss Popularity, making friends quickly and putting the whole crew at ease. She’s also a bit of a ham and loves fishing for attention from the care staff. So, what do you get the girl who loves the Chimp Life? In this case, something to carry in her hip pocket. She’s known at the sanctuary for always carrying the latest accessories.

Tough guy Hugo is a bit of a sanctuary heart throb – the ladies love him, and he loves to stir up a little trouble. He’s technically his group’s alpha, but lately he and groupmate Hobbes seem to be sharing leadership responsibilities. After a power struggle, they seem to have discovered that a cooperative approach might be the most efficient way to lead. Although Hugo is a good, even-keeled leader, he doesn’t worry about taking himself too seriously; he gets away with any pranks with his signature smile. He also began participating in Positive Reinforcement Training over the past year and has thoroughly enjoyed mastering new behaviors. His favorite training cue is “lips” whereupon he adorably sticks his lips through the mesh as if puckering up for a smooch.