chimps of all ages

The chimps at Tchimpounga are divided into 5 groups based on age. Group 5 is the youngest group (nursery) who you've seen in lots of these photos. Based on my interactions with them chimps probably look pretty harmless and friendly. I wish I could put anyone reading this blog face to face with one of the big males in group one. Adult chimpanzees are terrifying. Being around one of them face to face when they are upset triggers a fight or flight response like nothing else. It makes sense too...any one of them could kill a human in an instant. take a look here for example:


These are pics from a man who was attacked by a chimpanzee in California a few years ago. After waking from his coma, he headed home looking like this.



Anyway, I guess i'm noting this just because my photos have been biased toward the infants which is not a very representitive sample of what chimps are like. In fact, its the reason people think they want chimps as pets...the babies are cute. Then after 5 years the chimp grows up and people can't handle it and the poor chimp ends up chained up for the next 35 years. Sadly, its much more common than you would think.

Here are some only slightly older guys in group 4 (first step after the nursery). They are still very friendly and not TOO dangerous to interact with a bit. This is Gao.



She's a big fan of the high-five game. She will seriously just slap your hand over and over and over and over like it is the best game on earth.


and this is petit prince. he's a really good looking chimp and super friendly too.



sweet teeth prince....