What a joy it was to watch the chimpanzees open their presents! Erin’s arrival with the cart filled with presents elicited loud screams of excitement from the chimpanzees. The news spread to all of the other groups that something good was about to happen. Boxes filled with nuts, pretzels, pumpkin seeds and other goodies were wrapped in brightly colored paper and tossed to each individual. Jon Bernthal, star of The Walking Dead, and his family joined us in playing Santa Claus. I am not sure who had more fun – the people or the chimpanzees! Jon was great at tossing the presents right to each chimpanzee. Staff told our visitors the name of each chimpanzee and information about their personality and history. We also helped to decode the chimpanzees’ behavior and social interactions. Boxes thrown to Trevor were taken by two females, leading to a brief tiff until the alpha male Kasey broke it up. Trevor moved away and finally got a present to enjoy in peace. My favorite chimpanzee, Rita, was able to quickly snag two presents and went behind a bush to unwrap the gifts. The chimpanzee who delighted us the most was Hamlet. Known for his ongoing displays, he often misses opportunities to get treats because he is too busy running about trying to impress others. However, today Hamlet got three wrapped presents. He was so excited that he screamed with joy and it took him about 15 minutes to calm down enough to open them! Screams were replaced with contented food grunts as he enjoyed the treats. As my daily commitments don’t allow me to spend as much time as I might like enjoying the company of the chimpanzees, today was an incredibly joyful experience. Seeing the chimpanzees so happy and relaxed reinforced the importance of our mission and the value of the hard work of our staff. Happy Holidays!
Linda Brent
Actor, John Bernthal, passes out gifts to the chimpanzees
Thank you for sharing ,the stories,of the chimpanzee
— From Sue,