Day One

09/18/08
8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Although I had been to the great Ape enclosure a couple of weeks ago, Friday was my first official day. It was the first of three orientation days I have to do, so I mostly followed Ann around. I have met everyone in the enclosure, and so got a re-introduction. Mahale does NOT like me, and let me know it. She spit at me, mean girl. Ann said that Mahale doesn't like any young women, so don't feel bad. JJ also tried his best to scare me. Didn't work, I am always ready for his banging and crashing. I got to see Mosi playing with Fossey, his dad. Mosi is such a little cutie. I wish I could have seen him when he was a little baby, but he's still pretty small.

Today on the schedule was "yogurt bombs". Ann showed me how to make them and made quite a few herself. We used sugar-free low-fat mixed berry yogurt. About a tablespoon was spread on the inside of a cardboard tube (it looked like a toilet paper roll!) and then the ends were folded up. Ann said they used to tape the ends, but it takes longer to tape the ends than it takes for the apes to get into them. I saw what she meant when JJ lit into one. He basically ripped it in half. Hopefully it took the chimps and the orangs longer and more thought to open theirs.

I need to either watch the chimps or the orangutans next time. I love watching JJ though! Because he has a heart condition, and had decided to leave the "family group" he was in (Fossey & Co.), he is only out first thing in the morning and then stays inside the rest of the day. Apparently this makes him pretty happy. He is really mischievious. He tries to scare people in the enclosure by watching you and, when he thinks you're not looking, banging on the walls of his cage. Ann and Kristin said that when he succeeds in making you jump he laughs. A gorilla laugh is like a low, breathy chuckle. He tried to scare me again when he was outside. After he ate a little , he charged the metal doors that Ann and I were behind. I stepped back but Ann just kept leaning on the doors. She told him "Yep, you got us JJ". Then he tried to be sneaky, and slowly sidled up to the doors. He kept looking out of the corner of his eye at me, and then he'd look away really fast. Finally, he sprang at the door and slammed into it with his left side, and then ran off. It was pretty amusing. He's a beautiful gorilla as well. This was the first time I could see him clearly since he wasn't in his enclosure. Ann said he could be a gorilla model, and I know what she means. He has such a beautiful gorilla face. I hope to get some decent pictures of him later on.

I don't know many of the chimps names. I know Mahale, of course. Chase is the youngest, his face, hands and feet are still so pink! Poor Jodie, the oldest and a female, died last week. She had a check up but when they brought her home and brought her out of her anesthesia, she just died. She was very old, but its still very sad. Ann said that you could feel that her group had been very subdued since she went.

Since there are only two orangutans, I know thier names already. Rok is the big male, and Chiquita is the petite female. She is so small, she looks like she is smaller than the adult female chimps. She is quiet and seems pretty shy. Ann said she doesn't much like her yard, and is usually coaxed out by Rok. Rok is amazing. His fingers are enormous, about the size of a banana each. He has long red hair and the large cheek pouches dominant males develop. He looks so enormous to me, but Ann said he is average sized for a male orang, and unlike many he isn't even overweight. He is an amazing creature to see up close. When I first came in, he began vocalizing and showed off who was boss by going at Chiquita. Ann said he did that to show dominance. His vocalizations are pretty loud, and deep. You can imagine a voice like that echoing through a forest for miles!

Next day to work is Tuesday at 8 a.m. I have to be in class by 9:25 a.m., so here's hoping Mahale doesn't spit on me again. I should bring extra clothes...