Meet the Chimpanzees

Sarah is the oldest member of the group. She was captured in the wild at around the age of 2, and before she went to OSU 19 years ago, she was at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a bit of a loner, preferring to spend her days inside her "home" enclosure wrapped in blankets (which she insists on having!) and soaking up the warmth of the sun. She has an aversion to touching the ground and prefers to climb everywhere that she goes—therefore, she will not forage for food on the ground. If she feels that she has suffered an injustice, she has a difficult time making up with the perpetrator and will not "let it go."

Keeli went to OSU with Ivy in 1997, when he was 1 year old. Keeli has gone through puberty and has changed dramatically from the timid, insecure, playful little boy everyone knew into a confident, extremely athletic adult. He is easily stressed out. He arrived at OSU with extreme rocking tendencies and tends to over-groom himself, particularly his toes. He loves to play chase and tag with other chimpanzees and with human caretakers, and his favorite individuals are Emma and Ivy.

Ivy arrived at OSU with Keeli in 1997. She is very dependant on Keeli and becomes stressed out after spending a prolonged period of time (whether a whole day or just an hour) without being in the same enclosure with him. She craves affection from everyone and is happiest when the other chimpanzees allow her to groom them. Her favorite individuals are Keeli, Harper, and Sheba. Her nickname is "Ivylicious."

Sheba, 24, was sent to OSU from the Columbus Zoo, where she was used for public relations. She is very intelligent and prefers activities like drawing, looking at magazines, painting, and anything that requires patience and fine motor skills. She is very vocal and has a tendency to fear tense social situations. Her nickname is "Beebs."

Darrell is the most skittish of the OSU chimpanzees and has spent the last five months locked up in a concrete box with no windows in the Texas heat. He is the most aggressive when he feels threatened or is in any kind of stressful situation. He wants to please, and once you get to know him and he trusts you, he is very loving. His favorite activities are grooming his caretakers or Harper and Emma and being groomed by the other chimpanzees.

Emma is 6 years old and is careful to keep herself out of harm's way. She is a very inquisitive, precocious, observant little girl who likes to entertain herself with toys and especially likes things that she can nest with. Her nickname is "Mer-Nem."

Harper's confidence is unmatched in the group, and he is prone to throwing tantrums out of frustration. He thinks of himself as "one of the boys" and worships Keeli as a hero. He is a typical, playful, busy little boy with a tendency to hang from things and spin around. He loves everyone in the group. His nickname is "Harpy-Barpy."

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