The Center for Great Apes was established 24 years ago as a non-profit sanctuary in order to help orang-utans and chimpanzees and provide them with rescue, rehabilitation, and permanent care with dignity. Starting with just five young apes at a tourist attraction in Miami, the Center has grown to take in over 50 great apes who were once exploited as entertainment performers, research subjects or as exotic pets often in dire conditions. Once at the sanctuary, orang-utans and chimpanzees recover and flourish with good nutrition, companionship with their own species, plenty of space in which to move around and explore and care from the staff that is kind and respectful.
Caregiver Corner on #ApeSpotlight Bubbles! Chimpanzee Caregiver Meg talks about what it’s like to work with Bubbles:
“I love all of the chimpanzees at the Center, but for me, Bubbles has always been special. It was hard for me to write this because I didn’t know where to start! I was tempted to just write “Bubbles is perfect” and leave it at that, but I thought I should explain why I think he’s perfect. One of my favorite things about Bubbles is his face. He is a physically imposing guy with the sweetest face. He is very expressive with his long eyelashes and pouty lips. Some of the chimpanzees are hard to identify in their baby pictures but Bubbles is not, thanks to that trademark pout.
Every night, Bubbles makes a nest with blankets and saves one to cover himself up with and then tucks it underneath his feet. Sometimes he uses a pillowcase or a T-shirt to make his “sleeping bag”, but usually it’s a blanket. I know he wakes up early because I can hear him pant-hooting during our morning staff meeting, but he is almost always the last chimpanzee in his group to get out of his nest when I come around with breakfast.
Bubbles has a wonderful sense of humor. He loves to play chase and often takes shortcuts or changes direction, always looking back to make sure his friend (chimpanzee or human) is not too far behind. He is also very ticklish and has what I firmly believe to be the most charming, nasally laugh on the planet. When the weather warms up Bubbles will point at the hose to ask for hose drinks and showers. A lot of the chimpanzees do not like to get wet, but Bubbles loves it! He will stand up and turn around in the stream of the hose until he is completely soaked.
When we work on husbandry training with the chimpanzees we generally use small rewards like raisins to reinforce behaviors. Bubbles, however, is not very food motivated so his reward is usually just attention. When he offers me the correct body part, he gets tickles (with a backscratcher) instead of raisins. He is the only chimpanzee I work with who will train “for free”, or without treats. He seems to really enjoy spending time with his caregivers, and it’s definitely mutual. We all love Bubs!”
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