by Amelia Sandoval

Chimps are the same as children: before you know it they have grown up! Juanito, the youngest member in the family group, was born in a zoo in Tenerife and was rescued following plans for him to be sold illegally in 2003, and arrived at MONA when he had just turned one year old. Waty, then a young female, took on the role of his older sister and, practically overnight, became his mentor, showing him how to behave in chimpanzee culture.

The Juanito of today is a very different chimp from the one that arrived here eight years ago. He has always been cheerful, open, very playful, and has lived peacefully within his group. Now he is a young adult male, still as cheerful and open as before, but the games are more abrupt and he is now the individual causing problems. When chimps begin their juvenile stage, they experience rapid growth, sexual maturity and their behavior begins to resemble more that of adults of their same sex.

They lose their privilege, previously enjoyed, of absolute freedom within the group. Often provoking conflicts, they are admonished for it, as they are no longer young. In the wild, Juanito would, in this situation, begin to seek some independence from the closeness of his group; males become peripheral for a time, coming and going, needing their space, but always close by. In our Centre space is limited and for this reason, three years ago, Bongo found himself in the same situation and was transferred to the group of males. We believe that the strategy was a success: he could fully develop as an adult male and, at the same time, the change was also very beneficial for Charly, Marco and Toni. Today history repeats itself and Juanito is now in the process of integration to join this group. Contacts between them were very positive from the outset – a benefit from seeing each other over the past eight years.

As with Bongo´s case, the reception overall has been exceptional. Even Toni, who is easily stressed when challenged by Juanito, soon forgets and turns his anger into fun and games with him. The last sessions with the whole group together have been the most peaceful; with only one more left to go. Tomorrow, the 22nd June, will be the day they all go out to the outdoor facility together. We have no doubts that all will run smoothly. From here on, Juanito is on his way to becoming an adult male. We hope you stay to see the results!