For Amy and Noel, the plush toy was a temporary “baby.” For Collin it was a projectile to be thrown against the wall. Former research chimpanzees react very differently to plush toys donated for their enrichment.

Their reactions are informed by the chimpanzee’s personality, age, sex and past experiences in captivity.

Project Chimps recently received a donation of 12 plush chimpanzee toys from MelissaAndDoug.com. The plushes were distributed to various groups of male and female chimpanzees now living in permanent retirement at the Project Chimps sanctuary.

Harley, a 10-year-old female chimpanzee, surprised her caregivers when she “adopted” one of the plush chimps as if it was her baby.

Harley in a moment of tender embrace with her donated Melissa and Doug plush chimp. Photo by Crystal Alba.

“Since her arrival from the lab in late 2017, Harley had never really played with toys or plushes,” said chimpanzee caregiver Crystal Alba. “At first she tested it by hitting and kicking it and then she adopted it as though it was a real baby chimp.”

What happened next was even more interesting. According to Crystal, Harley rose in stature within the all-female social group.

Harley gets a pass

“When approached by Sky, one of the high-ranking, older females in the group, she waived the plush between them and Sky backed down,” said Crystal. “It was as if Sky said, ‘Okay, you get a pass.’ ”

The older females, including LB and Babs even allowed Harley to sit with them and nest near them in Project Chimps’ Harmony Villa (formerly Villa 4).

“Ape mothers move up in the social hierarchy when they have a baby,” said Laura Mayo, Project Chimps’ Manager of Chimpanzee Care.

Harley’s behavior toward the plush was very maternal, Laura said. “She handled the plush toy very gently, even putting her lips on the ‘baby’s’ face.”

“It was wonderful to see a quiet chimpanzee like Harley come out of her shell and become more animated and engaged,” Laura added.

Noel and Collin play rough

Harley’s group mate Noel is one of the most energetic in her group. As such, the caregivers often find her group’s villa littered with plush toy stuffing after Noel has dissected the toy to discover the interesting bits inside.

With the Melissa and Doug plush, Noel was more thoughtful and more curious. She “borrowed” the toy from Harley and, in a rare moment of stillness, sat quietly and gazed into the eyes of the plush chimpanzee to see if it was real. After her inspection, she tossed it away and went on to another activity.

Noel gazes into the eyes of a donated Melissa and Doug plush chimp. Photo by Crystal Alba.

On the other side of Harmony Villa, 16-year-old Collin had an equally interesting reaction to one of the lifelike plushes.

“When I first showed him the toy, he bounced up and down excitedly,” said Crystal. “Later when we left two of the plushes on the porch of the villa, some of Collin’s older male group mates were apprehensive. They kicked them around and alpha male Kareem even ran away.”

According to Crystal, Collin took the lead, inspecting the toys. He went out of his way to reassure his group mates that the plush chimps were no threat. He swung them against the walls and poked them as if to say, “See, they won’t hurt you.”

A catalyst for change

Later, Collin did something that surprised his caregivers. He made a nest with the plush chimp.

“Collin had never made a nest before in sanctuary,” said Crystal, “it was an important first for him here.”

According to chimpanzee care manager Laura, Project Chimps’ supporters frequently donate plush toys of various sizes and the reactions to them range widely.

“Sometimes you walk inside a villa when all the chimps are quiet and you’ll see an individual in the corner, gazing and interacting with a plush toy.” said Laura. “Then some chimps choose not to interact with them at all. We’re just happy to give them the choice.”

Laura says that some of the female chimpanzees will “adopt” a plush and then carry it with them for days or weeks, sometimes tucking them in the deep “hip pocket” that chimpanzees have between their abdomen and thigh.

Safe and sound

“Many of the chimps get security from the plush toys,” noted Laura.

New chimp Betty carried hers with her on her first day outside in Project Chimps’ 6-acre, forested Peachtree Habitat. Alpha female LB carries small plush chimps in her hip pocket and is frequently spotted dragging one around the habitat.

“Sometimes we’ll find a muddy plush left in the habitat,” Laura reports. “The caregivers gather them up, wash them, and put them back in the villas for other chimps to enjoy. Or to ignore. It’s their choice.”

Thanks to our generous supporters, Project Chimps is now well stocked with plush toys for the chimps, which provide emotional enrichment. Now, we’re working to build our supplies of items that provide intellectual stimulation for the chimps. If you’d like to donate an engaging toy or puzzle part for the chimps, we invite you to visit our Amazon Wish List.