A Glimpse at the Chimps by Rachel Golub (intern)

Hey everyone! My name is Rachel Golub, and I am one of the new interns here at Chimps Inc. I am originally from New York and recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Technology. I flew all the way from Boston to work with the eight chimpanzees that are housed here at the sanctuary.

During my first few weeks in Oregon, I took my time getting to know the chimps. Patti is the matriarch of the group, watching everything from her front enclosure. I love watching her paint pictures with her tongue. Topo is one of the three males, and although he can be a bit scary at times, he can also be very sweet and playful.

Jackson and Emma are the youngest of the chimpanzees. Jackson spends his days playing and wrestling with Emma, and sometimes likes to bask in the sun while nuzzling with some blankets. Emma, on the other hand, loves to imitate our cleaning by doing some cleaning of her own. When given a small bucket and a scrub brush, Emma will get to work and start scrubbing.

Herbie is another loveable character. He loves casually flipping through magazines and sticking his tongue out at me as I walk by. Herbie also loves to play with many enrichment toys such as hats and shoes. I have yet to form a bond with the other three chimps, Kimie, Thiele and Maggie. I am sure that over the next six weeks of my stay, I will have formed lots of friendships not only with the chimpanzees, but also with the wonderful staff and volunteers that take care of them each and every day.