Chimp Profile: Nikki
Age: 14 years old
Origin: Liberia
Time at Chimp Eden: 3 years
Having been taken from his mother shortly after birth, Nikki was raised by a single man in Liberia. Nikki was treated like a human baby, receiving absolutely no contact with other chimps. His daily routine consisted of sleeping in a bed, showering, being dressed in clothes, sitting at a table, eating with a knife and fork and even using a napkin after meals. His body was also shaved, apart from the hair on his head, giving Nikki the appearance of a male human haircut. However, by the age of one his owner was persuaded that Nikki would have a better quality of life living with his own species within a sanctuary.
Cared for by Johannesburg Zoo while Chimp Eden underwent its creation, Nikki learned to live with other chimps, developing social and communicative skills and witnessing normal chimp behaviour. Having been at Chimp Eden for the past three years, Nikki is now fully integrated to life in the sanctuary. During this time Nikki has earned himself the reputation of a Casanova, flirting with both female chimps and humans, regardless of species.
While the story of Nikki may not appear to be one of obvious abuse and neglect, the serious impact that his first year of life has had upon his adult personality is very evident, and of a detrimental nature. Due to the shaving inflicted upon him during his development, Nikki continues to pluck the hairs from his arms – both with his fingers and teeth – leaving them bald and then itchy during re-growth. Jessica Ney, an animal behaviourist at JGI Chimp Eden, explained that this behaviour is commonly witnessed in chimps who have been shaved and that any attempt to discourage the behaviour only serves to act as negative reinforcement.
JGI Chimp Eden, South Africa, as yet has no means for developing a release programme and as such Nikki shall almost certainly never be released into the wild during his lifetime. Although a life in captivity is undesirable and not something a sanctuary or conservation organisation would wish upon an animal, Nikki is at least able to interact with his own species and is able to climb trees or hide in foliage, at his will. Nikki was a victim of the pet trade, both JGI Chimp Eden and the Primate Handshake are of the belief that the best means of attack in the fight against this trade is education.
In collaboration with JGI Chimp Eden, the volunteers of the South Africa expedition ‘09 created a direct link from the Primate Handshake website to the email address of the Director of the sanctuary (Phillip Cronje), which may be utilised if a mistreated chimp is observed.
