We stayed in White River so we were nicely located to go sightseeing all around. On our way we stopped at the Skerkfontein caves, I left the memory stick in the computer so I didn't get any photos. The next day we set off to do the Panoramic route and visited some of the many waterfalls, God's window look out, the Blyde River canyon, the potholes and last but no least the 3 rondavals. Day 3 we spent in the Kruger National Park and you guessed it we saw loads of wild animals including lion, rhino and elephant and as many impala as you want to see. Day 4 was very interesting we visited Chimp Eden were they have a number of chimps that have been rescued from zoos, abusive owners etc. Most of the chimps come from Sudan. The last day we chilled and drove back home with a stop in Witbank to visit the family. Fun was had by all!
Joao, 1 of the rescued Chimps:
Age: approx. 60 – 65
Rescue Date: April 2006
Ranked Position: Alpha male – juvenile enclosure 1
Joao’s Story: With his distinctive looks, Joao is the oldest resident at Chimpanzee Eden and could even be the oldest in South Africa. Joao arrived at the Maputo Zoo in Mozambique when he was 3 years old, left behind by a touring Circus company. At that stage he had a companion but soon after the war broke out in Mozambique, the war lasted for more than 30 years and Joao saw it from start to finish. His companion past away falling ill to an unknown virus leaving Joao in isolation from another chimpanzee until April 2006 when JGI South Africa convinced the zoo to release him to the care of JGI Chimpanzee Eden. Joao’s integration with other chimpanzees was not easy; he had a smoking and alcohol addiction which also had to be broken. The adult group did not accept him and he preferred to be with humans, taking every opportunity to attempt escape. Eventually the plan was formulated to integrate him with the infants that spent time adjacent to him in the quarantine. It was a match made in heaven, Joao preferred to be in this environment, which also one of the rehabilitation staff going in with him. This ensured that Joao did not want to leave the enclosure whilst he got used to being with other chimpanzees. He now enjoys being a ‘granddad’ to the infants and shares his parenting duties with two other males, Zac and Cozy.
Personality: Joao has a gentle but yet dominant personality. He does not tolerate disrespect from Zac or Cozy and attacks them when challenged. He enjoys being a ‘granddad’ to the infants in his enclosure and affectionately plays with them, whilst also breaking up any conflicting situation that might arise. He also disciplines the infants when they step out of line.
Summary: When Joao first arrived at Chimp Eden, he was entirely dependent upon humans and did not like to be inside the enclosure while his human ‘friends’ were outside. Although he still enjoys human contact, he now turns to Zac or Cozy for support. This is a good sign as he is gaining independence from humans and behaving more like a wild chimpanzee. Joao shows the characteristics of a true leader, taking care of the ones under his protection while not wasting too much time on displaying. Lately, Zac has been challenging his dominance. In response, Joao’s displays are increasing in order to maintain the alpha position. So far, Zac has not posed much of a threat to the experienced male.
Acceptance by group 5
Social interaction – Grooming 4
Social interaction – Playing 5
Tree Climbing 5
Threat identification – snakes, spiders, scorpions etc. 5
Foraging 5
Tool use - sticks 2
Tool use - stones 3
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