Welcome to Primarily Primates, Buck!
Buck was born on the 15th of September 1994, to be kept as one of three chimpanzee pets in a Missouri house.
As the couple that owned Buck aged, it became apparent that Buck would outlive them — and it became terribly expensive to keep three mature chimpanzees in a house.
One of the owners contacted Primarily Primates, Inc. in early 2009 to find out if the refuge could accept Buck. After the owner agreed to send some money with Buck — to help pay for initial vet checks, a vasectomy, and basic care — travel arrangements were made. On the 20th of April 2009, Buck arrived in San Antonio. PPI president Priscilla Feral and director Stephen Tello were on hand with the sanctuary’s veterinarian, Dr. Val Kirk, to ensure Buck safely returned to consciousness, and thank goodness all went well.Â
At first, Buck wouldn’t eat. Buck was not much interested in fruits and vegetables. When Danny, a caregiver, offered lettuce, other greens and broccoli, Buck handed them back.
We learned that the Missouri owner had provided hot dogs, bean and beef burritos, milk, cheese, spaghetti and meat balls and Chicken McNuggets. The owner also provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bananas so Stephen tried those. It would take more time for Buck to learn about mangoes, watermelon, oranges, and avocados. Stephen bought strawberries, thinking sweet fruit could help the adjustment.
At first, Buck was afraid of grass, and avoided it and stayed inside or walked along little strips of cement. Buck’s outside enclosure is grassy. Learning to move along elevated platforms in the new living area was essential, so Buck could meet Holly and Mandy, and learn from them how to enjoy melons and other fresh foods. It worked.
On Tuesday the 21st, Stephen saw Buck sitting inside (all the chimpanzees have roomy indoor bedrooms), making raspberry noises, and making a “don’t look at me” face. By now, Buck was already willing to eat bananas and tomatoes. The introductions were scheduled for Thursday.
Buck’s outside area is 60 feet long, 40 feet wide and 20 feet high with a pitched ceiling. A tunnel separates this living area from one occupied by Amy, Hope and little Grace, Deeter, Jewel and Stella.
Stella, who came from the now-defunct Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates of New York, is the elder of the group. Amy and Hope also came from LEMSIP. Both are now about 13 years old, and they like ten-year-olds Deeter and Jewel.
That is the group that might be able to be combined with Buck, Holly and Mandy. They would socialize by going through the tunnel to either living area.
On the afternoon of Thursday the 23rd of April, as planned, Buck met Holly and Mandy. The introduction has gone well. Here’s how Stephen describes it:
Anti-climatic. Holly was out first and then Buck was let out. Buck bristled up right at the beginning then his hair went down and Holly and Buck just stayed their distance… they passed by each other once but no direct contact.Buck showed fear grimacing, and was coming to us a lot for reassurances. I let Mandy out about ten or fifteen minutes later. Again, no vocalizations. They are all aware that they are together, but no direct contact. Mandy is giving Buck some space. She follows him and he walks away, then he walks towards her and she walks away.
Overall, the quietest chimpanzee introduction ever, the most boring. They really just are nice chimpanzees and they are giving each other space and room, not being confrontational, not giving off aggressive vocalizations; it is starting off really nice.
I told everyone that there are a lot of people here: Nicki, Dr. Val, Danny, Tracey, James and I. Some of us need to move away. I am back in the office. Tracey and Dr. Val have stuff to do, and this gives the chimpanzees less to focus on, so that they have to focus on each other. I have to stay nearby in case of an emergency; but really, there isn’t much to say.
The next morning, Stephen says, Buck, Holly and Mandy were inside, sitting together in one of the bedrooms. Holly is Mandy’s daughter. Holly and Buck would gingerly touch their feet together, and look away, pretending not to notice. Stephen is pleased. It appears as though they’ve always been together. Priscilla thinks Buck has a face like Curious George.
Stephen says:Chimpanzees have this hollow-sounding laugh, very breathy. So as I ran down the sides of the inside living area to get in front of him to take pictures, Buck chased after me on the inside laughing all the way. A lot of muscle and sweat went into getting these pictures of Buck. What a great, playful guy he is.
On Saturday 25 April, Stephen will move Mallory over to be introduced to Holly, Mandy and Buck. This idea has arisen because Mallory has been picked on by Thomas (whose baby photo appears at the bottom of page 27 of the Spring issue of Act•ionLine. Mallory (born in 1983) was released from LEMSIP in 1997. Holly (born 1985) and Mandy (born on New Year’s Day 1971) came from the Scotch Plains Zoo in New Jersey as the result of a USDA zoo confiscation and closure case. They too arrived at Primarily Primates in 1997.
Buck’s owner is showing video of the introductions to the other two pet chimpanzees in Missouri. We wonder if, one day in the future, those two will join us in Texas.
Thanks to: Leila, Scott, Allison, Brandon, Deanna, Maryanne, Steve, Matt, Lee, Jason, Leeann, Maggie, Charlie, Christine, Maria, Lauren, Gregg, Gigi, Lisa, Erik, Dara, Nathan, Randi, Dave, and all who have sent support for Buck.
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7 Comments
On April 24, 2009, Pat Huddy wrote:
I met Stephen at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Seminar in Chicago. It doesn’t surprise me that he was able to get the Chimps socialized with each other.
He’s seems to be a great guy, lots of caring about the animals that he works with.
I hope to visit sometime soon…
On April 25, 2009, Maryanne Appel wrote:
Well, it seems that Buck and I have something in common - we’re “twins” of a sort, born on the same day although years (and years and years!) apart. And, too, my life has been a great deal better than his has been over the past several years.
I am so grateful to Primarily Primates for its commitment to provide lifelong care to Buck, along with the hundreds of other rescues now residing at PPI. For Peta to target this sanctuary in its lawsuits - which have no merit and are a great financial burden both to FoA and Primarily Primates - is really shocking.
On April 26, 2009, Merrill wrote:
Let’s hope that couple agrees to surrender the other two. No people should have captive primates as “pets”…they deserve a sanctuary life where they can be with a group of their own kind. (and not eat junk food…)bet they make their primates watch TV too!
Bless you PPI people and SHAME on PETA!!!
On April 27, 2009, Anne Grindle wrote:
Thank-you for the inspiring story of Buck! So glad PPI could offer him a better life than he had. What a tragedy that the USA allows people to keep primates as pets.(and reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, etc.)
On May 3, 2009, A.D. wrote:
It’s wonderful that another chimpanzee can be treated as a person, and not a pet. And it is equally important that he should be receiving healthful diet. However, I was disturbed not to see any mention of of protein or meat in the chimpanzees diet. Chimpazees are omnivores, and in the wild, would be eating monkeys, as well as other small animals. Vegetarianism may be an ecologically friendly choice for humans, but to force that choice onto other animals would be sick, and terribly ironic.
[Blog editors’ note: Protein comes from a variety of sources, not only flesh products. Please know that the diet of the residents of PPI is overseen by an on-site veterinarian who is a specialist in nonhuman primates. Their nutritional needs will be met fully so they can enjoy long and healthy lives at the sanctuary. Thank you for your concern.]
On May 9, 2009, Marissa Hebisen wrote:
Beautiful Buck is a perfect example of why I so love these wonderful primates, but he is also a perfect example of why humans should never have wild animals as pets. This is a subject that just keeps whacking me over the head lately, mostly on television. First, I had to watch PETA seduce Khloe Kardashian into doing a “rather be naked ad”, and the very next day on the show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” I see that on next weeks show their family is going to buy a chimpanzee for their mother because she wants grandchildren and none of them are ready to give her a child. Is it just me or is this insane? Buying a primate in lieu of a child? I simply could not believe that someone was SO callous as to think that this was a wise choice. Sadly, it wasn’t just ONE person, it was a WHOLE family!
As I am still reeling from that news I see Kathy Lee Gifford on some talk show talking about chimpanzees. Because I am not a Kathy Lee fan by any means, I start to switch channels but unfortunately I got curious about what she could be talking about chimps for. So I’m sitting there thinking that maybe someone else was furious over this Kardashian incident like I am. Imagine my surprise when she starts gabbing about how her family use to own a chimpanzee. But that’s not the worst part, she then says that this “monkey” use to have a crush on her and how it use to hump her leg. There are sooo many things wrong with her story that even a person like me, who can easily ramble on and on, was momentarily speechless. My son walked in the room and started trying to revive me because all I could do was sit and stare while in my head I’m thinking that maybe Keanu Reeves really should have destroyed all human life in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.
What is going on? Frankly, I know I shouldn’t have expected PETA to be on the morally correct side. They rarely are these days, and trust me this is just the surface of their wrongdoings. But that’s a whole different article, which you’ll be able to read very soon. Right now I simply want to know why all these people are not seeing what is wrong with their actions. Yes I am aware that they probably did not think that they were harming anything, and sadly I am also aware that thousands of people are sitting and watching Bruce Jenner take a CHIMPANZEE to their neighborhood park, and smiling because it’s just so darned cute. HELLO PEOPLE. What would happen if that little chimpanzee, who was simply being held by Bruce, started to chase after the little children that were also in the park that day? I know exactly what would happen, the same thing that always happens. The poor animal would be put down, most likely by a member of PETA who is very much in favor of mass euthanization. Frankly, I’d rather see that whole family be euthanized. Who’s fault was it that the chimp was there in the first place? Who should have thought twice before letting a wild animal loose on a playground full of children? I know for a fact that it wasn’t the poor animals idea. I have never seen a chimp in the wild asking someone to slap a diaper on it so that it could be looked at as a very hairy baby. This has to STOP.
I know that a lot of people choose to ignore things that are right in front of their eyes but, and this is a HUGE but, what they are not seeing should be the most important thing of all because without all of the living, breathing things that make up our planet, we are truly doomed. And I for one am tired of having to tell my son why people treat animals the way they do. All I can answer him with is the thought that we need to look at how we are treating each other. We humans cannot even see the value of a HUMAN life, much less a poor, helpless ANIMALS life, no matter how high they are on the food chain. If we close our eyes to the plight of other people, why should we value anything? It is this apathy that will eventually kill us all.
On May 11, 2009, Mona Helmer wrote:
Sadly we think all animals are so cute when young and think that just loving them, can tame them and make them happy to be with humans. Not, they are still wild and have an entirely different brain wave pattern, so as not to be able to really be happy being kept as a human. Would we like to be kept by an animal as pet to them? Would we be happy about that? I know its not possibe,just asking you to turn it around and see what it must feel like to them!!! Think about that before you take a wild animal and try to make it live in a human world, and take away its natural way of life. I know some will have to live in a sort of human confinement due to special needs or humans thinking they were being loving and made them not be able to live in the wild. Its simply a person’s not using common sense, sad as that is. People , stop, think and look ahead to what will happen to an animal taken out of its natural life, would you want that to happen to you or someone you love.