We’re busy at the moment with Boyze, the other adult from Augusta’s group, who is being introduced to Phillip and his adult group. Boyze is a renowned bully and has no regard for anyone younger than him. Ideally, he should have gone with Gorilla and Solo to join the youngsters but it is a huge risk to take and we have decided instead to integrate him with the adult group. It will be a difficult task and we have to exercise a lot of patience to get it right.

BOYZE
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When we first heard about Boyze in early 2000, he was in the custody of some Nigerian soldiers serving with the West African peacekeeping force (ECOMOG). The civil war was still raging and it was difficult to reason with anyone with guns to part with his pet. Besides, confiscating a chimp from the war-front was farfetched and too dangerous. But we did not lose hope; we kept monitoring their movement. It paid off when the Nigerians were ending their term of duty and Boyze ended up in a camp with some South African officers. By then the word had gone around and these officers were happy to handover Boyze to Tacugama.

Boyze had problems socializing with other chimps. He was very disturbed. What do you expect from him after living under constant gunfire and fear for a long period moving around the country with a fighting force? He would pick up fights with the older ones and bully anyone smaller or younger than him. At last it worked out with Augusta and Gorilla but not without problems. He was bitten and beaten badly by Augusta twice but he overcame all this and ended up dominating Gorilla and Augusta. Sadly Augusta is no more, Gorilla has moved on and we have to give Boyze a chance too!

Phillip’s story was quite different! A German couple rescued him from an animal dealer. The couple did not have any children and Phillip took center stage in their life. Phillip had his room (not a cage!), his own cot, toys and television! He only ate Quaker oats, cornflakes, chocolate and muffins. He was one spoilt brat! Phillip was passed on to me in 1992 when his foster parents were leaving the country. They had tried to turn him into a human child and he was a clingy crybaby, complaining about everything. Even a fly could not sit on him. His own poop next to him was a huge problem for him and if he accidentally stepped on it…..that was the end of the world! He would scream and worse wipe till the skin peeled!

PHILLIP
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With time he got to meet other chimps at my house and slowly learnt to live and behave like a chimp again. Phillip is one of the founders of Tacugama and is presently the alpha male after Bruno’s great escape. Phil is a big boy and everyone respects his strength and impressive charging displays but he is selfish, not too good with his social skills and not liked by everyone in his group. Lately he has been working (rather faking) hard to sustain his rank.

As a start to the introduction process, Boyze has been meeting Phillip’s group through the grills for the past few days. Phillip is looking for a new alliance to stay ahead of the other would be contenders for the alpha male position and Boyze could be the one for him. Boyze may be keen to get into Phillip’s good books to gain quick acceptance from the rest of the group. Ole is second in line to Phillip, and Boyze is already having some issues with him as Boyze is doing okay with the girls and Ole is currently the lady’s man in the group.

Last week, Phillip and Boyze met for the first time without any bars between them! What followed was mind blowing! Both were screaming with excitement, then the hugs, touch, grunts and grooming. It was total submission and trust from Boyze to have his whole face in Phillip’s mouth.

Knowing these guys, it could be all part of their politics and may not be all love. Both of them are looking for a firm alliance to go up the ladder and only time will tell.

We like to share that kiss with you…. It did go too far!

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