As the opening of African Forest draws closer, we’ll be featuring a short bio of each of our chimpanzees.
Charlie: The Patriarch
It seems only fair to start with the Charlie, he’s the oldest, he’s in charge and well, I have a soft spot for him. Charlie was born in Africa and kept as a pet by some Americans living there in the 1970s. When he was a couple years old, they brought him back to the United States (this was before the passage of the Endangered Species Act, which now regulates the importation of wild-caught animals). It did not take long before baby Charlie was tearing up the house – most people that get baby primates have no idea what the commitment will be, and like many other exotic pet owners, they had to find another home for him.
Fast forward 30 years and find Charlie living the good life at the Houston Zoo. Charlie is the patriarch of our group of 10 chimps, which is not an easy job. Charlie has the perfect personality for it though, he is calm and gentle, yet radiates the confidence of a good chimp leader. He doesn’t get too excited about anything and he’s not unecessarily forceful if someone gets out of line.
Nicknames: The Patriarch, The Boss, Charles in Charge
Favorite snacks: Lettuce
Favorite Activities: Hanging out with guys (chimp guys, that is – Riley, Mac, Abe and Willie)
Charlie’s former owners say he seems the happiest to be here of all the chimps. When Charlie is not happy about something he tends to let me know by throwing a handful of whatever is handy in my direction so I’ll be busy keeping the boss happy so he can focus on making sure everyone else is having as much fun as he is.
