amalthya

It's an amazing feeling to be that connected with an "animal." Once you reach that level with them, life just utterly changes for both you and the amazing creature that you are bonding with. It seems that way for you and the chimps, it was that way with me and the birds. You're becoming the chimp momma. You reach a point where you just know them, know how to treat them, respect them, love them, and when you hit that point, they know it as well, and they return the gesture. For me with the birds, I'm reaching the peak of that point. It will feel even more amazing when you hit the point where even the meanest of chimps utterly adore you. It may take some time and trust building, but I bet you're going to hit that point and you're going to meet the scariest, meanest chimp of them all, and they are just going to shower you with affection. It even happened to me the other day at a bird store in PA with a "mean, aggressive, bastard of a brain damaged bird" that normally attacks everyone in sight... except for me. He actually sustained brain damage during his hatching. The bird wasn't even nice to the owners, yet he let me shower him with snuggles and affection, leaving the store workers, owners, and customers slack jawed. I can't wait until that happens to you, it'll amaze everyone and make you feel even more amazed and honored than the chimp in one of your newer posts has made you feel (the one you want to name sweet).
goodluck ;)