The Surreal Life
Jan. 9th, 2006 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amalthyaMonday 3:56 pm
The chimp came, and she wasn't a baby at all, but a juvenile, 5-year-old female. We're all standing there by back of the Land Cruiser, not quite sure what to do.
A 5-year old chimp can cause SERIOUS damage. They're mega-strong, have very sharp teeth, and can choose to wreak major havoc.
The ICCN guy looks at me, and in French, asks me if I'm the primate/chimpanzee expert, and the primatologist, and... what should they do?
I'm semi-frozen... I mean, I've got these scenarios running through my head that mainly involve me losing a finger, or some skin off my face, or an eyeball or something along those lines.
But I take a deep breath, and say "Just do it" and I walk up to the car, extending my hand, pant-hooting softly so that she knows that I'm okay. She reaches for my hand, and pulls it towards her. She holds my fingers up to her nose, and sniffs them, and puts them in her mouth.
And then presents for grooming.
I cannot even express the monumental feelings of relief and joy I felt upon realizing how sweet and friendly she was. I groomed her, and she groomed me. She had a thick rope tied around her neck, and some scars too. She looked at me and I saw that same horrible, hollow look in her eyes. I knew why everyone else "got it" and had that extraordinary passion for these orphans. Seeing her, so out of place, sitting in the back of this landcruiser, tied with a rope... well, I nearly cried.
I sat with my back to the car and she climbed on my back. She was afraid of a lot of loud noises, and clutched to me for safety. I'm her protector, and sure, I'm the primate expert. It is my field of study, after all.
She's got a dark, speckly face and very light ears, and dark, honey-colored eyes. Her name is "Shaga" (spelled wrong) which means "dirty street child" as I'm told -- "Urchin" ... She's incredible friendly, and seems to enjoy the company of women more than that of men. She's quiet, and we're thinking of calling her Sucari -- the Swahili word for "sugar" because she's so sweet.
We already had Eddy, one of the vets from MGVP, come out to give her a preliminary look-over. She seems to be okay -- she's far too skinny -- I made a list for Delphine of good food for her to eat, so Jackson, the driver, is out picking up food for her. I'll probably stay at the office tonight, with her, so that she can start her quarantine.
I'm just amazed at the paths of my life. This is not something I would have ever expected. And definitely not hoped for.
All other factors aside, I'll never be able to say it wasn't amazing.
The chimp came, and she wasn't a baby at all, but a juvenile, 5-year-old female. We're all standing there by back of the Land Cruiser, not quite sure what to do.
A 5-year old chimp can cause SERIOUS damage. They're mega-strong, have very sharp teeth, and can choose to wreak major havoc.
The ICCN guy looks at me, and in French, asks me if I'm the primate/chimpanzee expert, and the primatologist, and... what should they do?
I'm semi-frozen... I mean, I've got these scenarios running through my head that mainly involve me losing a finger, or some skin off my face, or an eyeball or something along those lines.
But I take a deep breath, and say "Just do it" and I walk up to the car, extending my hand, pant-hooting softly so that she knows that I'm okay. She reaches for my hand, and pulls it towards her. She holds my fingers up to her nose, and sniffs them, and puts them in her mouth.
And then presents for grooming.
I cannot even express the monumental feelings of relief and joy I felt upon realizing how sweet and friendly she was. I groomed her, and she groomed me. She had a thick rope tied around her neck, and some scars too. She looked at me and I saw that same horrible, hollow look in her eyes. I knew why everyone else "got it" and had that extraordinary passion for these orphans. Seeing her, so out of place, sitting in the back of this landcruiser, tied with a rope... well, I nearly cried.
I sat with my back to the car and she climbed on my back. She was afraid of a lot of loud noises, and clutched to me for safety. I'm her protector, and sure, I'm the primate expert. It is my field of study, after all.
She's got a dark, speckly face and very light ears, and dark, honey-colored eyes. Her name is "Shaga" (spelled wrong) which means "dirty street child" as I'm told -- "Urchin" ... She's incredible friendly, and seems to enjoy the company of women more than that of men. She's quiet, and we're thinking of calling her Sucari -- the Swahili word for "sugar" because she's so sweet.
We already had Eddy, one of the vets from MGVP, come out to give her a preliminary look-over. She seems to be okay -- she's far too skinny -- I made a list for Delphine of good food for her to eat, so Jackson, the driver, is out picking up food for her. I'll probably stay at the office tonight, with her, so that she can start her quarantine.
I'm just amazed at the paths of my life. This is not something I would have ever expected. And definitely not hoped for.
All other factors aside, I'll never be able to say it wasn't amazing.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 04:49 pm (UTC)*snickers madly*
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Date: 2006-01-10 07:30 am (UTC)sounds so exciting and surreal
Date: 2006-01-09 05:12 pm (UTC)Re: sounds so exciting and surreal
Date: 2006-01-10 07:29 am (UTC)My french lessons are okay - I'm certainly learning more by doing than by studying, though. A lot of it is coming back to me anyway -- from those useless 4 years at Chapin :)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 07:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 04:43 am (UTC)XOXOXO
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Date: 2006-01-10 07:49 am (UTC)