As we have mentioned before, we discovered that chimpanzees love tunnels and walkways; but some of them are so fanatic that dispute their use when they are shared.

Bongo is a chimpanzee born in Angola who came from Portugal, where he lived with a family who saved him from death by rescuing him from Luanda market. He is very humanized and lived in Lisbon on a wooded house, along with a bonobo, who was his partner for several years. Today Bongo lives alone, since he did not adapt to any of the companies we presented him in Sorocaba Sanctuary.

Billy is a chimpanzee that lived in a circus since he was a baby, where he was also humanized by its owner and daughter, who used to sleep with him. Billy does not like chimpanzees, but humans, especially women. Billy also rejected other simian companies, including his circus companion, Tião, whom he bit fighting for food when we put them together.

Bongo and Billy live in neighboring enclosures, separated by an extraordinary tunnel that serves both places and crosses a dense forest area, which was formerly a river. In this suspended tunnel, we have built a room in the middle of it, so they can stay and enjoy nature around them, since there is a lot of plants and circulate wild animals and many birds in the area.

The tunnel is actually Billy’s, since he first arrived in the room; Bongo arrived later. Both are similar, Billy is afraid of heights and does not rise beyond 5 meters high; and Bongo, who has two large trees which he could climb, never dared to do so.

Billy settled in that tunnel, where he takes his magazines, his food and blankets, and set up his dorm.

Bongo is day after day on the door leading to the tunnel, and asks me and the handlers to open for him to enjoy the space.

Billy’s room also has a footbridge crossing a road from the Sanctuary and interconnects with a tunnel that goes to Pinho and Nega’s enclosure, which they also use. But they are not as fans as Billy and Bongo are. To compensate Billy for the loss of the tunnel, so that Bongo enjoys it a few days, we opened the footbridge so that Billy was not mad at us.

The problem is to get Bongo out of the tunnel, since he hides in it during the day and only at night comes out and goes to sleep in his bedroom. We are appealing to the tactic of surprising him at night to close it and open it for Billy.

Due to this situation, we have taken a decision: we will build a bridge or a tunnel to one of the two when we finish the two enclosures that are finalizing, so that, before the end of the year , this dispute no longer exists.

I’ve talked about our decision to Bongo, but I do not think he understood me or maybe thought that I was lying, since every time he sees me he asks me to open the tunnel, while Billy is serious on the other side, taking care we do not close the access door.

Life for them has become a possession of that extraordinary structure, which, undoubtedly, many great apes living captives would love to have it as well.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President, GAP Project International

 Images of Billy and Bongo’s enclosures at GAP Sorocaba Sanctuary – SP (Brazil)