The first generation of chimpanzees that live in Sorocaba Sanctuary has more than 12 years old. None of these babies that we raised was born in the Sanctuary, but arrived with no more than one year old for us. They are now adults and some had their first offspring.

The current babies, all born in the sanctuary, are already very different from their predecessors. Physically they are much more agile, faster, stronger and more immune to ordinary human diseases, such as colds and intestinal infections, for example. They are more hyperactive, more creative and a lot smarter than the previous generation.

Yesterday I watched Suzi, who is less than two years old, at the top of a coconut tree, climbing up and down on it, with a serenity and security never before seen. Her mother, Samantha, who was one of the most skilled of the previous generation, did not do that until she was four years old.

The most surprising is their mental agility. Sofia, who is less than four years old, knows how to operate the doors, the locks, how to open and close doors and guillotines, which have their complexity. Days ago I noticed a very interesting behavior of hers; in the afternoons I usually take some gelatins, smoothies and bottles with frozen water or frozen juice. Jimmy, her adoptive father usually picks up the bottle and gives no chance for Sofia and her sisters to take them.

This time I gave them all a much bigger pot, which had frozen juice. As Sofia had never seen a pot like that, when she opened, saw the juice and tasted it, she was very interested in keeping it. Jimmy had already crossed the room next door, but could return at any moment and she would lose that tasty frozen juice. Then she tried to close the door that divides the communication between precincts, leaving Jimmy to the other side, so he could not take her gift. But the door was locked and she could not stop Jimmy. Her last alternative was darting out to the outside, to hide inside a tunnel to enjoy the juice, without the danger that someone caught it.

This shows how a very young chimpanzee thinks with reason and the speed of this process. Adults of another generation never exhibited these qualities, implying an accelerated evolution in their mental processes and their ability to understand the world in which they live.

President, GAP Project International