Hulk and Catarina: new friendship at the sanctuary

SOROCABA SANCTUARY

Early in the morning on a Thursday. Catarina was in the eating room, while Hulk entered the corridor so he could see her closely and they could interact, with no danger. As every male, in the beginning Hulk shivers, yells and heat the fence, in order to intimidate the female. Despite this, Catarina did not feel too much intimidated and turned her back to Hulk, in a clear sign that she wanted contact. Complementing this attitude, she put, a lot of times, her hands out of the fence, like she was inviting Hulk to enter. More relaxed, Hulk accepted the contact. He touched her several times and smelled her finger, like he was doing an inspection in her friend.

The signal that it was time to put them together in the same enclosure came from Hulk, who was trying to open the door. For safety, we first opened for Catarina to enter. She came directly to the basket on the platform. Later Hulk went after her, but he was not able to climb the wall that opens access to the platform. He tried four times and then gave up. Sitting on the grass, he looked up at Catarina, he was desolated. Time went by and we had little hope that the union would be a success. After all, she was isolated and the fact she was laid down and relaxed at the platform basket showed clearly that she did not want to be with anyone else. Is that true?!

After one hour, the most implausible happened. Catarina got down from the basket and went to the place where Hulk was. There, she looked at him and then turned him her back, inviting him to a hug. Hulk hug Catarina and she turned, staring at him. They stared at each other and hug again. A few instants later the friendship was settled with a long and strong hug, followed by a reciprocal grooming. Hulk once had the opportunity to live together with dear Tatá, who passed away recently, and now he has a new friend. And Catarina has her first opportunity to live together with other chimpanzee, far away from human exploitation.

This day is marked as the beginning of a promising friendship, which gives chance for two survivors to live together and in peace at Sorocaba Great Primates Sanctuary.

MSc. Luiz Fernando Leal Padulla
Biologist