Binky & Yoko's big egg scare!

by Kim Belley
Spring 2004 newsletter

One afternoon in February, Janet, a long time volunteer, and I decided to see what the chimps would do with hard-boiled eggs we had gathered up from the farm and made for the Capuchins, Pougi and Theo. Binky was the first guy close to us, so we left the egg complete with shell, showed it to him and quickly placed it in one of the square openings of the caging.

We were both convinced that he would pulverize it immediately. Instead he did the exact opposite; poor little guy jumped up and ran to the other cage and sat in the doorway letting out alarm barks, then quietly whimpering, all the while staring at the egg to make sure it was not moving.

By now all the chimps were alarm barking and running to the front rooms to see what the entire ruckus was about. Then who comes barreling in to get a little of the action? None other than our little devil on four feet… Yoko… He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the egg and then, as if contemplating "ok, what is that and how can I get it before it gets me". Yoko then, ever so cautiously, walked over to where the egg lay and popped it out of the caging with his finger and immediately jumped back to safety. He then bent over with his little bum in the air, arms and legs spread as far apart as he could to get his nose close enough to get a smell of that white thing while making sure he was nowhere near to touching it.

The other thing you still have to keep in mind is that while all this is going on with Yoko, Binky is still sitting in the doorway scared and whimpering. Pepper, Donna Rae, Jethro, Regis and Chance are all still curiously watching Yoko discover the egg.

Finally with one big jump and stomp Yoko splattered the egg with his foot and then sat there for about 10 minutes before he finally gained enough courage to inspect the contents of the shell, scatter it around the floor and then simply wander back upstairs as if nothing had happened.

After this the calmness resumed in the chimp house. However, for Binky the ordeal was not yet over…as funny as it was to witness Yoko's discovery of the egg, at the same time it was so sad to see the usually rambunctious little power house Binky remain in the same doorway for a good portion of the day whimpering like a frightened little boy.