Original Chimp Art by Dylan & Sophie

Original art by Dylan & Sophie on a 10 x 10″ canvas

*Art is an enrichment activity offered to our residents. They are never forced or trained to paint.

About the Artists

Dylan

I was born on February 5, 2007, at a facility in Texas. My mother was inexperienced and sadly showed no interest in caring for me. My half-brother Marlon was born on January 1, 2007 at the same facility and not long after his birth, his mother became very ill. Despite attempts to save her, she passed away.

Save the Chimps was contacted and asked if they could provide emergency assistance. One of Save the Chimps’ staff members had extensive experience caring for infant chimpanzees, and she provided 24-hour care.  After a year, we were ready to join a chimpanzee family. We were introduced to our adopted mother, Roxy, adopted big sister Janice, and adopted father Abdul. In 2010, Marlon and I along with the rest of our family moved to Florida, where we were introduced to other chimpanzees. We love running, jumping, climbing, and swinging all over our island!

Sophie

I was born January 4, 1990 at the Coulston Foundation, a lab in Alamogordo, New Mexico. My mother was Winnie and my father was Rufus. Winnie was a good mother, and took care of me for four days. On the fifth day, my mom was darted with anesthetic, and I was taken from her to be raised by humans in the laboratory nursery. When I was just two years old, I entered my first research study.

I spent the next decade at the Coulston Foundation, but in 2002, when I was 12 years old, I was retired to Save the Chimps. Today I am enjoying life with my best friend Grace and other members of my chimpanzee family on a large island with rolling hills and green grass. I am a very festive chimp and enjoy colorful objects, especially large, flexible stuffed toys that I can drape over my back as I roam the island. I take excellent care of these “babies” and treat them like they are my own. I am a very determined chimpanzee and I always get my way! I love spending time with my caregivers and visitors, and I can be quite sassy if I feel I’m not getting enough attention! My family has a lot of rambunctious males, but my best friend Grace and I can always keep up, and we are a force to be reckoned with too. I am very high ranking in my family’s hierarchy and I’m respected by everyone in my group. I have a soft side too, which is evident in my sweet greetings when my caregivers arrive in the mornings, my long grooming sessions with Grace, and all the cuddling I do with my “babies.”