Article January 21, 2002 Issue

Caring for great apes

Learning more about God's creation

BY Kim Shippey Sentinel staff

PATTI RAGAN, director of the Center for Orangutan and Chimpanzee Conservation in Florida, has always loved animals, although when she took her degree in education at Florida State University many years ago, she had no idea that she would one day spend quite so much time taking care of them.

At present, the Center houses nine apes who range in age from 7 to 30 years. "And each one is lovable!" says Patti with quiet joy in her voice. Every day when she makes her first visit to their 30-foot-high outdoor habitats, she is greeted by one of her special friends, a 130-pound adult male chimpanzee called Chipper. This 27-year-old arrived at the sanctuary last year after living in many places, including ten years in a circus.

"He will usually run and find a piece of fruit or a branch to present to me as a special gift," she says. "Then he'll want to groom me—to pick off a piece of leaf or dirt on my arm. Grooming is something they do for one another. It's an important part of their culture."