Two years after his arrival at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, 11 year old Gashuhe now holds a somewhat steady social position as a member of the smaller group. Gashuhe arrived at the Sanctuary on the 25th of March 2008, having been rescued from appalling conditions in a road-side garage in Kigali, Rwanda. Aged about 9 years at the time, Gashuhe was started off on the introduction process to the other chimpanzees at the Sanctuary as soon as he arrived.

The introduction of a new chimpanzee into an existing group is a complicated and delicate process since chimpanzees live in complex social structures with well defined hierarchies, and protect their social positions firmly. The introduction is usually a four-stage process which starts with visual contact, followed by a one-on-one indoors physical introduction with each of the existing members of the group, then one-on-one outdoors physical contact, and finally the release of the new member into the whole group outdoors in the main enclosure. The whole introduction process can take months, even more than a year, to accomplish, depending on how long each of the chimpanzees takes to accept the newcomer, the age of the new comer as well as the sex. However, other factors that determine the experience may have nothing to do with the new chimp.

Gashuhe is at home on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. On the right he is seen with his new friend Roy, a three-year old chimpanzee who was brought to the Sanctuary in December 2009

In Gashuhe’s case, three main factors played to make the process slow and almost agonizing. Firstly, his “advanced” age of 9 years. To some of the chimpanzees at the Sanctuary, he was of age to pose a threat to their social standings in the group. Secondly, the fact that he was male. Just like in any other mammal species, a new male is most always unwelcomed in a chimpanzee group. Thirdly, his arrival coincided with the birth of baby Ajabu on the same week that Gashuhe arrived. Ajabu’s mother Mwanzo, typical of a new chimpanzee mother, was extremely protective of Ajabu, and viewed the new-comer, Gashuhe, as an intruder who posed potential harm to her new delicate offspring. Gashuhe’s introduction to Mwanzo was therefore long and difficult, because Mwanzo, being a high-ranking female, would even incite other chimpanzees in the bigger group against Gashuhe, making his introduction a long and tough one.

However, after a thorough, carefully monitored and painstakingly customised process, Gashuhe finally fit in his target group, and now stands as a functional member of the smaller juvenile group. He is now thriving at the Sanctuary and has made new friends - what a difference from when he was first brought to Kenya two years ago!