Mawa
Est. Date of birth 1996
Male
My name is Mawa and I arrived to Ngamba in 1999. I have to live in the holding facility because my favorite thing to do along with my buddy Asega is jump the electric fence! The caregivers call me the ‘Escape Artist’ and I used to love making them chase me around the island. Now I spend my days running around the enclosure and doing sommersaults and the caregivers keep me very busy with all kind of enrichment activities like searching for peanuts hidden among leaves. Asega always finds his first but I still consider myself the smartest chimp on the island.
My Story
Mawa (Profile of a Juvenile Chimp)
When being guided around Ngamba Island, quite often the last story you are told is about the two Juvenile chimpanzees of Ngamba Island.
I am one of them. My name is Mawa and I have been in the holding facility for about 9 years now. Reason being, me and Asega like jumping up the 5 meter high electric fence that was put up as a barrier.
I think the act itself is liberating, because most of the Chimpanzees we live with fear getting electrocuted but not us and that is the thing that makes our friendship tick.
That fearless adrenaline gushing act drives the care givers crazy as they chase us around to get back into the forest or sometimes in the holding facility. It’s the best game of chase we’ve ever been part of, it’s not insubordination per se but rather an entertaining feat for me and Asega.
In the holding facility we usually compete in acrobatics and somersaulting. Of course Asega wins every round but I also beat the forest dwellers…the Chimpanzees that spend most of their time in the forest.
In the holding facility the care givers tend to keep us busy and active through their program of enrichment. Sometimes they bring for us peanuts in bird cages or in leaves but Asega, always finds his peanuts before me, it seems he has mastered the art of enrichment.
His, a smart chap that one but I’m not stupid either. Our lives quite complement each other; maybe it’s why we make a great team.
Want to see what we are up to lately; find us in the holding facility at Ngamba Island.
1000 Pant Hoots
Mawa
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