Installment #4
(Read Installment #3, Kinah Meets the Troop.)

Kinah’s grandmother Dixie was our next choice as an adoptive parent. Dixie is gentle, had proved to be a good mother, and had even accepted back two of her own babies that were raised in the nursery. She was patient, treating each with care without being overbearing. Dixie was living with a male named Toad, who is a beautiful, gentle animal. Also of interest to us was a lone female named Bunzi. Little Bunzi was also living around other monkeys but in an enclosure by herself because she was actively ousted from her social group: several months earlier they (for reasons clear only to the monkey mind) ganged up on little Bunzi. Since Bunzi was young and sweet, we hoped that she, too, could be part of Kinah’s new family some day.

On January 17, 2007, a strong and fit Kinah made her first visit to an off-exhibit area at the San Diego Zoo perfect for our introduction because each enclosure has a nice sunny yard with climbing structures, a dirt floor, and a wire mesh to permit fresh air and sunshine. There is also a roomy bedroom attached so we could easily separate the animals if we needed to. A sunny alleyway perfect for our introductions separates the enclosures. The plan was to begin with a short session, which would give the animals visual contact only. It was a beautiful morning when Kinah emerged from her crate at the enclosure; the new area interested but did not frighten her. As we held Kinah on our laps for reassurance, Dixie and Toad came down to check out the situation. The reception was good on both ends.

Our next step was to get Kinah accustomed to spending time alone with the monkeys. To facilitate this we set up a ” howdy cage,” a small, temporary enclosure that is either within a larger exhibit or close to one. It allows us to gauge animal behavior and acceptance level in a safe environment. The signs were good that Dixie wanted to interact with Kinah. We saw no aggressive gestures. The only threatening maneuvers Dixie or Toad ever showed were directed at us keepers if Kinah cried for any reason. This protective behavior was also a good sign. Each afternoon, Kinah returned to the nursery for a long nap, an evening bottle, and a big pan of solids. After a full day, Kinah slept in the familiar comfort of her nursery enclosure.

In addition to providing Kinah time alone with other monkeys, we also wanted her to be adept at negotiating her new enclosure. Even though she had the largest enclosure available in the nursery, it was still a fraction of the size of the off-exhibit yard area. We began to allow Kinah time to learn her way around the yard and the bedrooms that she would eventually call home. At first we sat with Kinah for reassurance and then began to leave her to explore on her own.

Kinah, true to her reputation as a tough customer, mastered the yard with little fanfare. The only fuss she made was when her nursery keeper left her, which was a dramatic display that disappeared as soon as we were gone from sight. Soon Kinah was spending most of her day away from the nursery, even receiving bottle feedings and solids in her new area. Kinah was ready for more; it was time to make the next step.

Janet Hawes is a senior keeper in the primate nursery of the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo.

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