Biographies—Rodney

Rodney was born on November 25, 1994 at LEMSIP, a biomedical research laboratory in New York. Like many research-bred chimpanzees, he was separated from his mother at birth and raised in a nursery setting with other infants by human caretakers. Though this maternal deprivation is extremely difficult for a young chimp, Rodney remained quite a character—a prankster towards both humans and chimpanzees.

Rodney Copyright © 2001 Alan Li

Growing up, Rodney loved to play and had trouble discerning when his companions were not in the mood. He would taunt and hassle them by throwing things at them or slapping the ground until they would chase him. He didn’t care if they were angry, as long as they chased—it was all a game to him! He still loves to throw things, so humans have to be careful where they stand if Rodney is around; they may find something disgusting airborne. Over the years, Rodney has honed his tossing skills and, unfortunately for us, has very good aim!

During his early days at the PRC, Rodney was well taken care of by Zulu. Zulu treated Rodney as her own child, playing with him, defending him in spats, and even bringing him into her nest at night. Despite her support, Rodney’s antics tend to be more annoying and obnoxious than outright aggressive or violent; he is more of a clown than a fighter. Rodney’s goofy face is appropriately fitting for his goofy personality. All the same, if you find yourself volunteering at the PRC, be certain to learn Rodney’s face (the big ears help) immediately, so you can avoid being the target of some of his stinky projectiles!

Rodney and Ike have remained close friends, and are often supportive of each other when fights break out amongst the group. However, because Rodney tends to be the least dominant of the males, he often receives strict punishment from the rest of the chimps in a dispute, sometimes leaving him with painful cuts and gouges. Overall, Rodney seems to be a happy chimp, and lets out grunts of glee when new toys or yummy treats are handed out. Rodney is excellent at presenting body parts in exchange for a Tic-Tac, and will clap his hands together loudly to get the attention of a caretaker and ask for a piece of candy.