Biographies—Zulu

Zulu is a female chimpanzee and former pet who came to the PRC from Georgia, along with Donald, Hazel, Victoria and Debbie. Known as the “Dahlonega 5,” these chimpanzees had lived for over a decade in a confined and filthy concrete room once they were no longer safely able to live as “pets” in their owner’s home.

Zulu Copyright © 2002 Alan Li

These chimps had to make room for themselves by pushing newspaper bedding, along with years of their own waste, into piles—sometimes reaching 4 feet high! They had no access to the outdoors, and had lost hair and muscle tone in these miserable conditions. Their food was inadequate and unhealthy, consisting mostly of highly processed, sugary carbohydrates. Rarely did they receive fresh produce or protein, essential aspects of a chimpanzee’s diet.

Nevertheless, Zulu retained a sweet persona towards humans. She is often seen sticking her lips through the bars of her enclosure, like a kiss, as a friendly gesture towards her caretakers. Along with her buddy Hazel, Zulu played an integral role during the introductions between the Dahlonega chimps and the seven youngsters from LEMSIP, a research laboratory associated with New York University which closed in the mid-1990s. She immediately took on a motherly role, bringing juveniles Rodney and Cory into her nest, as would a mother with her own offspring. She continued to defend these young boys during altercations, both of which would often run to her embrace at the first sign of stress among the group.

Zulu is still a matriarchal figure of sorts. Her motherly instincts are still intact, often to her own detriment. Although the boys like to pester all the females, they know they can get away with picking on Zulu without her reprimanding them too much. She still holds high position in the social hierarchy, especially since she has maintained close relationships with the young males. When our dominant male, Donald, is ready to relinquish his alpha role, we feel sure that Zulu will be instrumental in helping the next troop leader assume control.

Socially, Zulu has indeed flourished at the PRC. However, she bears physical scars from her earlier days. Having been malnourished as an infant, Zulu’s growth was apparently stunted and perhaps she even contracted rickets. Her physical stature is small and her legs and arms quite short and bowed. At any rate, this doesn’t slow her down as she races to the morning breakfast feast in the playroom each morning, nor does it keep her from racing alongside Donald when someone needs disciplining.