In 1989, Binky was born at LEMSIP and had the privilege of staying in his mother’s cage for three months.  In 8 years, this young male known as Ch-665 was knocked down some 136 times, many times by dart, mostly for cage changes and teeth cleanings.

He was used in 4 studies in 7 years and was generally considered a ‘well-adjusted individual’ even though by the time he was 3 years old he was already being treated for self-inflicted wounds.

Date of birth:    April 10, 1989.  
Aka:   Binkster, Baby Bub, Binks, The Bub,  The Binkster 

Personality: Binky keeps people guessing aboutwhat kind of guy he is. It can actually appear to most folks that he is a real tough guy, kind of a tough bully. Some have even called him a trouble maker, which he can be when he has someone to torment or if he has the backup of other chimps.

All of these words are true to describe him, but the opposite of them are true as well. He is a real fun loving guy with a lot of energy. Part of his problem is that no matter how much space we try to give him, in captivity there can never really be enough space or freedom for someone like him to express himself or be on his own when he needs time out from the others.

Binky is loving, lovable, sensitive, intelligent, sociable, outgoing, extremely curious, and terribly insecure. It is his insecurity that is most likely the cause of many of his daily problems.

 Binky is sensitive and emotional. He has had a lot of losses in his life. You can see the consequences of them in his insecurities. You can see him trying to hide his vulnerable side. But, once you know him well, you can see right through his macho attempt to seem o.k. when he is not.

Binky has an incredible sense of humor, not uncommon in some chimpanzees. With his personality, his humor is often mischievous but quite funny. You really need to have a sense of humor yourself to live alongside a guy like Binky --especially when he is playing tricks on you.

It is important for us to accept Binky, and all the others, on their terms. With Binky we have to go with his mood for the day.  Often we miss the little things that happened that made it hard for him on a given day. With Binky, his mood can go from great to frustrated, making him a bit of a tyrant. When that happens, he has a hard time to get back in with the group.

Binky is rugged, reckless, extremely athletic, and very strong. Since he came to Fauna in 1997, at 8 years old, he has had a chance to grow into a very impressive fellow. His body has developed magnificently over the past 10 years. He is a handsome and imposing young fellow with a lovable, sweet face and, shiny black hair. Everyone who meets him admires him.

Binky will very soon break the record at Fauna for destroying things, beating Tommy’s record of 1998!

Social Status:    It would appear he is high-ranking but he is actually constantly testing everyone and so he is often initiating fights to see  who will help him. Needs an authority figure. Binky is in a secure position  because of his bonds to Jethro, Regis, Petra, Chance and Rachel.

Favorite Activities:    Binky likes to do all sorts of physical things: leaping, swinging, rolling, running, climbing, bouncing and making a lot of noise. He loves to impress his human and chimpanzee family. He especially loves it when you ask him not to do something and yet you end up giving him what he wants and he leaves you standing there. Binky continues to leave us standing with our mouths open -- especially after one of his great feats involving his incredible strength. He has been seen lifting a 400 lb tire -- while standing on it -- as well as bending a door made of ¼ inch steel.

For fun, he may choose to make a lot of noise, which of course is the start of a fight in the chimp house since the other residents have little patience for this pastime.

When Binky is not busy being adventurous or noisy, he can be extremely quiet and relaxed. He will spend a time, just after lunch, making a paper or cardboard box nest. He always positions himself right in front of the human area, where he can see and hear what we are doing.

At this time of day, Binky is extremely loving and sweet and enjoys playful games that involve his feet, fingers or head, or eating gummie vitamins. Television and movies are also a favorite pastime and pulling Yoko around by his feet really seems to amuse him, and, of course, Yoko too.

Binky paints, and plays with water, a favorite chimpanzee activity. He loves to look at himself in the mirror while taking care of his teeth.

There is not much that Binky will not try, or explore, and he is always up for a good game of chase. The Bub is an all around great guy.  

Favorite Foods: Binky is a very picky eater. He has favorites and they are usually what he wants. He will make noises, Bronx cheers or raspberries (words used to describe chimp vocalizations), or toss vegetables like potatoes at your head if you do not get him what he wants or likes.     

Binky loves blueberries, (who knew?), pudding, fruit cups, applesauce, or fresh baked muffins, still warm, with a nice cup of tea. He screams for joy when he sees Gatorade or popsicles. Late at night when you want him to keep it a secret that you gave him an extra treat, he gets it and somehow manages to muffle his food grunts, which in Binkie’s case are  usually” screams” of excitement.