Feature chimp: Yoko

by Gloria Grow
Fall 2002 newsletter

I will never forget the first few times I met Yoko in the lab. He could care less about my presence. He wouldn't look at me or show any sign of interest. As I came to learn, this was not uncommon for this little man. If I put a package through the bars for him, he would grab it and eat whatever I offered, but showed no interest whatsoever in beginning a relationship with me. I understood, of course, that he had no desire in meeting yet another human who might betray him.

It was my impression of Yoko that he had given up on us humans and that's why he wouldn't look at me. He would just stare at the chain that held up the tire in his cage. Yoko appeared to be very depressed, and so what everyone wanted for this little man was to give him a chance to move into a sanctuary. One of the biggest problems he faced, however, was that he had to be introduced to some new cell mates in order to help him integrate into some sort of social group. We had quickly realized it would be impossible for the lab to send us 15 individuals who had not lived together for any length of time. This introduction, of course, was incredibly difficult for the staff at LEMSIP (the lab the chimps lived at before coming to Canada) because, as you know, the chimps lived in 5'x5'x7' cages. That is incredibly small for anyone alone, but for two individuals together, it is unbelievable.

Although making these introductions must have been incredibly stressful, and very dangerous, it was a necessary step before the chosen 15 left for their new home at Fauna. But even with the system they had rigged up, Yoko had a really hard time making things work out. Yoko is a very anxious little fellow, and he has a very loud and interesting display. I can't even imagine how he could have expressed himself in the small cage he used to live in. Surely no room mate could have endured it without it leading to a fight. As Yoko needs to vent and run and scream and bang and stomp his feet, things were just not working out, and as a result, he was taken out of the group slated for Fauna. I discovered he had been moved on one of my visits and there didn't seem to be much hope of him getting another chance. His fate had changed. It went from a future living with friends in a sanctuary to living his life in a laboratory, with no hope of retirement. On top of it all, he was HIV positive which meant he was going to end up at the Coulston Foundation where he would die in some toxicology study, poisoned to death.

No one wanted this for Yoko. He deserved a chance and so with some serious thought and the hope that things would somehow work out, Yoko was rescheduled to come to Fauna. He didn't arrive with the first group that came in September '97, or even with the second group in October '97. Instead, he came in November '97 with Jeannie who also had socializing problems and Tom who had a very serious foot injury and had stayed behind for medical treatment. We had made special living arrangements for this troubled group of folks. Of course, they didn't have much space, and their living quarters were not as nice as those of the other chimps, but they were in their retirement home and they were safe and doing okay.

Yoko was born in 1974, a circus entertainer who he came from Missouri. He was just 7 years old when he ended up where so many like him finish their lives, in a biomedical research laboratory. There he could and would be used for anything the owners of the lab desired. In Yoko's case, he was one of the many unfortunate souls chosen for infection. The virus he was infected with was HIV.

Yokie is an odd little man. He is, without a doubt, always on the lookout for trouble that's brewing, and he cannot resist teasing girls. He also has an incredible display and an explosive personality. He is a nervous bundle of energy, so he never seems to gain much weight. He is incredibly anxious and often looks angry or stressed. Yoko has hardly any hair on his arms as he spends a great deal of time pulling it out and he also suffers from a few other problems related to living in captivity.

Yoko is not someone most folks get to meet. He often stays in the background when visitors or volunteers come and is most comfortable around the regulars. He likes to be with people who know what he likes and can give him what he wants. In his own way, he is patient but when he sees something he wants he just bounces up and down continuously; such a funny little man. He also seems to have the most nicknames, and knows every one of them: Yokie Pokie, The Pokester, Little Man, The Pokey Man, or just Yokie. No matter what we call him, though, we always call him a character. He is one of the most interesting fellows we have had the pleasure of meeting - cool and distant, but when he is not angry and frustrated, he is deep and pensive as well as funny, outgoing, playful, emotional and incredibly sensitive.

Yoko is a hugger and a fighter; he is a tease and a love, he can be a best friend or someone's worst enemy, not someone you will ever be able to figure out nor someone you could ever get really close to. To have the honour of tickling him, or being invited to a game of chase or a chance to pinch his cute little butt is an honour to be taken seriously. To have these opportunities, and to be able to help him enjoy some moments of his life in captivity, are the most we can hope for.

With the new extension, to see him living with Tom and Jean again in such harmony is very special. He also has a new and particularly heart-warming friendship with young Jethro. Being with Jethro has reduced Yoko's hair plucking habit and there are patches of hair growing on his arms again. He follows Jethro around and relies on him, and apparently respects him as well. For this, we are all very grateful and relieved because Yokie is someone we worry about. He has been through a great deal medically and has had two frightening incidents. With all the invasive research that has been done on his little body, over 140 liver biopsies, and with what has happened to Annie and Pablo, we feel certain Yoko's liver must be as ruined as theirs had been, and so each day of his life is a blessing to all of us that know him. It is another reason why we are so deeply touched by people like you who care about his happiness and his life. Never stop caring, he needs you…as do we all.