Date of birth: December 28, 1988
Aka: Regie, the Rege, Regie Bege

Personality: Regis is a sensitive, loving, considerate, and kind chimpanzee, with soft and soulful eyes that give you a peek into who he really is.  He is creative, artistic, clever and a bit of a joker. He likes to play tricks on us, and finds it very amusing when he succeeds in putting us in a sensitive situation, like luring us in too close, giving him the upper hand.  Regis is musically inclined. He has rhythm and is interested in listening to others play instruments or sing. I once watched a lovely woman sing, “You are My Sunshine” to Regis, Jethro, and Binky. Regis was completely mesmerized.
 

A loving and lovely soul, it is particularly painful to see how frightened and stressed he gets when he cannot understand what is happening or when  he is confronted with something that reminds him of his past.  For example, the beeping of a truck backing up can send him into a panic that leaves him gagging and clutching himself, until there is quiet and reassurance from those around him that everything is okay.

This beeping noise is a familiar sound from the lab. The vehicle the lab used to lift the cages made the same sound. It was a frightening sound in the lab since you did not know if it was your cage that was going to be moved, and if it meant you were going to be darted and taken out of the cage you were in and moved to a new cage. Regis is not the only one who is traumatized by this sound -- Jethro, Petra, and Chance are too.

Regis is close to Jethro in a way that is similar to the love brothers have for one another. There is a bond between these two fellows that is unbreakable. They can be apart for long periods of time, but always love to be back together. Their extremely close relationship often leaves Binky feeling left out. The three boys are deeply attached, but there are times when they fight like brothers too, challenging and intense. Regis can react with horrible anxiety, choking, gagging and screaming in fear, but these episodes last only a short period of time. He can be comforted rather quickly, because now he has someone to go to when he is terrified.

For the longest time it was difficult for him to manage in a group. Regis has been this way from the day that I met him as a little boy in the lab. Fortunately, as he matures he seems to be getting more and more comfortable with his emotions and his relationships in the group.

Regis shows a great deal of empathy toward others in his group.  If someone is in trouble or hurt, he whimpers in concern. He is intuitive and perceptive, with a strong sense of justice. This makes him a very important friend to have when there is trouble in the group or when someone needs support. Regis is probably best described as tender hearted.

Regis’ growing confidence has come in part from his own maturing and in part because he  knows he has a strong support group: Jethro who loves and protects him; Petra his older sister figure, who he grew up with; Pepper who is always there for him; and Chance and Rachel who love him and would never challenge him. Sue Ellen, however seems to always be upset with him, but it is harmless. When Annie, the matriarch, was alive she was so important to him and gave him the love he needed as a young boy. Since her passing, everyone in his chimpanzee family took over and helped him become who he is today -- even Sue Ellen who is constantly furious and annoyed with him but is still willing to help him cope with uncomfortable situations.

Regis’ relationship with the older guys, Tom and Yoko, has also been invaluable to him. He can be very upset with Tommy, and look completely out of control when he is unable to figure out how to resolve it. Then, all of a sudden, Tommy will go over to Regis, ready for the all important hug, which will end even the worst fight. Yoko does the very same thing. They have all helped him learn how to resolve a bad situation and protect himself – important lessons to learn from your new family when you grow up without a mother to protect you.

When observing fellows like Regis, it is apparent that he would have been far more secure and self-confident had he known the love and protection of his own mother. Instead, the life he led, with constant betrayal and fear, has affected him for life, as it has so many of Fauna’s residents. The human people you loved and relied on to care for you, because you had no mother and lived alone in a cage or in a group of other youngsters just like you, were the very ones who were responsible for causing your stress, pain and betrayal.  

Social Status: Strong position in his core group, he is like a brother to Jethro, Binky, Petra and Chance and so he is loyal to all. He has not learned to respect the adult males and so in social situations this creates problems.

Favorite Activities: Regis loves to lay around with his friends. He is happy when he is surrounded by his family and friends, or having a quiet time with just one friend. He also loves to visit with new humans, if they are with his favorite human friends. He is always looking for someone new to spit at, just for the effect. He has a great sense of humor, and loves the reactions he gets. This can entertain him for a long time. 

Regis loves to play the recorder and the xylophone. When he plays the recorder he does it ever so softly, just tooting and tooting. It is quite pleasant to listen too, unless he is particularly excited, then he toots frantically, loudly and rapidly. It’s far more relaxing to listen to him play the xylophone. He might play these instruments for a long time, usually in the early afternoon, after his lunchtime nap.

He loves to make a bed in a big cardboard box. It is one of the sweetest things to see: this really tall guy making himself comfortable in a cardboard box, with all his stuff -- water, fruit, and a beanie baby. But he doesn’t just like to sleep in boxes. He likes to hide in them or rip them apart and bring the pieces into the overhead tunnel. He places them carefully and then lays on them, flat on his back, enjoying the smooth surface. This is a great treat for him.

Regis is the only guy at Fauna that still carries a baby with him. He likes the soft, small stuffed toys or beanie babies. He will carry them in the part of his body called the pelvic pocket, which is just where your leg starts. He sleeps with his baby too, flat out on his back.

Regis loves to listen to you speak softly to him when he is in his night nest. He closes his eyes and puts his little finger through the bars for you to touch, as he falls asleep. Closing his eyes with someone there was a huge step for Regis. He was someone who was always looking at your hands to see if you were hiding anything, never trusting, always suspicious. For years in the lab, he was tricked as someone would sneak up behind him and give him an injection. He has come a very long way since then, but he can slip back if he feels he’s being tricked. It is so much better to be honest and upfront with a chimpanzee. When we have to give someone an injection or other medical treatments, even though it still frightens them, when we tell them what we are doing and show them what is coming, they cope with it so much better, and don’t have to feel betrayed.

Regis is a water baby. He adores the hose and standing or sitting in big tubs of warm water. He will get so wet he needs a towel to dry off.

He was the first chimpanzee at Fauna to use water to extend his smoothies. Regis loves smoothies. When they are finished he likes to get the last bits out of the bottle. He goes to a water spout, fills up his mouth with water, then squirts it into the smoothie bottle, mixes it and has even more to enjoy.  He is quite clever, quite brilliant really.

Favorite Foods: Regis’s favorite foods are still the very same as they were the day he moved to Fauna: bananas and smoothies. If we had a dollar for every banana Regis has eaten -- we could look after all the chimps forever.

Regis is also a fan of peanut butter and jam sandwiches, with 2 or 3 cups of nice hot tea. He will take his sandwiches, a few bananas, his night time package with nuts and raisins, and his cups of tea, and try to carry it all at the same time -- off to a nice spot up high, where he can sit and enjoy his snack in peace, or look out a window while eating. Regis also loves bottles of fresh water, often taking 3 bottles at a time with his night time package, and, of course, his bananas. He is very easy to please, and a pleasure to serve and to love.