by Elizabeth Vinson Lonsdorf:
Fanni was one of the youngest mothers we have known at Gombe
and it shows in how she interacts with her offspring. She
is extremely playful with her kids, and with her younger
siblings. My favorite memory of Fanni was a result of this
playfulness. During my 1999 field season, I was following
her when she met up with her mother, Fifi. Fifi had several
of Fanni’s younger siblings with her, namely Faustino,
Ferdinand and Flirt. Fanni was with her son Fudge. Fifi
and Fanni started grooming and the kids all started to play.
They began an elaborate ring around the rosy type game of
chase, going around and around Fifi and Fanni. Suddenly,
Fanni seemed to not be able to resist any longer and jumped
into the fray, chasing her son and her siblings around her
mother. She added her own touch to the ring around the rosy
by doing a forward somersault every few steps.
by Joann Schumacher-Stankey:
Fanni is the eldest daughter of Gombe's matriarch, Fifi.
She has grown up under the care of Gombe's most successful
mother, and it shows. Fanni has a very unique personality. She
is not as patient and relaxed with her children as her mother
is, although she is very playful.
Fanni appears pretty secure of her position in
the community most of the time. However, she was extremely confident
when her mother was around and got involved in conflicts with
her mother's support that she would probably have avoided otherwise.
Fanni and Fifi were very close and traveled together frequently
with their various children. This family group would become
very large when joined by Fanni's adult brothers, Freud and
Frodo. Now that Fifi is no longer around, it will be interesting
to watch how Fanni’s behavior and position in the community
will be affected.
Fanni currently has 3 offspring. Her son, Fudge,
is about nine years old and venturing away from his mother more
and more. Son Fundi, now five, is finding his place in this
large chimp family. The newest addition is daughter Familia,
born in 2004.
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