by
Ian Gilby: No one thought that Freud would ever become
alpha male. He’s always been a very relaxed chimp, and
spends a lot of time by himself. When he is with other chimps,
he often lies at the edge of the group, with his hand on his
forehead, or clutching his feet. As he was growing up, he never
seemed very interested in the male hierarchy, but suddenly,
when he was 21 years old, he challenged Wilkie, and became alpha
male.
Unlike his younger brother, Frodo, Freud didn’t maintain
his position using pure force. While he is a large chimp with
an impressive display, he also used peaceful tactics to stay
on top. After he performed a charging display, he would often
sit and groom his rivals, sometimes for hours, relieving tension
and keeping the peace.
Freud was alpha for four and a half years. Since losing the
top position, he has shown little interest in fighting for rank.
But, with his intimidating displays, he has shown that he is
still a force to be reckoned with. One day in October, 2001,
as I was climbing up to find the chimps in the morning, I heard
an uproar in Mkenke stream. I rushed toward it, and found Freud
displaying mightily under Sheldon and Gimble, who were screaming
and cowering at the top of a tree. This continued for 20 minutes,
with Freud displaying at them whenever they tried to climb down.
Sheldon normally outranks Freud, but on this day, Freud had
Sheldon on the run. |
