Chimpanzee Page #3

Without a mother, he'll need to learn

fast from the older chimps.

All right, step one,

make a miniature fishing rod

from a nearby branch.

Step two, cast it in and wait for a bite.

And finally, step three, ants on a stick!

Eat and enjoy!

Boy! That is spicy.

It's ingenious!

They will bite your lips,

but at least the rest of you is safe.

Oscar keeps his distance.

Maybe it's safer

just to pick up tips for another time.

Oscar is losing weight quickly,

and with no one to groom him,

it's becoming harder to keep ticks

and other bugs from his skin.

It's time to accept the simple truth.

Isha isn't coming back.

Oscar has to find a new mother.

But sadly for him, most of the

females have kids of their own

and are unable to help.

Again and again, Oscar is rejected.

Even finding a friend seems hard.

It's hopeless.

Scar and his men may have

taken more than one life that day.

The enemy has returned.

They have eaten all the food

in their own territory

and are now stealing from Freddy's

land to sustain their number.

For Scar, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy.

There is a growing impatience

among Scar's army.

They want to take the nut groves,

and more than one of them

would like to be leader.

Oscar has tried everything,

but he is still alone.

There's only one chimp

he hasn't approached.

Freddy.

By following the leader,

Oscar will at least find the best food

and work out what's safe to eat.

Right now, survival is all that matters.

Freddy is not known for his tolerance,

but Oscar isn't a challenger.

This will be

a new experience for them both.

A gentle acceptance is more than

Oscar could have hoped for.

Being at Freddy's side

should allow him to pick up some

tips on food preparation.

Maybe the big guy's table manners

don't set the best example,

but who's going to tell him off

or pick a fight

with the friend sitting next to him?

As the days pass, Freddy and Oscar's

relationship begins to change.

Until something

extraordinary happens.

Freddy allows Oscar

to ride on his back

as usually only a mother would.

It's a sign of something truly incredible.

Freddy will adopt Oscar.

Just being led to these nuts

would not help Oscar,

but now Freddy steps up

and gives his new friend first pick

of every one he cracks,

just as his mother once did.

The bond between them is growing.

It's Oscar's best meal

since Isha vanished.

The group is waiting for their leader,

but Freddy has a new project.

The learning that stopped short

when Oscar was orphaned

is starting again.

He's with a wise and skilled

chimpanzee who has much to offer.

Forest school is back in session.

Everywhere Freddy goes,

Oscar follows.

And everything Freddy does,

Oscar copies.

Our little boy is

on the fast track to forest knowledge.

Freddy's world may be richer,

thanks to his new friend,

but his commitment to Oscar has left

him no time to patrol his borders.

The change has been noticed.

Scar and his gang have now

crossed over the ridge.

They would not usually get this deep

into Freddy's land without opposition

and they intend to take full advantage.

The troops need to refuel

before they push on.

The grand fig tree is being pillaged.

This is the food

that Freddy's group were relying on,

but Scar has no interest

in the needs of his enemies.

Encouraged by the lack

of resistance at the border,

the intruders are now

deep inside Freddy's land.

But there is growing dissent

in the ranks.

The physical power of

this army is beyond question,

but the unity of a team can be fragile.

Scar needs to watch his back.

Freddy has become

completely devoted to Oscar.

The highest-ranking male

grooming the lowest.

It's an astonishing turn of events.

A few weeks ago, Oscar had nothing,

and now he is well fed

and completely adored,

and his savior is the last one

anyone could have expected.

The rivals are fed and rested.

Scar and his mob

are within reach of the nut groves.

The time for a full invasion has arrived.

Freddy grooms his allies.

He knows there is trouble approaching

and for the first time

in weeks, he appears nervous.

Friendships need investment,

and his attention has been elsewhere.

Oscar feels Freddy's focus

drift away from him.

Freddy must reassure his team

that he is still the boss

and has the strength

to unite them and lead them.

Oscar is confused.

He's lost one parent and

seems to be losing another.

The rivals are close.

Oscar and the group

sense that something is wrong.

Something catches Freddy's eye.

Scar attacks.

The final push has begun.

Freddy's team can't escape.

They have to fight.

But some of Scar's mob hold back.

Freddy leads the attack.

Freddy and Scar go head-to-head.

There can be only one victor.

Freddy's drum announces victory.

Scar will not be returning

anytime soon.

Teamwork has beaten brute force.

The group is now thriving,

unchallenged in their

ownership of the precious nut groves.

Cracking school continues,

but some students

never seem to catch on.

Grandpa has lived

to see Scar dealt a blow

from which he may never recover.

And Oscar is causing

as much trouble as ever,

but now he's fully

accepted by the group,

and seems to be

everyone's new friend.

Maybe quiet times are returning at last.

Oscar and Freddy

have been transformed

by the turmoil of the last few months.

For Oscar, the loss of his

mother could have meant the end.

Instead, it's a new beginning

with the most unlikely foster parent

in the forest.

And Freddy?

He's discovered a softer side

that must have been there all along.

Secure in Freddy's arms,

the future finally looks bright for Oscar.

When this big male decided

to carry this little orphan

and take care of him and give him food,

it literally took our breath away.

For sure, there's no doubt

he saved the life of the little one.

And that was really

very touching to see.

And when you see a

mother carrying its baby,

it's charming.

But when you see this huge,

King Kong-like figure

carrying this tiny, little,

male orphan around,

it was lovely.

Every single day

was an act of beauty

between the two of them.

And that's something

you can never forget.

Sometimes I imagine

the rest of the world waking up,

getting on busses,

or they may be getting on subways.

Our commute to work

is walking for an hour

through the jungle

to find chimpanzees.

Some of this stuff is just impenetrable

and really difficult to move through.

It really is a joy

to walk through this forest.

You see, it's not always that easy.

So, we're just walking...

They bite you

in the most remarkable places.

These sweat bees are driving me nuts.

Still, at least they're not honeybees.

Ahh! Ow! Ow! Ahh!

It's gotten intolerable.

I'm leaving.

Oh, my God. Ed!

If it bites you, you won't survive.

It's not a picnic, you know.

Yes!

There must be easier ways

to make a living,

but they're not as much fun.

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