Hello, my name is
Kramer

About Me

I was born September 17, 2002 to parents Kimmy and Coco at Missouri Primate Foundation, a breeder of chimpanzees for the pet trade.  Me and my half-brother, Connor, were sold as pets and grew up together in a human household.  When we were eight years old, we had an urgent need for a new home and Save the Chimps welcomed us to their Florida sanctuary.

I was described as a peaceful, laid back baby. Since arriving at STC, my personality has ebbed and flowed. When I first arrived, I was pensive and more reserved. I seemed to be thinking about things and planning my next move. I even showed some leadership skills in those early days.  Then, my priorities changed, and I returned to my more childlike qualities. These days, I’m content with letting others run the group while I march to the beat of my own drummer.

Most chimpanzees kept as pets struggle with being integrated into groups because they missed out on socialization opportunities. They tend to have different meanings for facial expressions or hand gestures and misinterpretations are common. Sometimes after being raised in a human household, former pets aren’t even sure they belong in a chimpanzee family. Maybe it was due to my young age when I arrived at Save the Chimps or maybe because I was raised with Connor, my transition into being part of a chimp group was relatively smooth.  Like most young boys, I was more energetic than diplomatic during my introductions, but I seemed to enjoy meeting my new family. I even jumped right into little boy shenanigans.  One of the first chimps I met was April, someone who loves blankets even more than I do! Caregivers at Save the Chimps make sure to provide plenty of fresh, soft blankets for all of us chimps, but I always preferred the ones April was using. Although it had more to do with the thrill of the chase than the blanket itself, I  just couldn’t resist taking her blankets.  April spent many afternoons chasing me around the island, demanding I return the blankets I stole from her. I am known to be rambunctious and make a lot of noise, in fact, people usually hear me before they see me.  Through it all, I’m quite the clown and I keep my caregivers laughing with my antics. Whoever I choose to be, they are here to love and support me.