Like Mother, Like Daughter?
December 5, 2020 by Diana -
I stand by Katelyn’s post from the summer that there is no doubt that Honey B is her own unique person, quite separate from her biological history of having been born to Missy. But just as time shows us her own special uniqueness, new similarities between mom and daughter have also revealed themselves.
These two formidable and intelligent beings were tragically separated from one another at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP), shortly after Honey B was born on June 11, 1989.
Missy was forced to continue her life of servitude as a laboratory test subject and breeder and Honey B went to the lab’s “nursery” where she was raised by humans in preparation for the same future. Unlike many other chimpanzees at LEMSIP who moved to a notorious laboratory in New Mexico called the Coulston Foundation, Honey B escaped that future when she and dozens of other young chimpanzees were moved to Wildlife Waystation in California as LEMSIP closed permanently.
Missy and Honey B were only reunited here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest 30 years after their separation.
As Katelyn mentioned in her post, there were no signs of particular recognition or even fondness between the pair when they met face to face before we abandoned the introductions of the two groups last fall.
Though they do not share the same rooms or have close interactions with one another, they do still see each other every day.
Just today, I spied Missy in a window of the playroom spying on her daughter as Honey B snacked on some lettuce in the Chute.
To be clear, there are shared preferences, quirks, and other similarities among some of the unrelated chimpanzees (the stand-out example is both Honey B and Annie wearing stretchy headbands around their waists), so who’s to say if the similarities between Missy and Honey B are inherited or simply coincidental. If you’ve ever taken a psychology or biology class or just on your own pondered the “nature vs nurture” question, you know the answer is almost always “both”.
Yet, it’s fun to consider that some of these traits just might have an element of heredity to them.
Similarities were brought up by other staff earlier this week, so it seemed a good time to reflect on what I’ve noticed that seem to characterize both mom and daughter.
Athleticism
Kelsi’s and Chad’s posts earlier this week that included the videos below clearly showed that Honey B and Missy are both quite quick on their feet and run for sheer enjoyment. That is not really the case for the majority of the other chimps.
It’s not just running that defines their love of movement. On any given day we see both of them climbing, swinging, leaping, and balancing.
Honey B
Missy
Playing Ghost
This was again inspired by a post earlier this week, this time Anna’s. Check out Missy’s ghost play with Annie from a few years ago compared to Honey B playing with Mave this week in the two videos below:
Playing Ghost is not specific to Honey B and Missy. Notably, Jamie sometimes ghosts around too:
Even when by themselves, Honey B and Missy seem to enjoy their version of ghosting.
Honey B
Missy
A Love of Tomatoes
If Missy could have one food for every meal for the rest of her life, that food would be tomatoes. I have never known another chimpanzee to like tomatoes with the sincerity and fervor of Missy.
Honey B, however, comes a close second, though she is pickier about the quality.
Headstands
Perhaps this goes along with athleticism? I’m really not sure. Either way, both mom and offspring seem to like being inverted, both during play and sometimes when making a nest.
Missy upside down
Missy
The photo above of Missy comes from a blog post that I wrote over ten years ago. For some reason I remember putting it together like it was yesterday.
Honey B upside down
Socks
Missy wearing a sock while playing
Honey B wearing a tomato sock
Honey B pulling a sock on her arm
Missy with a sock on her arm
The photo of Missy above with a sock on her arm is from the first month that the seven arrived at the sanctuary. You can still see Missy’s shaved belly from the medically indicated hysterectomy she had before coming here. Our photography equipment and file saving procedures were in their infancy – that’s why I couldn’t find a larger photo.
Missy removing a sock from her arm
Missy’s feet in socks
To be fair, Mave and Jody are also pretty into socks:
Mave
Jody’s style is to wear the sock just over her toes
Jody
I was reminded of one other similarity today as I was shifting the chimpanzees during meals to make it safe for us to enter a space for cleaning; if you were a betting person and you had to bet on which chimpanzee in each group would hold up shifting, it would be very safe to put your money on Missy and Honey B (Willy B’s more recent bout of rebellion notwithstanding). Missy is generally the last person in her group to leave a space and the least motivated by food. Her daughter? Pretty much the same.
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It’s probably very anthropomorphic, and certainly romantic, that I would so love for these two to be able to cohabitate and discover their shared genes. It’s great, though, for us just to see their similarities. Do chimps ever celebrate their offspring showing pieces of mum or da?
I want to thank you all for the calendar I received today. I usually look at your photos on my tiny cell phone, or on my not-so-big monitor, so it was a real treat to see photos of all the chimps and bovines close up at 81/2 x 11′. All of the special chimp anniversaries and birthdays make me look forward to 2021.
Ghost Missy is one of my all time favorite videos, same goes for Missy in those little green ankle socks, I’d forgotten that one! There is something so funny about the chimps playing ghost, it proves they have a sense of humor. It’s so obvious that they know they are being clever and funny under that sheet. Playing ghost seems like it would be such a Burrito thing, does he play?
It is funny seeing all the little peculiar similarities between Missy and Honey B. Their athleticism is intriguing, especially since you say the other chimps do not share running for sheer enjoyment. Perhaps Missy and Honey B may have no idea that they are mother and daughter, but I find it comforting just knowing they finally ended up together in this perfect place for them. They’ll be together (more or less) for the rest of their lives.
What a wonderful Blog Diana, the sock photo of Missy cracks me up…two big chimpanzee feet in a perfect pair of green socks.
I agree with Kathleen; their sence of humor is so fun to watch. That big grin on Honey B.’s face when Mave pulls down the sheet is priceless.
Reading the blog, watching the photo’s and video’s makes me so happy.
I love these mother-daughter similarities!? I was always fascinated by the similarities I saw between siblings that didn’t grow up together and were sadly taken from their moms too soon.
Wonderful post… I too absolutely LOVE the green socks on Missy’s feet… All the photos tell a story that could not have been predicted 20 years ago when their lives (your lives, and in fact our lives out here in the e-community) were so very different. A wonderful magical story… with lots of reality mixed in and actually not much magic.. except in the emotional aspect. Hugs to all.. 🙂
That brow ridge!
Thank you, Anna.
It always surprises me that, if we can see the similarities between siblings, like we did with Mave and Terry, that they cannot see it too. Or maybe they can and they just don’t care. :person_shrugging_tone1:?
There was a cute bonobo video over at Slogger Vlogger today, for those interested parties. Some babies and a very active juvenile
In addition to the brow ridge, they have the same ears. I would not have recognized Honey B when she is pilo and involved in a commotion if she hadn’t been identified in the photo. She looks like a very formidable adversary.
Hi JB and Anna,
I remember the process back in 2019. since its been a few years, has there been any thoughts about trying the integration between the two groups again?
Thanks as always! The team rocks!
Thank you Anna! Interesting seeing the comparisons between them. If only they knew.
I know a woman who was adopted at birth. In her late thirties, she looked for and found her birth mother. The two women were similar in countless ways, it was uncanny. Mannerisms, facial expressions, inflection in voices, as well as both being big animal lovers and adopters of strays and shelter animals throughout their lives. Certain details I would have assumed were learned/observed but, like Missy and Honey B, they had never been together, never seen each other. And yet…. I believe in both instances, mother and daughter have always been together in countless little ingrained familial ways.
Thank you, Anna, for raising the mother/daughter (non) relationship between Honey B and Missy. It’s quite sad and disappointing in many ways for despite your colossal efforts to bring them together, they don’t seem to have a connection. Maybe the fact that Honey B was taken from her mum so early in life and then living at the Wildlife Waystation prior to CSNW, she feels “motherless”? Do they always appear to ignore each other or is there some measure of acknowledgement between them? Thanks for giving us yet more food for thought regarding chimpanzee behaviour at CSNW.
A wonderful column. Most people forget these 2 are related.
I sometimes wonder if Missy and the others still think about the babies that were taken from them. Of course, Honey B is a stranger to her, but they do have so many little things in common you really have to say “yep, she’s Missy’s daughter!”
You also forgot: they both have a great sense of balance and amazing athleticism!
Another similarity I see is that they’re both very agile!