
Jenny
Resident
Rescued: 1996
Jenny was born on May 19, 1995, at LEMSIP, a former biomedical research laboratory in New York. Separated at birth from her mother, she was raised in a nursery-like setting by human caretakers. This was particularly hard on young Jenny, who clung tightly to her close friend, Pozna.
Jenny and Pozna were pretty much inseparable, and spent their days cavorting and napping in the PRC’s Play Room. They liked that room so much, in fact, that they often refused to leave in the evenings, making it impossible for us to clean. Part of this behavior was likely due to their uneasiness with the adult females, who were not as accepting of the young girls as they were of Ike, Rodney, and Cory. Eventually, however, leaving the Play Room turned into a game for Jenny: she would hang out in the cross-over tunnel, then race back to the room in “Indiana Jones” fashion, rolling under the door as it was being lowered.
As Jenny and Pozna grew up, they stopped clinging to each other and gained confidence around the older females. And as their positions in the troop solidified, they also developed relationships with Donald, the group’s dominant male.
Jenny has always enjoyed playing pranks on humans (one of her favorites is to get a mouthful of water and wait for an unsuspecting caretaker to walk close by), so we work hard to give her opportunities for silliness and play, without putting ourselves in jeopardy. Playing “chase” alongside the outdoor enclosure is a longtime favorite game for Jenny, and an easy way for volunteers to safely interact with her and be rewarded with a big, open-mouthed play face. She also loves shoes, and often motions for caretakers to show her their shoes, sometimes even “crying” when she wants a closer look. Although the smallest of the PRC’s chimps, Jenny doesn’t back down when another troop member picks on her. She’ll chase down the offender and stand up for herself if Donald isn’t around to set things straight.
Chimp Enrichment – Barrel Feeders
The chimps enjoyed two new barrel feeders, created by one of our summer interns, Riley Welch!
Jenny’s Pink Pony Club Birthday Party
This month we threw a party that would make any pop princess proud — Jenny turned 30, and we celebrated with a Pink Pony Club bash that was bursting with color, fringe, snacks and goofy good vibes!
Video – Chimp Easter Party 2025
The chimps enjoyed a cute little Easter party in their outdoor enclosure.
Sweet potatoes for a sweet girl
Jenny is having a crunchy and delicious snack in the chimps' outdoor enclosure - Sweet Potatoes! It's a bit windy out, but you can still hear her crunching away in the video.
A Sunny Winter’s Day at the Sanctuary
We're so thankful for these past few sunny days at the sanctuary! We still have snow on the ground, but so many of the primates spent time out in the sunshine this weekend! Check out the video for some scenes from the sanctuary on a sunny winter's day.
Chimpmas Time is Here!
It’s that time again… The apes and monkeys have been good all year and are hoping that their Chimpmas wishes will come true! Everyone thought long and hard about what they would love most this year and we have put together their list here. Many of the items they...
20+ Years of Sanctuary Club
The Primate Rescue Center rescued its first monkey, Gizmo, in 1987 and began a journey which has now spanned 34 years and given refuge to hundreds of primates along the way.
Chimpmas Day Festivities Wrap Up
Thanks to our generous donors, Primate Pals and friends of the PRC who donated tons of toys, gifts and tasty snacks, the chimps and monkeys had an awesome time last month opening all of their presents on “Chimpmas” day.