The Desert Island Scenario and Bow

Yesterday was a Wednesday, and I ran errands, while Bow played with Lawrence. They had a good day, meaning that Bow did not misbehave once, and everything went smoothly. They played outside. They came indoors to talk with guests, and they generally had a good time.

Besides running the usual errands, I had a chance to shoot this video of my pasture:

I have been dreaming for some time of converting this pasture into a spacious island for Bow and a companion or two of his own kind. But lately, this thought was not uppermost in my mind. Two things happened recently that reminded me of the plan. 

The first thing that made me think of the island was this news item:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-05/blueseed-floating-city-startups-has-more-hundred-firms-ready-ship-out

Why would people intentionally separate themselves from the rest of society and place themselves in a desolate little man-made island out at sea, subject to the forces of both nature and man and without any of the benefits of police protection, in case they are attacked by... oh, I don't know -- pirates? Isn't being with your own kind and part of the mainstream what everybody wants?

The problem is that sometimes your own kind attacks and exploits you. Sometimes getting away from it all is the best possible alternative. Haven't we all dreamed, at some point in our lives of the desert island scenario, where we would rise or fall on our own merit and nobody would molest us?

The second thing that made me think of the desert island scenario was that I finally watched the movie Project Nim. I didn't splurge and buy the movie. An anonymous fan of Project Bow had it sent to me through Amazon a while ago, saying that hopefully it was not redundant. No, it was not redundant and thank you, whoever you are!

I took my time finding an opportunity to watch the movie, because I understood that parts of it were disturbing, so I did not want to watch it with either of my kids. Having seen it, I agree that it was worth watching, and though it was by no means a happy story and parts of it were disturbing, there were many parts that were not, and there were things about Nim's story that reminded me of experiences with Bow and not in a bad way.

It was awful that Nim was abandoned by those who had made a commitment to him, but I do not join in the general disapproval of the original aims of the project. Though Nim's separation from his mother was sad and poignant, I do not agree with the person at the end of the movie who comments that it is always wrong to take baby chimpanzees from their mothers. And though I was glad that in the end Nim was given chimpanzee companionship before he died, I don't think that it was chimpanzee companionship that he was longing for when he was returned to the Lemmon Farm. As one of the commentors pointed out, it was awful for him to be lumped in with those other chimpanzees and what he was hoping for was a reunion with his human family and a return to his normal life in New York. Even years later, after the horrific experience at Lemsip, the medical research facility, and after he was placed in a cage in a sanctuary where everybody meant well, he kept breaking out of the cage and into the caretaker's house. He wanted to live in a house! He wanted to be accepted among humans. He did not dream of life in the jungle, and he did not ask to be treated "like a chimp", whatever that means. 

Even at the Black Beauty Ranch, where everybody wanted to be kind to Nim, they could not let him roam free. The equines on the ranch could be free. Nim could not. This is true of every chimp sanctuary that I know of, even the ones in Africa. Because chimpanzees do not respect borders and agreements and compacts, it is not possible to come to terms with them about territorial boundaries. And yet the younger chimpanzees can be taken for long walks outside the confines of the sanctuary -- to the extent that they still feel dependent on adult caretakers.

It was the same with Bow. When he was little, he clung to me and would not leave me alone. He rode on my back, and when we stopped for a while in the woods and he went to explore, he kept within a small radius of me, not because of any obedience to my authority, but because he felt the need to keep me close.

Was it a terrible thing to take Nim away from his mother Carolyn? For Carolyn, definitely. But for Nim, not so much. Remember that Nim was born in a cage. If he had stayed with his mother, he would have stayed in that cage all his life. Being adopted into a human home allowed him to run free and play and learn and live as the Lord of Delafield Mansion. While this freedom could not possibly last, I think it was pretty nice for him to have had it at all.

At the Lemmon Farm, there was an island where chimpanzees could roam free. The water kept them from escaping the confines of the farm, but within the island, had they felt so inclined, they could have created a chimpanzee utopia. Instead, stronger individuals often threw weaker ones into the water, where they would drown. 

Sometimes the appeal of a desert island is not escaping foreign oppressors. Sometimes it is our own kind that we have to fear the most. The same is true for the people who are trying to build an offshore startup outside the territorial waters of any nation. They are Americans trying to get away from other Americans. 

The future of chimpanzees here on earth is looking very grim. Expansion by humans is likely to cut off all possibility of peaceful coexistence in their place of origin. The best possible future for chimpanzees has got to be the creation of environments where they can co-exist with humans, and where they will not be prevented from reproducing.

What do I hope for Bow? I hope that he will know more freedom someday soon in the future. I hope that he can have companions of his own kind who will not dictate terms to him. I hope he doesn't have to give up his current family in order start a new one. And someday I hope that his descendants will find a way to respect other people's boundaries, so that other people will be more inclined to respect theirs.

Humans are not always nice to other humans. Chimps are not always nice to other chimps. But in time, that can change. It might even be possible that with the application of natural selection over generations of chimpanzees living among humans, there might actually one day be chimpanzees whose word is as good as their bond. Chimpanzees who don't lie and cheat. Chimpanzees you can trust with your life. When that happens, they will be able to walk freely among us.

For the time being, though, Bow and I will have to stay in our cage.

Bow is Becoming More Independent

Not a lot has happened lately for me and Bow. I published Vacuum County, and it's gotten some excellent reviews. Leo and Brownie have become good friends, but we still have to keep Leo separated from Teyman, so the dogs go out into the back yard  in shifts. Sometimes Brownie and Leo are out back together, sometimes Teyman and Brownie, but never, never Leo and Teyman.  We are afraid that Teyman would kill Leo if left alone with him.

Teyman is the first dog we had here, and she is very aggressive. She thinks she owns the place. She just barely tolerates Brownie, even though he towers over her. But Brownie is a gentle soul, and he somehow manages to keep the peace.

Not every two dogs are compatible. The same goes for humans or chimpanzees. And sometimes two people who do just fine with each other alone cannot behave well together when a third person is introduced into the room. I've seen this with humans, with dogs, and with chimps. Social dynamics are a complicated thing.

One of the things we learned early on at Project Bow when we started having interns is that Bow could do just fine with a new volunteer when it was one-on-one, but then he might be violent with that same person, once another person with a more dominant rank was introduced into the room. For this reason, one of our rules is that Bow gets to choose who to invite, and we go in one at a time, never in groups.

Now that Brownie and the frisky little puppy are out together a good part of the day, Bow is more interested in observing what is going on in the back yard, and he often asks to go out. Before, every time Bow went out, I had to go out, too. So if it was not convenient for me, because I wanted to work on my laptop and I needed to set it down on a table, or the sunlight was too harsh to work outside, Bow had to stay in, too, or I had to give up on working. We had to negotiate about that.

But the biggest recent development with Bow is this: he's suddenly started asking me to go outside into the outer pens alone, and he lets me go back into the inner pen by myself, while he stays out by himself to watch the puppy and the older dog play. When he needs to use the potty, he uses the one outside. He doesn't leave a mess for me to clean up.

Today, he asked to go out by himself again. I went out with him. We watched the interaction between  Leo and Brownie for a while together, and then Bow kind of tickled me in a reassuring way and indicated that he was not mad at me, but I was free to go. He's becoming more independent!

With SB 666 shelved, Bow enjoys the fine spring weather

I would like to thank everyone who was supportive during the recent scare involving SB 666. Some of you sent in contributions that helped to defray the costs of my trip to Jefferson City last week. This is very much appreciated! I was able to meet with my state Senator Chuck Purgason. I gave him a copy of When Sword Met Bow and of the 2005 Project Bow DVD. He listened more than he spoke, but he did tell me during our meeting that he was the only one who voted against the bill in committee.

I left the state capitol not knowing how it would turn out, as the bill did not come up for discussion that day. I knew Senator Purgason was on our side, but I wasn't sure what he could do to help. When the bill came up for discussion on the senate floor this Monday, Senator Purgason really came through! If you would like to hear some of the things he said, you can access the audio files at his website. Senator Purgason is a plain speaking man and comes straight to the point. There is no ape problem in the state of Missouri, and this legislation was a ploy by bureaucrats to drum up over $130,000 in revenue per year, which, if not paid by the ape owners who would be forced to flee the state upon passage of the legislation, would end up being paid by the taxpayers at large. And, no, this bill wasn't requested by ordinary taxpayers concerned about the threat of rampaging apes. It was pushed by a coalition of out-of-state lobbyists and  zoo people who want a monopoly on great apes.

I am proud of my state senator for standing up to the powers that be! It is very encouraging to see that one man acting alone can do so much good, just by pointing out some obvious facts.

The proposed legislation has been shelved on the informal calendar, where hopefully it will die. But we have to remain vigilant, because if someone like Senator Purgason is not there to speak for us, you can be sure they will try it again!

Now that I am not preoccupied with SB 666, Bow and I can go back to our ordinary pursuits. It's spring. The dogwood tree is in bloom. Sword has a new puppy named Leo. Until school lets out in May, I have to help with the puppy while she is at school. This means Bow has to sometimes cede the center of attention, which he is reluctant to do. And I have a new book coming out, Vacuum County, which I must try to proof before its publication date, April 19.

Here is a video of what Bow and I did this morning, now that everything is back to normal:

Bow is curious about Leo, and he sometimes seems to identify with him. But he is also very jealous.You can see that Bow has no trouble expressing his desires. He does not require anyone to hold his hand in order to say "no."

Becoming Politically Involved and Proofing Books

When I first moved to this area in 2001, I was waiting for Bow to be born, so we could begin Project Bow. Some local ladies asked me to become involved in local politics, and I declined. They were Democrats, but I would have turned down the Republicans as well. I had a two year old child and no babysitter. I was expecting to take custody of a newborn chimpanzee. And though I had been involved in politics in the past, this was not the right time for me. I wanted to concentrate on my domestic and productive life, and all I asked of the outer world is that they leave us alone in peace.

At that time, I was not even trying to publicize Project Bow. I wanted to first of all have a chance to raise Sword and Bow together, quietly and without anybody remarking constantly on the difference between them, so that they could have a level playing field, and their experiences would be as similar as possible. That way, any differences in their way of interacting with me and with their world would be based on their own internal requirements and not on anybody's preconception about them.

Sometimes we went places, and when Bow was an infant, nobody even noticed he was a chimp. I would take them both to McDonald's, Sword holding my hand and Bow slumbering in his infant seat, but I kept him covered in a blanket. People sometimes asked casually how old my baby was, but if they didn't look too closely, they didn't see anything unexpected.

Those days are long past. The differences between Sword and Bow have gotten too great not to notice, and I do treat them quite differently, each as their own behavior requires. And no, it is no longer possible to deny that I have a chimpanzee. Just at this time, the political forces that are overwhelming the entire country are threatening also to snuff out our way of life. So the time to lie low has ended, and the time to be active has begun.

On Saturday, I participated in the local Republican caucus, and I worked in concert with a very fine group of Ron Paul supporters. While we did not win the day, our candidate came in second, and the slate of delegates elected are bound to vote for Ron Paul, if the person in the number one position drops out of the race. Why Ron Paul? Because he is the only candidate who promises to keep the government out of people's lives. All the other candidates want to impose their views on how to live on other people. Ron Paul believes in "live and let live."

After the caucus, Bow and I proofed books. We have to try to make a living in a way that has nothing to do with ape language experiments directly, because the road to an established position in academia is permanently blocked. Bow would really have benefited from the opportunity to merge into an existing program, where he could make friends of his own kind, as well as keeping his human family. But since we cannot hope for that at the moment, we fall back on the skills we have, which in our case is literacy. We can read and write. So we publish books.

Somebody who recently saw me posting a picture of Bow proofing a book on Facebook asked me if Bow could read. Yes, he can. I posted a link to the old article about Bow and Literacy from 2007. There are many well-wishers of Bow's today, I think, who have almost lost sight of his intellectual achievements, so intent are all of us on keeping Bow safe and our family intact.

Tomorrow, Lawrence will come in to stay with Bow, and I will make a trip to Jefferson City to plead our case before the state senate. There is a time to be quiet and lie low, and there is a time to speak up. For me and Bow, the time to be quiet is over.

Controlling Your Space: The Freedom Not to Allow Others In

The last few days have seen me drop my normal publishing projects in order to deal with an unexpected crisis: the Missouri State legislature is planning to pass a Non-Human Primate Act that could end up making it impossible for me and Bow to stay together in our home. It is called SB 666 and it presents a clear and present danger to Project Bow as we know it.

I'm not going to rehash all of that here. This blog is where I tell about my day to day life with Bow. For instance, here's a video of Bow playing with a new toy, yesterday.

As you can see, Bow is always looking for unexpected and interesting ways to make use of objects, and he seldom feels confined to the manufacturer's original intent. Because Bow is free to think for himself, he  is never bored, even when he doesn't have a new toy. He knows how to amuse himself, and he is never alone. Well, except at night, when he seems to want everything to be taken out, and after the usual bedtime routine, he asks me to leave, too. I think he appreciates having some privacy at night.

The difference between being confined to a pen that is your home and being confined to a cage that is a prison is this: at home, you can control your space. You can invite people in. You can also ask them to go out. You can decide what things you will have in the pen with you. You can ask that some of the things you don't want anymore be removed. You can help to plan the menu. You can declare which are your favorite foods, and what food you will not eat at all, because you despise it.

Freedom is as much about controlling our space as controlling where we go. Freedom is about the right to say "No."

Freedom is not the absolute right to go anywhere. None of us can decide that we will go where we are not welcome. I can't force myself into your home, if you haven't invited me, and neither can Bow. But I can decide who I invite to my home, and who is not invited. The same is true for Bow.

Someone remarked that Bow has so few objects in with him in the pen at any given point. Usually, it's the potty that stays, while other objects come and go. But did you know that Bow's decision to accept the potty was a major breakthrough? Did you know that Bow used to have to be taken to the potty, because he didn't want to allow it to stay with him? When we first started in the pens, the potty wasn't in with Bow, because Bow wouldn't allow it. It took time before he realized it might be a good thing to allow the potty to stay.

In the same way, Bow's computer is seldom in the pen, because Bow does not want it there. Sometimes Lawrence tries to entice Bow to use the computer by bringing it inside the pen when Bow has not asked for it, but many times Bow tells him he does not want the computer and that it should be taken out at once! Lawrence and I both understand that if Bow does not want something with him, then that object must go. It is only when Bow has asked to use the computer that he behaves well with it.

Someone suggested that taking things in and out of the pens is a way to control Bow. But do you imagine that if Bow wanted to prevent something from being taken out, he would not have a very big say in the matter? Taking things in and out is one of the ways that Bow controls his space -- and his life.

Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. What would make it a cage would be if Bow lost the right to order people out. What would make it a cage would be if others could impose themselves on Bow. It would be a cage if Bow lost control of his space.

I am hoping that we don't have to leave our pens in the Missouri, Ozarks, because these pens are our haven and our home. But if we lose control of the space, we will need to find some other space that we can control.

Bow's Tenth Birthday

Bow is ten years old today. How does it feel to be living with a ten year old chimpanzee? Pretty much the same as it felt yesterday, when he was officially still only nine. We had his birthday party yesterday, because it was a Wednesday, and Lawrence would not be available today. Here is an abridged video of the party:

You might get the impression that Bow is very loud and boisterous from this video, but after all, it was a party. Today Bow is slowly opening all his other presents, and since it's only the two of us, it is much more quiet, though no less joyful.

You only turn ten once. Bow is making the most of it!

Self-Control

Who exercises better self-control: someone who has never experienced the desire to bite anyone else, or the one who feeling an almost uncontrollable urge to bite, nevertheless masters himself? The other day, Bow really needed to bite, but he was determined not to. His mouth opened and his teeth were ready, but then his hand came up and slapped his forehead, and he snapped out of it before actually committing the offense.

He's taking  better care of his blanket, too. He got it for Christmas, and it has a couple of holes in it and a knot on one end. But he gets to have it with him now most of the day, and he takes care not to destroy it, because he knows he will need it at night.

Bow is almost ten now. His birthday is on the sixteenth of this month. Watching him try to master his own involuntary reflexes has gotten me to wondering about human beings and how much of our repertoire of behaviors is also pre-wired.

I used to think that the mind-body dichotomy was an invention of theologians. I now see that it has biological correlates. There are different levels of brain functioning, and they often send conflicting signals to our body. And then there is shame.

Is there a reason for shame? Is it an emotion invented by clerics? Is it something society uses to manipulate people into doing what others want instead of what they themselves want? Or does it come built in?  Is it a way to handle and prioritize conflicting internal signals? Bow does not feel ashamed about the same sorts of things that I might feel shame about. He is not ashamed of lying or trying to deceive. He is not ashamed of bullying or trying to control. But he does sometimes seem to feel he let himself down, when he does something that he did not intend to do. Lack of self-control in that sense is something that bothers him, as much as it would bother anybody.

Lack of self-control is also an issue with language. Most of the chimpanzee cries that have been documented are involuntary. They transmit rudimentary emotional states. Other kinds of vocalizations are less well known.

Lots of Bow's vocalizations are involuntary. He has food cries and cries about someone new arriving, and they are predictable and spontaneous and unpremeditated. He can't stop these cries from coming out, short of clapping his hands on his mouth. These involuntary sounds he makes are not his way of talking to others. They are, instead, the way nature programmed him to transmit information about his internal state whether he wants to or not. These cries are meant to help others, not himself. Nature selected for them as a way to counter deceptive impulses.

Other vocalizations and gestures Bow does control. He uses them deliberately, and he as often uses them to deceive as to tell the truth. So like the proverbial sinning individual in a morality play, Bow has his internal battles to fight: to do what his body requires of him or what his mind tells him would be in his best interest.

Surprisingly, Bow is fighting his baser instinct toward violence by using higher control. But in the area of language it works quite the other way around: his involuntary cries tell the truth. His deliberate communication is often full of lies. Bow is ashamed, if he resorts to violence when he meant not to. But I think he is also ashamed when he tells the truth, when he meant to deceive.

This insight is something that might be of use to theologians as well as sociologists. How many humans feel shame when they lie? How many others feel ashamed only when they tell the truth?