After a little more than seven months since his arrival and ongoing observation of his general condition and behavior, the team at the Great Apes Sanctuary of Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil, successfully carried out an internal transfer to a new enclosure.

Yoko “moved” to a smaller enclosure in area, but one with a structure that encourages interaction with neighboring chimpanzees. The enclosure where he had been living was quite spacious and important during his first months of adaptation. However, he showed signs of fear when hearing other chimpanzees nearby and rarely walked in the open area, spending most of his time in the room (indoor area).

The new space has windows that allow visual contact with chimpanzees living in the same complex, supporting habituation and the assessment of potential integrations. In addition to the outdoor area, there is also a tunnel and a walkway, expanding the possibilities for exploration and interaction.

After settling into his new enclosure, Yoko showed exploratory behavior and a calm attitude, indicating good adaptation to the change. He clearly appears happy—he emits satisfaction signals through vocalizations and is always lively, calling the caregivers to play. He is eating well and has already walked throughout the entire space, including on the soil and grass, something he hadn’t been doing before.

His new neighbors were curious, especially #chimpCeciliaArgentina, who watched him for quite some time trying to catch his attention. For now, Yoko’s interaction with the other chimpanzees will continue to take place at a distance, and everything will be closely monitored and evaluated. Fortunately, the fact that he seems confident and secure is an excellent sign of progress, considering Yoko’s highly humanized background (see more in the pinned posts).

The team will continue to follow him with all the patience needed, respecting Yoko’s pace and encouraging him, whenever possible, to interact and “recover” his natural behavior.