Following Fifi

by John Crocker

  FOLLOWING

  FIFI

  My Adventures Among Wild Chimpanzees:

  Lessons from our Closest Relatives

  JOHN CROCKER, MD

  FOREWORD BY JANE GOODALL

  This book is dedicated to Jane Goodall

  for her heroic daily accomplishments—

  delivering a message of hope and a sense of purpose to young and old alike.

  Over her lifetime, she has inspired millions of people across the globe

  to take part in efforts to make our environment a better place

  for all living things.

  Jane will be happy to know that this book is also dedicated to Fifi,

  another mother who furthered our understanding of primate parenting

  and the value of patience and reassurance in raising our young.

  CONTENTS

  Foreword by Jane Goodall

  Preface

  The Main Players

  Map of study site location: Gombe Stream National Park

  Illustration of author’s hut in the Gombe forest

  PART ONE: INTO THE FOREST

  Chapter 1: Gombe Arrival

  Chapter 2: Settling In

  Chapter 3: A Day in the Life of Fifi and Freud

  Chapter 4: Of Chimps and Men

  Chapter 5: Madame Bee Holds Her Own

  Chapter 6: Trust and Security

  Chapter 7: My Friend and Mentor: Hamisi Matama

  Chapter 8: Knowing Jane

  Chapter 9: Leave-Taking

  PART TWO: THE MEDICAL PATH

  Chapter 10: Entering the Medical Field

  Chapter 11: Forest Reflections: Jungle Influences in My Practice

  PART THREE: RETURN TO GOMBE

  Chapter 12: Gombe Calling

  Chapter 13: Reunion with Jane

  Chapter 14: Gombe Return

  Chapter 15: Back to the Forest

  Chapter 16: Jane’s Peak

  Chapter 17: Finding My Place

  Chapter 18: Forest Reflections: How Wild Chimpanzees Helped Make Me a Better Father

  Chapter 19: A Path Less Traveled: Bubongo Village

  Chapter 20: More Forest Reflections: Broadening My Perspective on Family Medicine

  Chapter 21: Good-bye Again

  Chapter 22: Keeping Up with Jane

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Index

  FOREWORD

  John Crocker has written a truly fascinating book. As I read it I was transported back to those wonderful days when I lived in Gombe with my son, “Grub,” when he was a small child, in those far-off days when bright, highly motivated, and carefully selected undergraduates from the Human Biology program at Stanford University came to help with the collection of data. Many of them, like John, were premed.

  It was fascinating to me to watch how the Gombe experience—the chimpanzees and baboons, the forest, the close contact with a different culture in the form of the young Tanzanian field staff—affected the new students when they first arrived. And I loved watching how they changed. Some were a little startled when they encountered the primitive nature of their accommodations, even though we had tried to prepare them. Some were nervous to start with; others seemed to take everything in their stride. John was quiet, a little shy and reserved. He was very thoughtful, and I could see him take everything in, processing the new information.

  The research project assigned to him was to follow four mothers, Fifi, Melissa, Passion, and Nova through the forest and collect information on their interactions with their infants. As the weeks went by, I came to appreciate that John was a really good observer, not afraid, as some were, to use his intuition when trying to understand why the chimpanzees behaved as they did.

  I enjoyed talking with him about his ideas. In fact I appreciated those discussions more than he realized. I had little time then for actually observing the chimpanzees, for I was fully occupied with trying to run the research station, write up data—and be a good mother! I sometimes felt a bit lonely, sort of cut off from the camaraderie of the student group. John was one of the few with whom I felt I had a meaningful relationship outside that of teacher and student.

  That John would make an excellent family doctor was obvious from the start, for he was always helpful, sensitive, and caring, but it was only much later—especially after reading an early draft of this book—that I realized just how profoundly his Gombe experience has influenced him. His patients have surely benefited from his understanding of the human condition, gleaned during his long hours with our closest relatives in a remote forest.

  Being a good doctor does not necessarily mean that a person will be a good writer, but John is both. He describes vividly his experiences in the forest, his growing closeness to the chimpanzees, and all that he was learning about them. He shares too his evolving friendship with one of the young Tanzanian field assistants with whom he spent so many hours in the forest, from whom he learned so much, and who, as John discovered years later, learned so much from him. He weaves all these experiences seamlessly into an account of his subsequent experiences as a busy medical practitioner.

  It is fascinating to read how John’s observations of chimpanzee children with their mothers and other family members helped him understand the problems of a human child. How understanding the motivation behind the dramatic dominance displays of young male chimpanzees helped him pinpoint the possible cause of unruly behavior in a young human boy. Both the chimpanzees he studied and the Tanzanians he came to know helped John appreciate the importance of community, the emotional support of friends, and the need of our infants to form close and affectionate bonds with one or more trusted adults.

  And finally there is the importance of family and community in the lives of chimpanzees and humans, and John’s relationship with his own family. An important part of the book is the trip he took with his teenage son, Tommy, back to Gombe, hoping it would be a good experience for both of them. Would Tommy understand why this tiny national park with its human and animal inhabitants had been so important to John? The description of the father sharing with his son his love of the place where he had learned so much is moving, as is the reunion with Hamisi, the Tanzanian with whom he had formed a friendship that withstood the test of time.

  John, I want to thank you for writing this. I have loved reading your accounts of your hours with Fifi and Freud, Melissa and Gremlin, Figan and Mike. It has taken me back to another era—before I started my life on the road as a conservationist, before you were plunged into the sometimes-unbearable workload of the family doctor in today’s world. Not only did it take me back to Gombe, but also reading it made me reflect on how Gombe influenced my life too. I am glad we shared some of that time together, and I am glad that our friendship, too, has lasted over the years.

  —Jane Goodall

  PREFACE

  In June 1973, as my Stanford classmates readied for graduation, I embarked on an eight-month sojourn to study Dr. Jane Goodall’s famous chimpanzees—research that would forever change my view of the world and of myself. My time with Dr. Goodall and the Gombe chimps would also influence my approach to both fatherhood and the practice of family medicine in the years to come.

  Beyond the wisdom I gained from studying the chimpanzees, I also enjoyed experiencing the ten-mile stretch of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, which was nature at its most spectacular. My memories of flower and fruit fragrances at the beginning of the rainy season and magnificent sunsets over the lake and beyond the rolling Congolese hills remain vivid. I can still recall the night sounds of bush pigs rustling and cicadas buzzing as I fell asleep in my thatched hut. Gorgeous birds and astonishing insects would suddenly appear, inciting curiosity and wonder. Stealt
hy green-and-black mamba snakes would occasionally catch my eye, and I delighted in watching ancient fish species darting through the clear waters of the lake. On cloudless nights, the brilliant stars astounded most newcomers, who weren’t used to seeing the Milky Way look so intimate with the earth.

  I captured impressions of the wild forest and my days with the chimps in the scores of letters I wrote to my parents from Tanzania and in my journals and field notes. After I returned home, completed my medical training, and began working long hours as a family physician while also raising a family in Seattle, I often reflected on my time at Gombe.

  Almost daily, I still think about the chimpanzees and Jane Goodall’s contributions to our understanding of primate behavior. I have incorporated lessons I learned from the chimpanzee mothers into raising my own sons and giving advice to my patients. I’ve internalized the importance of a strong emotional attachment, physical contact, and reassurance, which young chimps need as crucial elements in their development. These lessons remind me to be as patient and engaged in my relationships with my sons and my patients as the chimp mothers were with their offspring. In particular, I reflect on how Fifi, the chimpanzee matriarch, related to her son Freud.

  When I witness the curious exploration of my young patients rocketing around the exam room, I remember Fifi’s acceptance and tacit approval of Freud’s uninhibited and joyful behavior. Her example helps me incorporate tolerance into my child-rearing and medical practice. At the same time, I remember that whenever a dangerous situation arose in the African forest, Fifi would forego patience and scoop up Freud, clutch him tightly, and make a quick escape. Our instincts as parents are reflected in this kind of deeply human primate behavior. When at age two my eldest son wandered over to the edge of a large fishpond while I was trying to take his picture, I instantly dropped the camera, shouted, and grabbed him. My response was the automatic reaction of a parent, and I felt at one with Fifi at that moment.

  In my medical practice, I find it helpful to view common conditions such as anxiety and ADHD in my patients from an evolutionary perspective. Knowing the close similarities between chimp and human DNA, I can reflect back on Frodo, an alpha male chimp with ADHD characteristics, and understand why these traits allowed him to successfully serve his community and why similar traits may persist in humans today. Over time I’ve realized even more how an individual’s unique genetic makeup is important in understanding their depression and anxiety.

  The influence that the Gombe chimps had on my personal and professional life was so strong that after thirty-two years I felt compelled to pull out those letters my parents had carefully saved and use them as a foundation for sharing my story.

  Part one of this book is a chronicle of my first Gombe trip at age twenty-two. Part two presents clinical cases from my practice that demonstrate how my time with Jane and the chimps influenced my work with patients with depression, anxiety, and other medical conditions. Finally, part three is an account of my emotional return to Gombe thirty-six years later with my twenty-year-old son, Tommy. It recounts my reunion with Jane, the chimps, and some of my former field assistants. Along the way, I share how my experiences with chimps in the wild have influenced my approach to raising my children and helped shape my worldview. Throughout the book, I highlight my relationships with Jane, my son, my Tanzanian field assistant, and the chimps.

  My experiences at Gombe laid an unexpected foundation for my life as a physician and father and inspired me to add another voice in support of protecting chimpanzees and their environment. Spending time with these extraordinary animals in their own remarkable world has helped me understand more about what it is to be human.

  THE

  MAIN PLAYERS

  FIFI

  Fifi followed in the footsteps of her famous mother, Flo, the charismatic matriarch whom Jane had studied closely in her early years at Gombe. Flo had given birth to Fifi just before Jane’s arrival at the camp. When I arrived at Gombe, Fifi was age fifteen, and she was noticeably both confident and playful as a mother. I often saw her tickling and rolling with her son Freud, who would laugh and come back for more. I loved Fifi’s nonchalant yet effective manner in raising not just Freud but also her eight other offspring! She was strong and energetic. Unusual for a lone female, she was observed single-handedly hunting and killing a small bushbuck for food. Even the researchers found Fifi, who was well respected and well integrated into the Kasekela community of chimpanzees, engaging. Of all the chimps in Kasekela, Fifi taught me the most about the importance of patience, reassurance, and confidence in parenting.

  FREUD

  Freud played with everyone and everything. At two and a half he was more competent and confident than most males his age. With his superior gymnastic capabilities, he swung and leaped across branches high in the trees. He would do pirouettes when scampering after his mother, swing from low-hanging branches, and then race to catch up. He was known to arouse an entire baboon troop and then escape up into a tree while four or five large baboon males waited at the base. From an early age, he displayed singular dexterity, confidence, and fearlessness. Freud was destined to become an alpha male at Gombe.

  FIGAN

  Figan was Fifi’s older brother and the alpha male of the community. Very suave, yet strong and competent, he displayed just the right amount of aggression and drama to maintain his high position. Highly respected, lean, and smart, he seemed less showy than some of the other high-ranking males. His older brother, Faben, often supported him and helped him to attain and maintain his high rank.

  PASSION

  Not the most attentive mother, perhaps because of her strong drive to seek food, Passion was less responsive to two-year-old Prof than other chimp mothers were to their offspring. When Prof whimpered, Passion would not always respond, especially if she was busy eating fruit high in a tree—even when he was close by. A bit of a loner, she did not socialize much with the other chimps and displayed dominance around other adult females. Passion and Pom (her oldest offspring) did the unthinkable—they cannibalized at least three infants in the community over a two-year period.

  PROF

  Prof loved to do acrobatics while riding on Passion’s back, but when Passion was nervous or distracted or simply inattentive, he was markedly less adventuresome. Perhaps because of this, Prof was very attentive to his mother when he sensed she was getting ready to move to a different location. He kept close to her, especially on her more distracted days. Luckily, Prof had a big sister, Pom, to play with, and she made up for his mother’s lack of playfulness.

  MELISSA

  A quiet, thoughtful, and cautious parent, Melissa was mother to ten-year-old Goblin and three-year-old Gremlin. Melissa would hang out in groups but not engage in as much grooming and other activities as some of the other mothers. She was very patient with Gremlin, once waiting thirty minutes for her to finish a play session before moving on with her. She and Gremlin were a well-coordinated pair with a complex set of subtle communications between them.

  GREMLIN

  Gremlin was quick to learn the crucial skills of termiting and nest building. She quietly observed her mother, Melissa, for long periods and with great focus. One of her unique characteristics was her interest in carrying around objects such as Strychnos fruits, flowers, or even an old shirt she found near camp. She was also observed drumming on a hollow buttress of a tree, an activity usually reserved for adult males. Another unique behavior was the way in which she would initiate her own retrieval by Melissa. Gremlin would extend her hand to Melissa in times of great fear, signaling that she wanted her mother to pick her up. This was highly distinctive. Other chimps would usually just whimper and then approach their mothers during such times. Gremlin was confident and loved playing with Freud. She later became a very successful mother, and she was the first chimp in the wild documented to raise twins to adulthood.

  Map of study site location: Gombe Stream National Park

  My hut

  FOLLOWING FIFI />
  PART ONE

  INTO THE FOREST

  CHAPTER ONE

  GOMBE ARRIVAL

  June 1973, Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, East Africa

  I sat spellbound, leaning against the sturdy trunk of a tall, graceful palm-nut tree. The beauty and foreignness of the Tanzanian forest around me had me transfixed. I felt alert and yet strangely calm in this primal setting.

  With me was my field assistant, Juma, who spoke only Swahili, and whose very rich black skin vividly contrasted with my light complexion. Juma was steady, confident, and thoroughly knew the chimps and the land. Though I’d known him only a few weeks, we had connected and had become good friends as he expertly led me through rugged valleys to follow and observe a community of fifty chimpanzees.

  There were no evergreens or frozen ground around us like there were back home in Minnesota. The air felt warm and humid. Amid the symphony of forest sounds, my mind was freed from practical concerns—no thoughts of filling the car with gas, going to the bank, buying groceries, or meeting a friend for lunch. In fact, I was barely conscious of thinking at all. I had quiet time to gaze at a brilliant red forest flower and daydream about the past. In broken Swahili, I tried to share a few personal stories with Juma as we waited in the afternoon shade for twenty-one-year-old Figan, head male of the Kasekela chimp community, to come down from a nearby tree.

  “Look!” Juma pointed to the tree where Figan effortlessly descended before heading in our direction. I was surprised by the blackness of Figan’s hair and his sleek 85-pound muscular form. On all fours, with his shoulders higher than his powerfully bent hind legs, Figan walked toward us with complete confidence. He came so close we could hear his breathing, and then he passed right by as if we didn’t exist.