Tama Zoo Chimpanzee enclosure has a "Kids Room" specifically for Chimpanzee. As the name suggests, it's a room only accessible to baby Chimpanzee. Next to the Kids Room is a "UFO Catcher" (a toy where you use a stick to grab food inside), and the chimpanzees can get food from both the Kids Room side and the main exhibit side.

Currently, Chimpanzee that can be called children are, from top to bottom: Anna (8 years old, female), Bonbon (7 years old, male), Mikan (7 years old, female), Max (5 years old, male), and Jin (4 years old, male).

Anna had her first period in 2012, bringing her closer to adulthood, and she is definitely in her adolescence.
Anna was playing claw machines in the kids' room until the morning of November 9th, 2012, but suddenly stopped going into the kids' room in the afternoon. When she poked her favorite grapes in the claw machine, they fell towards the kids' room side, but she didn't go back inside. Instead, she reached out from the exhibition hall side to try and grab them, but gave up when she realized she couldn't reach them. It wasn't like she suddenly grew up between the morning and afternoon, so could there have been some kind of change in her feelings?

Bonbon and Mikan are also exhibiting behaviors typical of their age. They frequently throw things at lower-ranking or older females, interfere with their food, kick them, and tease them before running away. This type of behavior is called teasing. From an outsider's perspective, you might think they're being too cruel, but it seems to be a necessary part of their development. As they become adults, their aggressive behavior suddenly disappears, so it's likely that their mental development is also necessary.

Since Anna no longer goes into the kids' room, Max and Jin now have it all to themselves. Considering their size, Bonbon and Mikan will probably outgrow it soon too. I wonder when they'll finally grow up?

Photo above: "Anna" at the exhibition hall
Photo below: Refusing to enter the kids' room

[Tama Zoo, Tama Zoological Park]

(February 8, 2013)