How I Met Rouge Keita

(17-01-09)

During the month of January, we were in Bamako for our Peace Corps technical training. During the three weeks, I learned a lot including how to make soap and jam and how to construct a solar dryer for fruits and vegetables. I could not be more excited to implement this new knowledge.

Our first free Saturday afternoon, Therese, Mark, Steve and I decided to walk to the nearest village for some refreshments. Upon arrival in Samaya (a village a few kilometers from Tubani So, the Peace Corps training center), we were pleasantly surprised by a new patron at the establishment. Off to the side of the main building, there was a live, full grown chimpanzee with a chain around its waist connected to one of the branches of the tree it was swinging from. We had frequented this establishment several times, but this was our first encounter with one of the local's chimpanzee. Naturally inquisitive, we went over to meet the men sitting near the tree and to meet the chimpanzee. It was interesting how the men treated the animal as a pet, a friend. One of the locals wanted all of us individually to introduce ourselves and shake the chimpanzee's hand. We were informed that the chimpanzee's name was Rouge Keita and that he has lived in Mali, just down the street, his whole life. When I reached my hand out to greet him, he swung his legs and twisted them around my arm before shaking my hand. Surprisingly, his grip was impressively strong. Although Steve is an animal lover, I could sense his hesitancy with Rouge. I mean, after all we were hanging out with a powerful, wild animal.

A little while later, we were all sitting around enjoying one another's company, when the locals spending time with Rouge decided to walk him around the concession. They brought Rouge over to where we were sitting and he immediately jumped onto the chair next to Therese. The locals told us that Rouge liked soda and could also smoke a cigarette, to which we all expressed our disapproval. While sitting next to Therese, one minute they were shaking hands, the next he had pulled Therese's hands into his mouth. At that moment, one of the locals pulled him away to chastise him. He did not actually bite down on Therese's fingers, it was more like a play bite, but enough to shake her up. Not thinking clearly, shortly after Therese's encounter, I decided to play a little with Rouge.

On my way to the restroom (actually a rudimentary outhouse), I reached out to shake Rouge's hand and he did the same thing to me. Before I knew it, with all his strength he had pulled my right hand toward him and my right hand up to the knuckles was in the chimpanzee's mouth. Immediately, one of the men watching over him pulled him away to chastise him. But, just like Pete (my cat from home), Rouge was good at the play biting game. Actually now in retrospect, I am not sure why I was so afraid of Pete's play biting game, it is much more frightening with a wild animal. As if I didn't learn from my mistake the first time, with the encouragement of the local Malian, I decided to shake Rouge's hand again as an 'I'm not afraid of you' thing. Again, before I knew it, he had pulled me toward him and grabbed at my necklace, only he missed my necklace, grabbed my shirt and pulled off a button. At this point, I made it clear to all the Malians that yes, I am afraid of Rouge Keita. They all chuckled a little, but insisted that I give it one more try. After a few minutes, I finally decided to try playing with him one last time. We held hands, jumped up and down together, stuck our tongues out at each other, and my favorite making kissy faces at each other. Every time I would pretend to give him a kiss on the hand, he would smile from ear to ear and shake a little like he was laughing. While I think chimpanzees are incredibly smart and extremely like us, they are still wild animals, not pets, and I am freaking afraid to be up close and personal with them.