Escape to Chimp Eden Season 2 Episode 8 Zac, The Great Pretender

In season 2 episode 8 of Escape to Chimp Eden, entitled "Zac, The Great Pretender," the focus is on a young male chimp named Zac. Zac is a particularly interesting chimp, as he seems to love to put on a show. He is often observed strutting around the enclosure, displaying his impressive strength and agility. However, as the episode progresses, it becomes clear that Zac's behavior might not be entirely innocent.

The episode begins with Eugene Cussons, the sanctuary's founder and head chimp guardian, observing Zac's antics with amusement. Despite Zac's showboating, Eugene notes that the young chimp is actually quite well-behaved overall, particularly in comparison to some of the sanctuary's more mischievous residents. However, as the day goes on, Eugene and his team start to notice some concerning behavior from Zac.

First, they observe Zac sneaking around the perimeter of the enclosure, looking for ways to escape. While this is not an unusual behavior for chimps, it becomes clear that Zac might be more determined than most to get out. He is seen repeatedly testing the electric fence that surrounds the enclosure, and even attempts to dig a hole under the fence.

As the team watches Zac's behavior more closely, they begin to realize that his showboating might not be entirely innocent either. While Zac loves to display his strength, it seems like he might be doing so in order to intimidate the other chimps. Eugene notes that Zac is particularly possessive of a female chimp named Laurika, and seems to be trying to assert his dominance over her through his displays of strength.

The team becomes increasingly concerned about Zac's behavior, especially as they see him getting more and more aggressive towards the other chimps. At one point, he even attacks another male chimp, Taffy, in what appears to be an attempt to establish his dominance. While Taffy is able to defend himself, the incident raises some serious concerns about Zac's behavior.

Throughout the episode, the team works to figure out how to address Zac's problematic behavior. They consider separating him from the other chimps, but ultimately decide against it, as they feel that this would only exacerbate the problem. Instead, they focus on finding ways to redirect Zac's energy in more positive ways.

One thing that seems to work well is providing Zac with new toys and other forms of enrichment. The team notes that when Zac is engaged in playing with toys, he is much less aggressive towards the other chimps. They also work on training Zac to engage in behavior that's more positive, such as participating in grooming sessions with the other chimps.

As the episode comes to a close, it's clear that Zac still has a long way to go in terms of his behavioral issues. However, the team feels like they've made some progress, and are hopeful that Zac will continue to improve over time. They note that working with a chimp like Zac can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding, as they're able to help him lead a happier, healthier life in captivity.