There is not much that will stop her. She has taken some very hard blows, and can still be relentless, not backing off or running away. She is a tough and bold chimpanzee in spite of being also extremely emotional. Physically, she is not very agile or muscular, but this never stops her. She pushes herself and never seems to notice that she is not fit enough for some of the situations she gets herself into. She gets herself in some extremely aggressive situations, and if pushed, she will ”face the enemy,” unafraid. She is everything we all wish we could be in the face of danger –brave, strong, and willing to do what is necessary! She amazes us with how fearless and daring she can be.

 
Sue Ellen can handle just about any situation. She seems to be able to draw on some kind of inner strength that helps her cope. Or when she is really upset, she just lets go. She holds nothing back and expresses herself completely. This makes her appear explosive, even moody, but she is just being herself, not hiding or holding things inside. It is a great way to be, and we never have to guess if she is upset or not, because we always know just how she is feeling.  She will throw things at us if we make her angry. She will scream at anyone who is annoying her. She does not hold a grudge though, a very helpful trait for her in her life. She gets over things once everything has been resolved, but not until.

 
Sue Ellen is extremely curious and outgoing. Whenever there is a new situation or a new area to explore, Sue Ellen takes it all in stride, never hesitating. She will try everything out and often is the one to lead the way for the others. Our fearless little friend is ready for any new adventure or to meet a new human or chimpanzee friend.  Because she makes herself so available, almost all new visitors have the chance to meet her. This – along with her other qualities-- makes her very memorable. It is an honor when a chimpanzee cares to come to visit us. With Sue Ellen, this becomes a privilege many experience.

 
Most days, Sue Ellen enjoys a lot of peaceful moments and seems to appreciate the little things in life. Captivity is a stress and a difficult time for all. This life has to be troubling for Sue Ellen, but she has managed to find a way to cope with her life behind bars.

 
A troubling time for her is night when she sets herself to making the perfect night nest. We see a frustrated and angry Sue Ellen as she fights with her sheets and blankets. She gets so angry, it is actually dangerous to pass her bedding through the bars as she will grab from you and scream as she takes each blanket. Once she is all cozy and everything is okay, she finally relaxes and you can talk to her again. If you happen to be a chimpanzee in the same area, as Tom often is, you will need to hang onto your own blankets. She wants many to make the perfect nest and is not beyond trying to take yours. 

After she piles and sorts, she will cover her whole body with the last blanket. With only her little face peeking out, she will go to sleep, and stay in her nest all night long. We always find her in the same place we saw her when we turned off the lights for the night. When Sue Ellen settles into her night nest, she loves to have a peppermint along with our ”goodnight.”

 
Knowing what we know about her now, it must have been so difficult for Sue Ellen to live alone in the lab. Incredibly social, expressive, and with many needs -- like all of us – the social and physical deprivations that come with lab life must have been so painful for her. At Fauna, she loves to be looked after and is protected by many of her friends. Pepper will come from far away to help Sue Ellen, and Tommy, even though he is one of the folks who love to torment her, is also one of her greatest allies. He has come to her rescue many times, as she has gone to his defense, and to anyone’s she loves.

 
Sue Ellen has had a lot of great friends leave her at Fauna. When her very best, loyal friend and constant companion Donna Rae died, it was a very difficult time for Sue Ellen. For a long time after, she just slept a lot.  She was close to Pablo when he died, but at the time she had Donna Rae, Annie and Pepper, which helped. With Donna Rae gone, she grew closer to Pepper and now Tom and Jethro. She and Billy were very close, having grown up together. Their relationship was very complicated for both of them, yet there was a lot of love between them. After so many losses, the islands seemed a great blessing to her and  helped her get up and around more, as if she now had something else to focus on, new places to go and new memories to make.

 
 What incredible strength Sue Ellen must have to live through all she has lived through and still finds comfort in life and friendship in others. 
 
Social Status: Seems to fit into almost any situation. Extremely adaptable but is not passive so if there are problems she will get involved.  She has many loyal companions so she is in a good social position.

Favorite Activities: One of the most important things in Sue Ellen’s life is to be a part of a family or a group of close friends. If Sue Ellen is not with her friends, then she is probably having a nap, or resting. She loves to be in the sun in front of a window enjoying the sun.

She adores being outside especially in the sun on the long lazy days of summer.  Sue Ellen will find great places to rest -- in locations with a great view, where she can see all who come to the Chimp House. One of her favorite spots is in the over head sky walk, right under the willow tree, where she can reach the fresh young, leaves in the spring. In the summer, she and Pepper will sit under and share the apple trees, watching the activity by the pond. Sue Ellen stays out in those wonderful warm and light rains of summer and does not want to go inside. So often she and Billy Jo would just be together outside sitting in the rain.

Sue Ellen can often be found with her leg propped up on a wall or pulled up over her tummy, looking all relaxed and peaceful. She reminds me of Annie when she lays like this, and the way she can make everywhere she is look wonderful – making even the most uncomfortable place look inviting.
 

Sue Ellen loves things -- like, necklaces, purses, backpacks, scarves, hair scrunchies, or bracelets. At times, you can find her with stuffed toys or dolls. She puts her purses on her neck and carries them with her for most of the day. Her favorite is a purse or backpack with peppermints or lollipops inside. One of her favorite backpacks was a Bert (or Ernie) one that she carried for a very long time. Carrying an object on your back can look like someone carrying a baby. Sometimes it is hard to watch her do this because it can be sad reminder of the life that was taken from her.

Ghost chimp is a favorite game of Sue Ellen. She used to play this with Donna Rae, and now with Chance or Pepper. In the game, you put a sheet over your head so the other chimpanzee you are playing with cannot see you. Then they can poke you in the eyes or the ears or where ever, and you cannot get mad, because they cannot see you. This game is a bit complicated for Sue Ellen though because of her lack of a sense of humor. Though she will initiate or join in a game, that doesn’t stop her from reaching a point where she ends up furious and screaming at who ever she is playing with. Donna Rae could calm Susie down, but not too many others can. Yoko, for example, tries but makes everything worse. A fight starts. The game is over.

Like so many of our residents, Sue Ellen loves to play in soapy water. Many enjoy putting their hands in water or drinking from a hose. Sue Ellen is pretty temperamental about water though and you must be careful how you give it. If she thinks you will wet her she gets very angry.   
Favorite Foods:    One of the most fabulous times with Sue Ellen is serving her meals. She is a complete joy to serve if you give her what she likes. So many times we will hear squeaks and shrieks of excitement from her when she has a meal she is fond of or special occasion treats or party snacks.

She loves cooked foods, warm and fresh. She savors and enjoys each and every mouthful, expressing herself with each bite. It is absolutely fantastic to be a part of this experience, and if we can make her this happy everyday then it is a great reward.

Sue Ellen is someone who will taste anything, and often finds something she likes about everyone’s cooking, which is helpful for sure. Some of us are pretty bad chefs, and to have her approval is special, (but she certainly does know who the great chefs are).

Sue Ellen seems to prefer foods humans would eat. Served the way we would eat them. This results from her early years when she was raised to be like a human. She does eat a large variety of foods, and never really complains or throws things back. She will always find something she likes. Making sure she has her favorites is our job. We always provide her with what she loves most.