Family Time at Gombe

Photograph by Anup Shah and Fiona Rogers, National Geographic

The oldest chimp in Gombe and undisputed matriarch of the S family, Sparrow, a 56-year-old female (second from the right, looking up) and two generations of offspring enjoy a tight-knit grooming session. Sparrow is a tough old bird, observes Carson Murray, who followed her for several seasons. She raises strong, competent daughters, Murray says, but her sons are mama s boys.

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