Going to B&W here really helps to remove the BG as a distraction and center the viewer's interest on the chimp. I am sure that was one of your reasons for doing it.
(BTW: I have been using the Kiboko bag and really like it. Thanks for a fine product.)
Thanks all of for the kind comments, both for the photograph and for my Kiboko bag.
Regarding chimpanzee photography, I knew way ahead of time that I would be shooting for a black and white look. I knew that I would be shooting at ISO 1600 to 6400, and that would yield some nasty noise and problematic contrast. So rather than fight it I just embraced it. All of the b&w images from the series have been toned with a slight warm-ish tint to the shadows and to the mid tones, yet I kept the highlights neutral. The reason for the split tone is that the highlights, if warmed up, make the overall image appear dirty and less contrasty.