I think we’ve mentioned a few times on the blog how much Negra enjoys nuts. We frequently scatter nuts in the outdoor area on warm days or the playroom if it’s a bit colder so when the chimpanzees go into that area after we are finished cleaning, they spend fifteen to twenty minutes foraging. Burrito is particularly good at finding food in the straw and really seems to enjoy looking. This time of year is great because nuts in the shell are easy to find, and this adds more for the chimpanzees to do – they have to crack the nuts to get to the meat inside (they use their teeth). Negra squeeks with anticipation as soon as she sees us bringing out the nuts for scattering. Here are a couple of photos of Negra taken just the other day as she was gathering and eating nuts in the outdoor area.
Disclaimer: This post is a bit of a set up. Denice has shopped around for the best deals on nuts and will let you know about what she’s found in case you want to give some mixed nuts in the shell for the chimps for the holidays. Nuts in the shell can last up to two years if frozen and a year in the fridge, so we can follow the lead of the squirrels and stock up now!
