Burrito and Missy spent some time grooming each other this morning while we were cleaning the playroom.
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Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.
Missy can groom me any day, she’s very thorough. It’s nice to see Burrito accessorizing.
You know for the last 16 months I’ve heard, in the background of videos, the sounds of moving things, cleaning, water spraying, etc. and my curiosity has gotten the better of me. I’d love to see a video of the cleaning process.
Oh Burrito you are one stylish dude! I particularly liked the hammer and the toe tapping. Missy you are such a good groomer, very thorough!
Thanks Elizabeth.
Cindy, the cleaning process is not very glamorous, we first start with scooping up all the poo and disposing of it. Then we sort through the enrichment, what has to be thrown away and that which has to be scrubbed clean to be used another day. Blankets are gathered up and the “laundry” is started for the day. After the area is picked up we then start with a good rinse with fresh water of the area followed by a very good scrubbing with soap and water. Then another good rinse with fresh water, that is followed by a squeegee to get the area as dry as possible. Then we set out new clean enrichment, clean blankets and a forage of nuts, dried fruit or popcorn (this varies day to day). Security/Safety checks are made, tools counted (to make sure we didn’t forget anything in the enclosure) we lock up and the chimps are ready to be let into the area. During this whole time Jamie is usually watching every move we make. I think she likes to make sure we are doing it right. Missy and Annie are usually playing “tickle me more”, Burrito,Negra and Jody like to use this time to nap while Foxie plays with one of her trolls.
It usually takes about an hour to hour and half for two of us to clean the play room. I have to tell you it’s a lot of work but it’s SO rewarding to know they will have a clean area to play and rest in for the day.
We drove down the valley this morning past the Chimps about 6:45 and it was only 12 degrees !!! Have they been outside the last couple of days in the cold?
I also liked Burritos’ toe tapping.
Thanks, Denice, I was exhausted after reading your daily duties. I imagine it’s the squeegee I hear in the background. Thank you for giving a great description of the cleaning process.
Candy, I have to add that Jamie also watches the newbies, like myself, very closely. I think it is because she figures that if we make a mistake that she can benefit! The first couple of times I cleaned, Jamie would charge the enclosure to see if she could get a rise out of me. After finding out I just kept working she quit. Now she just watches me work. Like Denice I think she is making sure we do it properly. I keep expecting her to let us know if it meets her specifications one day. LOL
Burrito certainly enjoys being groomed. It must feel like it does when someone plays with your hair. That will relax me every time. At Chimp Eden in South Africa, the alpha female, Jinga would run to the alpha male, Amadeus and groom him to calm him down. It worked every time.