Volunteers Amanda and Tennyson helped us build a new enrichment device for the chimps. The woven fire hose has pockets to stick browse in (browse includes leaves, branches and twigs – an important part of a chimp’s diet). Many thanks to Chimps Inc. and the Honolulu Zoo for the idea! Annie, Missy and Jody spent hours picking out the cattails, bamboo and fennel.
While we were installing the browse feeder, we also hung a few more fire hose swings near the new windows. As you can see, they created the perfect game for Missy.
The browse feeder looks great! Leave it to Missy to have fun with the new hoses. It’s so great to see them enjoying the new windows! She was too quick for you to get a good shot, eh J.B.? LOL
that is a very cool enrichment tool! I have never macrame’d fire hoses before lol
browse feeder * {?}
and missy was having a whole lot more fun swinging then you were having trying to keep up with her … the enrichment is wonderful … all of it.
I don’t know, JB — maybe you need your own fire hose swing of your own to keep up with Missy. 😉
From Karen: Great parties recently…. the pirates and Missy’s birthday. The new enrichment browser device brought to mind a couple of ideas I have had recently. First, J.B. you and I talked some time ago about how to hang some smaller ropes (like jungle vines) for the chimps to climb and swing on. Then you said we just needed to figure a way to do them so that Jamie couldn’t undo them. Would it work if the ropes were individually thrown over the ceiling bars and then brought back down some distance for each rope and then each was tied in multiple hard to undo knots at the top. Then perhaps rivits could be put throught th knotted areas?
Second idea, seeing the new browser enricher with woven fire hose made me wonder if fire hose could be woven around tall empty cylinders or some sort, e.g., pipes. Then plant the woven pipes in soil or concrete and fill them with soil. The idea is to have them work as “trees” to climb in the new open area on Young Hill. Perhaps the fire hose needs to be stapled, you’ll know. There may even be ways to create “branches” coming out of them.
Thank you all for all you do. We KNOW you each work very hard. Karen
Brilliant…..as usual!!!
great fun as always ! great way for missy to keep an eye on whats happening through the windows x