Today volunteer Laura and I put together a peanut butter/fruit puree and smeared it inside the tubes for the treat rock. The treat rock mimics a termite mound, in that the chimps can use sticks or hoses to fish for treats we place in tubes mounted inside the rock. Thus far, the chimps have been a bit too busy with other things to care about “fishing” for treats in the rock (the hill is a lot to take in!), but today Jody, Jamie, and Missy all spent some time checking it out.
Jody only took a quick peek or two, but was definitely intriqued.
Not all the holes have tubes in them, which Jamie quickly figured out
Missy spent the most time on the rock
and was the most proficient
yum!
I swear it looks like they’ve marked which tubes are good and which ones aren’t, so as not to waste their time, amazing.
Jackie, can you tell us about the treat rock, last I’d read J.B. was in the process of researching it, did J.B. design it? I saw quite a few people getting it ready the day before release onto the hill, is it heavy, how is it attached to the ground. Also, is there a doorway that opens up into the rock so you can access the tubes or do you just squirt food down into the tube? Are you all still putting sticks out of the chimps or are you leaving them to their own devices instead?I think it’s the best treat rock I’ve seen, I seen the ones at Chimp Haven, your rock looks very smooth and I particularly like the little ledge that can be used as a seat.
There is a door on the back side of it that allows us to get inside to screw in the tubes. It also houses the irrigation valves and a hose for cleaning purposes. We have still been putting sticks inside the holes when we fill the tubes, mostly just to notify the chimps that there is something in there. I have no doubt that some of the chimps would have no problem finding their own tools out there, but it’s just a good way to ensure that they don’t forget about it.
As for your questions about the construction/research/design of it, I’m going to leave those for J.B. since he is the expert. 🙂
We based our design on the termite mound at the Honolulu Zoo. Most termite mounds are constructed in a similar manner, but the zoo was nice enough to show details of their construction process on their website so it was easy to share their plans with our welders. Of course, we made a few changes to suit our needs (made it larger, enlarged the door, added a “lixit” valve so the chimps could get water on the hill, etc.), and our welders, Centerline Art Works, added the ledge and other details when they made the frame. The treat rock probably weighs about 5,000 pounds, so it didn’t need to be fastened to the ground.
It brings me so much joy to see the chimps doing what chimps do, using their minds and their intelligence like they’re supposed to, getting the chance to learn and to be rewarded in the process. Excellent work, everyone!
This just put the biggest grin on my face. I’m so happy to see Missy out there now. My hope is to see Neggie and Burrito enjoying the hammock and treat rock as much as she is.
great questions Tyler Tx Candy … they were everything i wanted to know and required little exertion of energy from me … so jackie, what’s the deal with the treat rock?
have they modified the probes ?
I haven’t seen anyone modify the tools for the treat rock yet, though I can’t say that there hasn’t been much of a need to (the bamboo sticks work pretty well!). Jamie does frequently modify her tools when they are not just right. Here’s a pretty good example: https://chimpsnw.org/2011/02/jamie-loves-a-challenge/
Love the enrichment. Great questions from all of you guys, as well. Can’t wait to get more information. Missy intrigues me.