We talk a lot about how Jamie is the boss not only of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees, but of the humans at the sanctuary too. People ask us what makes her the boss. I don’t know that I’ve ever explained it quite this way before, but I’d say a good 75% of the “why” behind Jamie’s leadership status is that she just knows she should be in charge. I don’t think there’s any question in her mind that she should have a privileged status among all of us.
This entitlement means that Jamie can be demanding. If she’s trying to get our attention in order for us to give her something, she’ll often stand in the loft of the playroom, look into the kitchen and stomp her feet or hit the caging. Today she did this after lunch. Volunteer caregiver Connie and I were the only humans in the building at the time. Connie did her best to try to figure out what Jamie wanted, bringing her out various favorite things like crayons, big container,s and a couple of pairs of boots.
But the boss was not satisfied.
So, we decided to get ALL of Jamie’s boots (even the extras that were in storage) and line them up outside of the front rooms. It’s something that I had tried over a year ago that worked (see that blog post), and we were out of options. I don’t know if this is exactly what Jamie wanted, but she was definitely pleased with our solution. She would point to certain boots and we would hold them up for her. Some of them she seemed to just want to look at, some she wanted to touch, and others she asked us to give her by standing near the chute with her hand in the position to grab a boot that we dropped in (you can see the rectangular hole and the wire mesh chute below in this photo).
Oh, how I love a female who knows what she wants!
Choices! I’m SO happy she has choices. (And, well, I have been known to line up all my shoes just to look at them, too). 😉
Wow, you ladies certainly go to great extents to keep ALL the chimps satisfied adn happy, Jamie, certainly is making the best of life in her forever home CSNW. She has you all wrapped around all her fingers. Indeed Diana’s description, and foresight about Jamie, did stand to be… ever so accurate.
Jamie has it all figured out about her human who WORK for her.. and whom are all more than happy to oblige to her every whim,want, and need. .. to think of all Jamie has undergone and endured at the hands of humans, she deserves the best of the BEST.. and, all the caregivers, volunteers and staff at CSNW are the best and then some,.. you are all so committed, devoted and its apparant everyone truly enjoys working for all the chimps,
Well said, Rita. I’m sure you all do the best for the other six as well. Such interesting personalities but how they get along so well is amazing. Thanks for the pictures and observations, Diana
In the end, it’s really all about shoes, isn’t it?
me and jamie both have shoe fetishes.
Staring at your favorite things can be very satisfying! How lucky she is to be able to have so many favorite things and have friends who can assemble them for her!!!!
Jame is so lucky! I’m on shoe probation for Skechers! 🙁
It must be such a challenge to try and figure out what someone as intelligent as Jamie is trying to tell you and to keep her challenged…if only she could talk!! That last photo of her has that look on her face…like…geeez, will somebody around here move a little quicker…I’m getting quite impatient!! She is really something else!! And you guys are really something else too, for working so hard, all the time, to keep her and her roommates, happy and healthy! We’ve all said it before but bears repeating…you are all so admired and appreciated for all your love and dedication to the Magnificent 7!! :}
Happy Easter!
Gal just wanted to check out her shoe closet.
I know this is silly, but I just want to give a smooch to those lips poking out from the bars!