It’s been a pretty mild fall / beginning of winter, and we finally got our first snowfall at the sanctuary overnight. It was just a dusting, but Missy was VERY eager to get outside for a taste.
Jamie also went out quickly to get a snack.
We were wondering if the colder weather might slow down Jamie’s desire to walk around the hill. The answer is no. So far four walks and counting. She did wait until the snow melted, though. Missy joined Jamie on one of her walks. She gave us a big head start then ran full-speed up the hill. You can see a photo on her Facebook page.
Speaking of Facebook, a few weeks ago we asked on our Facebook page how fans became interested in chimpanzees. The answers were really interesting. One person recalled the video of the chimpanzees at CSNW first experiencing a big snowstorm, which was shared on a couple of news stations.
The video, which is now almost five years old, is posted below. That was before we put the panels on the greenhouse, so really before they had a greenhouse, and long before they had the 2-acre Young’s Hill. The chimps are leaning out of front room #4 into what we called the outdoor area then. Listen to those happy food squeaks and watch the prehensile lips in action!
Did they actually eat the snow or bring it in to play with? That would be pretty awesome for a Chimp snow fight! 😀
They ate it and loved it. We haven’t seen them throw snow yet 🙂
I became interested in chimps because of the show chimp eden, but got hooked on the CE7 when I ran across an Easter blog of Mr. B hunting Easter eggs and pulling carrots up AKA- forraging on the hill on Easter a few years ago. I fell in love (like a teenager) when I saw the video (that used to be on the front page) of the chimps first day on the hill and JB said “he was PROUD of them”. You all are a unique and wonderful group. When I read Dr. Sherry’s book, and recall things about Andy Westalls book, I imagine that being your daily life. Future book maybe?
Kerri – so good to hear about how you got “hooked” :). Thanks for your words. Regarding the book – we don’t have anything quite so text heavy in the works right now (who knows, maybe in the future), but we do have books from each of the past four years available here: http://www.blurb.com/user/store/CSNW. The books contain some text that chronicles the year and talks about the changes in the chimpanzees, and then a bunch of great photos of the chimps.
I still can’t identify all the chimps, but it certainly looks as though they were ‘taking turns’. And the change in their appearance since then is testimony to what a great job you are all doing!
I still love that video and their turn-taking too. Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Thank you for the attaching the video from 2008! That was so interesting. I enjoyed each Chimps “technique” in approaching and engaging with the snow. Foxie with her troll in toe, some going for the snow with their mouths, some with delicate fingers, some grabbing in handfuls. Very, very funny. Would love to know what was going through their minds to see snow for the first time?
Do the chimps enjoy ice cream? Do you give them frozen Kongs like we do for the dogs at the dog shelter? Our dogs love frozen Kongs full with canned food for dinner and as a snack/pacifier we fill a Kong with vanilla yogurt, peanut butter and some dog cookies! Yummy!! I see your chimps with Kongs but I never know if they are frozen or not?!
Thanks for your comment, Kathleen! I love Missy’s delicate style with her fingers barely touching the snow. We do have an ice cream maker and use it mainly during the summer. We don’t do any added sugar to keep things healthy, so it’s more of a sorbet. And we do give the chimps frozen Kongs that have peanut butter or fruit or various other goodies inside. Sometimes we do them frozen, and sometimes not. One of my favorite videos of all time is Missy playing with a Kong in a sock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQWjwl4THbc
Oh no! The YouTube video was too funny and I do remember seeing it before (right about the time I became Missy’s Pal). Love #4: Put it in the sock and swing it about. Missy is a source of laughter for me (as are all the chimps). Nice to know they all enjoy healthy, yummy ice cream too. Thank you for educating me a little more — there is so much to learn and discover.