Enrichment comes in many forms—food enrichment, social enrichment, object enrichment, and structural enrichment—but sometimes the most enriching things are completely unintentional. Nearly two years ago, JB took out the extremely heavy drain covers we used to have and exchanged them for lightweight covers. They are much easier to handle for the humans, but also much more likely the chimps could get it. However, the covers are durable and pose no danger to the chimps, so the risk of them grabbing it versus practically breaking our backs every time we had to lift the heavy drain cover was worth it!
After JB put in the new covers, we took bets on when the chimps (particularly Jamie) would get it. I guessed about 20 minutes after they had access to the playroom. Diana guessed that night while the humans were away, and JB guessed within 48 hours. We were all wrong! Twenty-three months was the actual answer. We didn’t see how she got it, but when we came into the chimp area a few days ago, Jamie had removed the drain cover, finally.
After removing it, she proceeded to clean it with some scraps of paper. Annie was very interested in watching her—I’m sure they know it is something they aren’t really supposed to have. (Kind of like this time we played keep-away with a laundry basket).
You’ll notice in the video that there is quite a mess in the playroom—it was the day after the Lunar New Year party, so there was a lot to clean up. Once breakfast was brought out, Jamie dropped the drain cover and exited the playroom so we could enter to retrieve it and clean up the party. As far as I am aware she hasn’t bothered to get the drain cover since, but it certainly was enriching for her that morning.
I love to see the genius working!
It looks like Jamie is thinking, “Hmmm…I wonder what this might be good for” lol.
It’s so interesting that she chose to clean it. In his book about the Fauna chimps, Andrew Westoll recounts an incident when several chimps got out and what did they do? They went to (I think) the kitchen and started cleaning as they’d watched the humans clean so many times! Of course they made a huge mess of it but it’s fascinating and maybe sad that that’s how they chose to use their freedom.
I think about that particular part of the book often, when Jamie does these things. I also wonder if the CE 7 would do the same?
Hopefully we will never have to find out 🙂 Jamie does a lot of cleaning—she was a pet for 9 years before going to the lab, and seems to exhibit a lot of human behaviors.
I personally think that if Jamie had the chance, she would immediately start building something big and complicated that would help her take over the world. 😉
Amy—no doubt! 🙂
It needed a good cleaning, thank you Jamie.
True!
Was the drain cover outside of the caging?
Yes, it was—which is probably why Jamie was excited about getting something she’s not really supposed to have. If you look in the first part of the video, you can see a big hole in the cement in the bottom right corner. That is where the drain cover belongs.
I am amazed it took 23 months for the new cover to be discovered! Especially with Jamie in the house. Very interesting. With dogs, the minute you change anything in their environment they are immediately drawn to the change — not matter how large or small.
It is nice to know Jamie understood that the drain cover helps to keep her space clean so she might as well keep the drain cover clean! : ) It even looked as if she was smelling it.
PS: I enjoyed the video of “Foxie and the Laundry Baskets” too. Loved her little pirouette dance at the end!!
Jamie actually discovered it right away! Nothing gets past her. 🙂 She fiddled with it but got over it quickly. That is when we took bets on when she would get ahold of it, but it seems like she didn’t care too much until the other day. She hasn’t bothered with it since, so maybe she found out it really wasn’t that interesting, but it was fun to have something she not supposed to have.