We have been very fortunate lately to receive some awesome food donations—Darwin pet food company has donated cases and cases of fresh produce the last few months which has certainly reduced our food bill every month! We are so appreciative, and so are the chimpanzees. Just check out one of the hauls:
And here’s some of the celery they donated being enjoyed by Annie and Negra:
And Missy snacking on a beet:
Part of our food philosophy is that the chimps have a primarily plant-based diet, which is why we’re so thankful for the Darwin’s donations! Recently we thought about seeing if the chimps like eggs, which would be a great source of protein for them in addition to the nuts they already eat and protein powder in their morning smoothie. It just so happens that I’m the proud caretaker of a few happy chickens who roam around my house (which is seated on a large family farm just outside Ellensburg).
I’ve always been thrilled to share the ladies’ eggs with friends and family, giving them the opportunity to have eggs from free-roaming chickens. So I decided to bring in some hard-boiled eggs for the chimps to see if they would like them! It turns out that they were no stranger to having eggs before. Though we expected that they would be weary of eating such a strange item, and it might take a few tastes to decide if they liked them or not, we were surprised to see their reaction—they definitely know what eggs are and they definitely like them. Negra was absolutely beside herself when she saw me walking out with the eggs, food squeaking with delight. The other chimpanzees quickly came over to get the exciting snack.
Foxie, however, is not so sure about eggs. She’s always been more hesitant to try new things (even if she ends up loving those things eventually). The first time we served the eggs, Foxie sniffed it and tossed it to the ground. She then went around and watched everyone eating their egg to see what was so exciting about it. The second time we served them, I peeled one for Foxie (while everyone else was happy to receive their with the shell and peel them on their own) and she took a quick bite before dropping the other half on the ground. Annie was very pleased to pick up Foxie’s leftovers, and Foxie very intensely food peered while Annie ate her eggs. This very uncomfortable looking behavior is a common act in chimpanzee culture, and Foxie especially likes to food-peer. Perhaps after watching the other chimps happily eat their eggs twice now, the third time will be the charm for Foxie!
that food peering gaze is unsettling… to a human that is. Seems like it would be hard to ignore!
Isn’t it a good feeling when you know you have made someone happy? I’m glad Negra and the others have another item to add to their lists of yummy foods.
awe, just awe.
Debbi this was so much fun to read. Almost cried to think that Negra knew what eggs were and to read how excited she was too see them. Love the photos of her enjoying her healthy food. Keep us posted when Foxie joins in. ; )
Would the labs have fed the chimps yummy and healthy eggs? I always envision labs feeding nothing but chow.
We speculated about when the chimps would’ve gotten eggs in their past lives, because they definitely knew what they were. It’s possible the lab occasionally gave them out as well as the chow, and after protocols they would usually get an apple or banana as a treat.
Annie: ” Do you mind?”