Jamie is a walking machine. All day long, she asks – OK, demands – for her caregivers to put on some cowboy boots and join her on patrol of her two-acre enclosure. How does a chimpanzee who doesn’t know sign language make such a complex demand? Part of it is that we just know Jamie well – over the years, we’ve figured out what she likes through a lot of trial and error and we’ve settled into a routine. But as you can see in this video, she also makes herself understood through a lot of pointing, gesturing, and stomping. And if you’ve ever visited another country and were forced to communicate through gesture (and maybe some stomping as frustration set in), you know that you can actually communicate a lot of information that way.
Jamie doesn’t care if we’re in the middle of something else, like cleaning enclosures or washing toys, when she asks. When she wants to walk, we’re expected to drop everything and comply. But hey, you can’t say no to the boss…
I love Jamie going down the banister from the loft.
Yeah, such feet are handy for things like that.
Yes! The sliding down the banister was hysterical!!! Who needs language?! You can ‘hear’ Jamie loud and clear. Jamie is so cute rocking back and forth while the Boot Modeling takes place.
If Jamie wasn’t pleased with your black boot selection today, just how many boots would you have to try on to please The Boss? And I see you are carrying a pair of boots in your hands….. did Jamie request that pair too or are you carrying the black boots because they are not your size?
I love Jamie’s walking ritual. Perfect ending with Missy flying across Young’s Hill, very funny too!
Hi Kathleen – We usually have a good idea of which pairs are her favorite at any given time, so it only takes a few guesses to figure it out. But she has a complete inventory of all her boots in her head, and sometimes it takes us a while to find the particular pair that she wants (like if she left them outside overnight). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to Jamie, “That’s it, I’ve shown you every pair” while she continues to stomp, only to find later that another pair got left outside the greenhouse. When it comes to boots, Jamie is usually right.
Ideally, Jamie would like to see us wear a complete pair of boots on our walk, but as you mentioned, the boots don’t always fit us well enough to walk a quarter mile uphill and down in the mud. So she is usually satisfied if we try them on inside and them carry them on our walk.
Whew, I am so glad you do not have to cram your poor feet into boots too small to crawl in! Very considerate of Ms. Jamie to let you try them on (like Cinderella!) and then hike in comfort with boots in hand — especially if you are doing numerous laps around Young’s Hill. I am fascinated by Jamie and her love of boots. She sounds so amazing. I just love everything about her! Thanks.
Yes, no mistaking who’s the boss! Love it – and her sliding down the bannister was a great catch on video. Such a clever girl …