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JB giving presentation

Chimpanzees and insect eating

August 22, 2015 by Diana

When I started to write this, J.B. was leading a Summer Visit tour:

JB giving presentation

I’d be willing to bet that one of the things he explained is what we put in the termite mound / treat rock on Young’s Hill. Generally, what we say is that the termite mound mimics ant hills or termite mounds that chimpanzees encounter in the wild, and we provide the chimpanzees with tools to access the goodies inside. It’s great enrichment because it involves tool use and problem solving, and it taps into natural chimpanzee behavior.

The difference, we explain, is that chimpanzees in captivity do not appreciate termites and ants! They react to “bugs” the same way most industrialized human cultures do – as a nuisance, but definitely not as a source for food. And that is why, instead of insects, we put things like mashed up bananas and/or peanut butter in the mound for the chimpanzees to fish out.

The chimpanzees, however, have a way of proving what we say to be wrong. I still don’t think that any of the chimpanzees would appreciate it if we put insects in the pvc tubes that screw into the termite mound, but Jamie and Missy have recently discovered a surprising delicacy – wasp larvae.

This is doubly surprising, given that the chimps certainly do not like wasps, and Jamie has been stung before. Apparently, that risk is worth harvesting this new treat. I wonder how they even discovered that the nests contained something they would like!

Here are a few photos I managed to get of Jamie with a nest that she brought in from Young’s Hill:

Jamie with a wasps' nest

 

Jamie with a wasps' nest 4

 

Jamie with a wasps' nest 3

 

Watching her, it wasn’t entirely clear to me how much of the larvae she was eating, because she seemed to be selectively eating some parts and not others, but she was clearly enjoying the experience:

Jamie with a wasps' nest 2

 

I haven’t been able to capture any photos of Missy with wasp nests, so you’ll have to take my word that she is very excited when she has a nest, perhaps even more so than Jamie.

 

Speaking of Missy, it’s her 40th birthday tomorrow!!!

Missy on the hill

Above is a photo of Missy from today as she took a rest before running the perimeter of Young’s Hill.

 

I defy anyone to call Missy old – she has one of the youngest spirits I’ve known in a chimpanzee. Whether she is searching for wasp nests, running like mad, wrestling with her BFF Annie, or demanding garden tomatoes, she demonstrates, daily, a sense of freedom that she’s found in her second chance at life (read this blog post from 2014 about Missy’s quite literal second chance).

We will be having a big celebration for Missy 40th tomorrow, so be sure to check here on the blog for photos of the party and wish her a happy birthday!

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Chimpanzee BehaviorEnrichmentFree-living chimpsIntelligenceJamieMissySanctuaryYoung's Hill

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Comments

  1. vicki brabandt says

    August 22, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    The chimps are full of surprises and i like that! Have a fun party tomorrow! Will be watching for pics and blog. 🙂

  2. Diane D. says

    August 22, 2015 at 5:09 pm

    Certainly seemed to be enjoying the nest. Happy Birthday to Missy.

  3. Sandra says

    August 22, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    Hooray Jamie and Missy! Eat those wasp larvae so they don’t turn into adults that sting!

  4. Jackie says

    August 22, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    An early Happy Birthday to the lovely Missy! Looking forward to the pictures of tomorrow’s party.

  5. qcheryl says

    August 23, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    Very interesting post. I’m glad Jamie and Missy have found a new treat. The joy of discovery!

  6. Kathleen says

    August 23, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    That is fascinating! Like you said, how did they ever think that such a scary place as a wasps nest would hold something edible and yummy. Silly girls, but smart! Excellent photos of Jamie too.

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