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Jamie’s latest project

August 24, 2015 by Keri

Chimpanzees use a variety of tools for a variety of different projects. In the wild, they have been seen using sticks to fish for termites, stones for breaking open hard shells to get at nuts inside, and have even been seen using mashed up leaves as sponges to soak up water.

Here at the sanctuary, Jamie chimpanzee is no stranger to using tools to get what she wants. For example, we often put pieces of food outside of the caging and just out of finger reach to give the chimps a project to work on. Jamie will often use long plastic straws, pieces of cardboard or even sticks that she brings in from Young’s Hill to get the food items. But, sometimes she seems to love using tools just for the sake of using them. Today she took the enrichment tools we set out to work on one of the doors in her indoor enclosure. After some initial inspection, she got right to work.

Maybe she was just making sure the door was properly maintained.

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Comments

  1. sherry rogers says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    Great video, pretty impressive.

    Was Jamie trying to get the door open or remove it ? I think she uses tool better than I do!

    • Keri says

      August 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Sherry. Thanks for the question! The door that Jamie was “working on” was actually open already. Often times she just likes to use tools and has been seen trying to take the metal panels off that cover the doors.

    • Keri says

      August 27, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Hi Sherry. Thanks for the question! The door that Jamie was “working on” was actually open already. Often times she just likes to use tools and has been seen trying to take the metal panels above the doors off.

  2. Beverly says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:17 pm

    Jamie has the idea…..she’ll get that door opened someday….

  3. Maggie says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    Wow…perhaps she was mimicking her human friends! She looked very convincing tho!!!

  4. Diane D. says

    August 24, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    Jamie the Carpenter. Did she get the door open? Very smart.

  5. Barb Engle says

    August 24, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    Better watch that girl!

  6. Cathy parkinson says

    August 24, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    I’d love to sit & watch them all day, they astound me with their intelligence, absolutely amazing the things they can do, my most favourite of all animals are the primates. Beautiful, each & every one of them.

  7. Jackie says

    August 24, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    Go Jamie!

  8. Larissa says

    August 24, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    She looks handier with a tool than my roommate. Love this girl.

  9. Kathleen says

    August 24, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    Ingenious using a hairbrush as a wedging device! Give that girl a file and with her pliers and brush Jamie may be able to break loose and take over the sanctuary!

  10. Karen and Don says

    August 25, 2015 at 8:50 am

    Is Jamie for hire? She is better than the carpender we had at our home yesterday!!!

  11. Francoise says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    Any thoughts about whether she was trying to get out? Knowing what’s out there now might be frustrating for them, especially when the weather is so lovely. Her ingenuity is amazing but I can’t help feel a bit sad about it… being a door and all…

    • J.B. says

      August 26, 2015 at 8:45 am

      Hi Franciose – No need to feel sad! The door she is working on is open, and she was free to go out to the greenhouse and Young’s Hill when this video was shot. The only area closed off at the time was the playroom, because it was being cleaned. Jamie just likes to try to take the metal panels off that cover the door mechanisms.

      • Francoise says

        August 26, 2015 at 8:59 am

        What a relief! Thank you. I know you give the chimps as much freedom as is absolutely possible but there is still a limit, so I am very glad to hear that he was just mucking about and was not frustrated — though he may have been frustrated that he couldn’t take the panel off!

  12. Jackie Downey says

    August 26, 2015 at 11:15 am

    She’s better at it than I would be except I wouldn’t put it in my mouth!

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