In the spotlight today is Jody. She’s not often one for having her photo taken, so when the opportunity arose, I took it. During breakfast this morning, she took her banana and grapefruit from the Greenhouse area of their enclosure to sit on the bench in Front Room 4. We often refer to this room as the “Portrait Studio” because of the natural light that filters in through the window and bathes the chimps in a natural glow.
My experience with Jody is that she is usually one of the first of the chimps to venture out on Young’s Hill (the chimps’ 2-acre outdoor enclosure) when they are given access each day. She also happens to be the chimp most likely to forage for every wild plant she can find on the hill. But since there is little in the form of wild plants growing during this time of the year, she seeks out snow and ice chunks to eat instead.
This morning she was the first outside as soon as I opened the door leading to Young’s Hill. She sat on a log near the raceway door (the area leading from the Greenhouse to the hill) for a few minutes before grabbing a few handfuls of snow. She then turned and went back into the Greenhouse to eat them. After that, she sat in the raceway and looked out.
Later in the day, she ventured further up on Young’s Hill searching for snow and ice to eat. Then she followed Missy on part of her adventure of climbing every structure before returning to the Playroom area to relax in a blanket nest.
Jody left, Missy right)
Jody following Missy
