Following a routine each day allows for the chimps to know what to expect next. We start by serving a snack in the morning shortly after arriving. Then we clean the Greenhouse portion of their enclosure and once that is done, we finish serving breakfast. Sometimes, instead of serving meals, we mix it up by spreading the food around the various enclosures for the chimps to forage. Either way, the chimps know that when we are finished cleaning, locking up and going through all of our safety checks, they will get access to the newly cleaned area. Shortly after breakfast, they are given access to Young’s Hill (their outdoor enclosure). Following this routine helps the chimps make their own decisions about participating in meals and how they would like to spend their time (staying indoors or exploring Young’s Hill, for instance).
This morning, Jody seemed to be on a mission after breakfast was done. Knowing that I would open door Y (the door leading from the Greenhouse to Young’s Hill) after breakfast, she sat right by the door waiting. As soon as I did, she went straight for a mound at the top of the hill and I followed her (from the other side of the electric fences, of course) to see where she was headed.
Turns out, the mound at the top of Young’s Hill is still full of tasty wild plants, despite the yellowing foliage. I watched her pick some of the plants and eat them individually and then witnessed her “stripping” some of the other plants. She placed her hand at the base of the plant stem and drew upwards, stripping the plants of their leaves and then stuffing them in her mouth. Watching this reminded me of the videos I’ve seen of wild chimpanzees stripping termites off of the blades of grass they used to dip into holes in termite mounds. (The termites pinch the blades of grass and hold on as the chimpanzees pull the grass from the mound. Then the chimps eat the termites using their hands or mouths).
I love that this lady seeks out wild “snacks” on Young’s Hill.
Will you be installing a termite mound?
Hi Meg. Great question! We do have a “termite mound” on Young’s Hill, although it does not house termites. J.B. wrote a great blog post with some photos and video clips of the chimps using it here. Thanks for following the blog!
Thank you for continuing to share these great posts of each of these amazing animals. It warms my heart to know they are so well loved & cared for. And how they are able to enjoy an environment that is safe, yet so close to their natural habitat as possible ????
Thank you Cindy! So glad these chimps have found a place in your heart!!
So nice to see the chimps enjoy their THEIR own way!
Thanks Vicki! I couldn’t agree with you more!!
Jody’s bio says she was probably born in the wild though you can’t know for sure. I’ve seen films of very young chimps learning from a parent how to fish for termites. So is it possible that she learned very early on and kept this skill despite not being able to use it for decades? That gives me some comfort to know that a true chimpanzee behavior, whether innate or learned, can surface decades later and enrich her life.