Can you hear the birds chirping?
Archives for July 2018
Summer Negra
It might be just our imaginations, but we think we’ve seen a subtly more energetic Negra this summer! It seems like she’s spent more time outdoors, been more playful and shown more interest in different enrichment items recently. Don’t get me wrong, she still enjoys an extra amount of down time, but we are always thrilled to see the Queen of the sanctuary up and about!
In honor of Robert Ruggeri
Today was sponsored by the chimpanzees’ good friend, Rachel Ruggeri, in memory of her father, Robert Ruggeri. Rachel shared this special message about today:
“This day is in honor of my father, Robert Ruggeri, who passed away five years ago on this date. While he is no longer with us, his memory and legacy continue to burn bright in the lives of his family, friends, and the of course the gang of seven who show us each and every day the pleasure of living each day to its fullest. May we all seize the day ahead!”
Rachel, thank you so much for the incredible support you show the chimpanzees, for always holding them in your heart, and for the lasting and profound difference you help make in their lives. We so touched to share in honoring your father and his legacy and appreciate you including the chimps. They are indeed shining examples of embracing each day with arms and hearts wide open. We are all sending you all the good thoughts for memories filled with love, comfort and joy as you you celebrate your father today.
Missy is the epitomy of how to live one’s life with gusto and gumption:
Fire hose knots
We borrowed this enrichment idea from another sanctuary (thanks Project Chimps!) Caregivers put nuts in lengths of fire hose and tie off the ends. Each chimp has their own technique for solving the food puzzle, but recently Jamie has really honed her skills.
Summer jobs
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that the chimpanzees don’t still have a job to do. Scanning for intruders, checking the perimeter, the chimps’ work is never done. After everyone settled down from breakfast this morning they headed out for a group walk around the perimeter.
Jody was first out of the raceway, vigilantly scanning Young’s Hill before everyone else to see what happened overnight:
Then boss lady, Jamie, and her trusty backup chimp gal, Missy, headed out to check the perimeter:
Foxie and Burrito headed up after them and Burrito was a gentleman and waited for his good friend, Foxie, to catch up:
Jody brought up the rear, but she marched with such a mission, that I couldn’t capture her in time. Meanwhile Annie chose to watch the procession from the shady hammock:
And perhaps knowing things were being handled, Negra was all about an after breakfast nap:
Annie decided to join everyone as they made their way back to the chimp house and made a quick scan, probably for snakes:
Once the group made it around Young’s Hill, secure in the knowledge there were no current threats or intruders to defend their home turf from, they all filed back into the greenhouse. Burrito is extra fluffy looking here with his hair standing on end (pilo-erect) because he wants to go back into the greenhouse, but in classic Burrito social anxiety, isn’t comfortable walking past the girls to get there. He needed a minute:
Foxie and Strawberry Shortcake brought up the rear:
And here are some bonus Foxie photos as she and Strawberry Shortcake of the Purple Hair cool off in the front rooms:
Chimp Friends
Going on vacation can be bittersweet, you are so excited to go, but you are so sad to leave… Or that is at least my experience. I was so pleased to come back home and be greeted so warmly by such good friends aka my chimp friends. The chimps spent their day laying on barrels, grooming, foraging, and playing silly games with silly people. Now that is a good day!
Jody surveyed the land for snakes and any other unwelcome foes before the other chimps went on the Hill:
I caught Annie play punching Missy in the Greenhouse this morning:
Annie and Missy were breathy panting and were being very silly:
Later I found them lounging and grooming together:
Annie in her happy baby pose:
Jamie was making sure the humans were doing what they were supposed to, look at that serious face:
Negra was very sleepy this morning:
It was so hard to get out of bed, she decided to go back to bed:
Foxie was cruising around the Hill this morning, enjoying the weather before it got too hot:
Jody did a bit of foraging as per usual:
She found the good stuff:
Burrito just being the ham that he is:
Negra was being silly before lunch, she was holding a troll doll, then she walked over and started breathy panting wanting kisses. We did kisses, knuckle rubs, tickling, and than some more kisses. After a bit Negra got tired and had to lay down to tickle, tickling turned into napping.
Negra with her doll:
Cubby Holes
Way back in 2010, we replaced a bunch of caged windows with chimp-proof glass. On the greenhouse (what we used to call the outdoor area) side of things, this created deep window sills that the chimpanzees appreciated right away.
Below is a flashback video from when the windows were first installed in 2010. You can see that the chimps were still working on getting the hang of navigating the space using the hanging fire hose.
Today, Burrito and Missy were each in their own cubby. The frames are tall enough for chimpanzees to sit in them:
Missy can even sit upright in the smallest of the windows that looks into the playroom loft:
Missy was using her private cubby time to sift through some nut and seed shells:
While Burrito decided to get REALLY comfortable in his sill:
