There’s so much that happens at the sanctuary that we often have stories or tidbits we want to share on the blog that get “bumped” for something else noteworthy, heartwarming, or amazing (all of these adjectives describe yesterday’s post about Negra! My heart will remain full after that experience for a very long time to come).
Here’s one of those stories that got bumped for something else, but I still wanted to share it because I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
A couple of weeks ago, J.B. found a small wasp nest (sans wasps) and brought it into the office. I was working in the chimp house that day, and he suggested that I give it to one of the chimpanzees who likes to eat wasp larvae. The known connoisseurs of wasp larvae currently are Jamie, Missy, and Jody. Always eager to please the boss, I first offered it to Jamie. When I presented it to her and pointed out the holes that were filled in with grubs, I’m positive she recognized what it was, but, to my surprise, she did not gesture for me to give it to her. So I said, “Okay, Jamie, I’m going to give it to someone else.” She remained where she was and let me leave without a protest.
I found Jody lying in a pile of blankets in one of the front rooms. When I showed her the wasp nest, she leapt out of bed and put her lips up to the caging so I could give it to her. She was extremely happy with this unexpected gift and took it back to her nest with a contented low moan. Jody was probably grateful for this wasp-free (and therefore sting-free) nest, given her experience last month.
Several hours later, Jamie indicated that she wanted to go on a walk. As per the routine, I donned some boots and headed out to join her on the opposite side of the fence. She did not continue along the perimeter path, however. Instead, she made a beeline for the structure we call Negra’s cabin.
I watched her with curiosity as she climbed to the top and then sort of swung into the cabin, reaching with her right hand. I had no idea what she was doing until she slithered down the cabin support log and I saw her pick up something from the ground. That’s when I figured out that she had removed a wasp nest and was collecting the spoils.
Rather than resuming the walk, she headed back to the greenhouse. When I caught up with her, I found Jamie enjoying her treasure and Missy sitting next to her, ready for anything Jamie might drop or discard.
The wasp nest that Jamie had captured was at least three times the size of the one that I had offered her earlier. She meticulously broke it apart piece by piece with her lips, eating the larvae one by one.
There are three things that I love about this incident and the way Jamie works:
Number One: She rejected the free larvae offered earlier and instead worked to obtain larvae on her own. This is somewhat typical of Jamie – she likes puzzles and will chose to work to get food instead of having it handed to her, though I’ve never seen her reject an unexpected gift of food.
Number Two: This is a bit speculative, but I believe that showing Jamie the nest earlier in the day sparked the idea of her hunting for a nest of her own – maybe in that moment she thought about where she could get a better specimen than the puny thing I was offering. She didn’t run out to find a nest right away, though, she waited until the evening hours when nothing else was going on and she was looking for a bit of adventure.
Number Three: I’m always thrilled when the chimpanzees do something that they figured out on their own and show off their chimpanzee foraging skills. As we’ve written before, we humans didn’t recognize wasp nests as having potential food, particularly for this group of chimpanzees that grew up far away from their natural habitat and had never shown an interest in eating anything in the insect realm.
It’s a reminder that they are intelligent wild beings who inherited a particular skill set that allowed their species to survive in a variety of environments across equatorial Africa.
Jamie may like boots and blankets, but she also likes wasp larvae. And she’s perfectly capable of finding it on her own, thank you very much.
lisa says
thank you for this story. I LOVE THIS BLOG.
Diana says
I love this comment! Seriously, it means so much to know that people are out their reading and learning more about the chimpanzees through the blog. Thanks for commenting, Lisa!
Tobin says
I LOVE THIS BLOG — and the seven individuals it reports upon — too. I try to visit the CSNW website every day. Now that I have de-platformed the New Woke (i.e., York) Times from my life and spending money as a result of the Gray Lady’s promotion of bigots and bigotry, I now intend to rely upon the CSNW blog for all of my news and information. Besides which, CSNW’s writing and photography is much better.
Margaret Parkinson says
Could it be that Jamie knew about the nest in Negra’s hut all along andknew it was bigger than the one Diana was offering? When she saw to “free” nest she with thought “I have a bigger one, so one of the others can have this one” or “I will reject it now and later show Diana how puny hers is compared to the oner I have saved” Just a couple of ideas.
Margaret Parkinson says
(One day I WILL learn to proofread before I post. It just has not happened yet!)
Carla René says
Ha! Don’t feel bad, Diana made an oopsie, too in her reply to Lisa. We all do it. 🙂
That’s one thing I didn’t like about the old blog and dislike about the new one: the ability to make edits and even delete our comments/posts! Maybe it’s just me and my Asperger’s, but it really bothers me when I see I overlooked a mistake, and I usually proofread my posts no less than five times before posting.
Anyway, cheers.
Diana says
I wondered the same thing – if she thought about the bigger wasp nest the moment I presented the puny one 🙂
Thyra Rutter says
Margaret, I thought the same thing.. I imagined in Jamie thinking to herself “Are you kidding me? This little thing? I know where a really big one is!”.. They are so amazing.
JoAnn Lathrop says
Wonderful!! Beautiful! Appreciated!! So very much touches my heart!! Love and hugs to you all…
Diana says
Thank you, JoAnn!
jackie says
Great story!
Diana says
I’m glad you liked it, Jackie!
Karen says
One of my favorite posts ever. I got to know Jamie in a way I hadn’t before. What an interesting, bright and complicated chimp. She is full of surprises and will forever be teaching us lessons
Diana says
Oh wow, considering how long you’ve been following the blog, that’s a big deal. Thank you, Karen. You described Jamie well – interesting, bright, and complicated.
CeeCee says
Jamie seems so smart to me, did she wait until she could show Diana, because she was who interacted with her?
I wonder if someone else had offered her that wasp nest earlier, if she would have waited and showed them?
It sounds to me like she really wanted Diana to know why she refused her gift.??
Kathleen says
I’m with CeeCee, was it Jamie’s relationship with you Diana that made Jamie want to share her knowledge of the hidden nest? Only Jamie knows for sure but she is so intelligent I could see her doing this. (And I am still laughing over your word choice of “puny” to describe what appeared to be such an awesome treat!)
This was the coolest post. Fascinating! I am so happy Jody was able to enjoy her wasp nest with such joy.
Thanks for saving and sharing this days adventure with us Diana. I love these chimps and I feel lucky that your blog posts bring them right into my life and my heart everyday. They blow my mind.
Diana says
It’s true, we’ll never know what Jamie was thinking. I wouldn’t put much past her. Thank you, Kathleen, for being such a loyal reader and commenter! It’s a joy to share the stories with you.
Nancy says
I’m wondering about the nest. If there were larvae in there I assume it was an active nest? If so, where are the adults?
Diana says
My guess is they either they were not at the nest when Jamie knocked it down or they scattered when she did. Her technique for reaching at arms distance to get the nest and waiting to retrieve it until after it fell was a pretty good/safe one!
Wendy leyden says
Thanks so much for this post. I really enjoy posts that show the individual personalities of the chimps. Jamie is awesome. It’s heart warming to know that she now has the opportunity to enjoy both chimp things, like wasp larvae, and human things, like cowboy boots ? thanks to you all!
Diana says
Thank you, Wendy!
joan douglas says
i love this blog, too! and we love you all, chimps & friends! this blog is so sharable & so needed right now, sanctuary & new chances. this was so educational, these beloved sentient beings are amaaaaazing. always. and so are you, thank you all for what you do!!!