Food peering can be defined as one chimpanzee staring closely at the other chimpanzee’s face and/or directly at their food. (Also known as “if I stare long enough, maybe that person will share.”) Sometimes this behavior works and a chimp will share, depending on the value of the item and who the chimp is. However, the owner will often keep on eating and decline to share despite having another chimp peering at their the face. This behavior might seem uncomfortable and probably because it would be for us humans. But these guys do not seem to mind most of the time!
Negra was taking her time at breakfast and enjoying her bananas:
Jody had eaten her portion and noticed Negra still had bananas. Naturally, Jody began food peering:
Though Jody was food peering, Negra was not swayed. Negra stayed there and ate her bananas:
At least Jody gave it a try. What is that quote? “You miss 100 of the shots you don’t take.”:
Also bonus photos!
Burrito (pilo) walking on Young’s Hill this morning:
Foxie:
Jody surveying the Hill:
Jody holding her feet:
This one makes me giggle a little bit. I think it explains Jamie well. She has her people (Missy and Annie) grooming as she relaxes:
Oh Jamie….It pays to be Boss 🙂
Our Dogs try the “food Peering” technique every night with us.
you can’t win if you don’t play!
Lol, also known as “Jedi mind tricks”………..”you want to give me some of that bacon…….:”
And the version I always use, especially when shy students gather up the nerve to ask for something they know they probably won’t get is “It never hurts to ask for what you want. You may not get it, but it never hurts to ask.”
Dear Jody: While it is indeed true that the Queen has her royal bananas, nevertheless, “she has no bananas, she has no bananas today…” At least you can take comfort in knowing that you look beautiful food peering, anyway.
Mitigating factor: could it be that Negra has fallen under the sway of the dread Ayn Rand and her heart-warming tome, “The Virtue of Selfishness”?
Terrific comment Tobin…You’re making me crack up…(Seriously, you really have a “way” with words…)
Sometimes the posts are too funny and too cute. I have 2 dogs and they act quite a bit the same as the
chimps and also my grandchildren. Can’t wait to see them.
Sweet Negra, with a banana in each foot, holding her ground against Jody and those eyes. If Jody were food peering over me I’d cave! You can see that Neggie is quite comfortable and satisfied chomping away on her bananas. And speaking of comfortable and satisfied, those two photos of Jamie are just too much! As always, thank you for the photos. It must be a finely honed art to be in the right place at the right time!
of all of the videos you’ve posted, “Sharing” is still one of my favorites……I love seeing Neggie’s bananas between her toes, under the shelter of that belly…….but then again, Negra’s quite a beggar herself, sometimes, and since others share, maybe she should once in a while.
But the best part of that video is when Jody stares down Foxie with her coconut….Foxie finally gives up the bigger half of the coconut, and Jody has this face that almost looks like it *hurts* her to take it………and then she barks her dinosaur food grunts into the coconut shell, and it echoes……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4npgMxdvfc
Wow. I’ve never seen anyone say no to Jamie!
I know, Carla, and I was surprised to see it was the Tiny One! But…….we don’t know who got that coconut in the end……I’m guessing the boss may have stolen it, though it looked like Foxie was going to make a vertical break for it.
Thanks for attaching this video Linda. I don’t remember it. Like Carla René I can’t believe little Foxie blocks Jamie from the precious coconut. And I was surprised to see Jamie sharing her boots. In that scene Jamie has belly that looks much like the belly of Neggie. : )
I’ve thought the same thing, Kathleen……..must be “those boots make her look fat” 😛
Love this post… what a wonderful view into their lives we get every day…. I wanted to add (after commenting on Anthony’s style) that I LOVE all the staff’s posts… each person has their own distinct way of presenting their observations of the 7…. the personalities of each chimp and each person are clear in the wonderful posts you all share with us… Every day I look forward to them!