J.B. and I were the first humans in the chimp house this morning. Before greeting the chimpanzees, I was washing my hands at the kitchen sink and looking out the window that connects to the chimp area when I spotted a stuffed animal being tossed up into the air playfully by a chimpanzee lying on the catwalk.
J.B. walked in the kitchen and I pointed out the quiet play that was going on. We both stood there watching with smiles on our faces and almost simultaneously said, “wait, is that Jamie?!”
You might know that Jamie is a pretty serious boss lady, rarely letting her hair down, so to speak. But there she was, using her feet and hands to bounce and toss around a stuffed animal.
Soon enough, she looked toward the window, noticed us noticing her, and immediately stopped her private game.
Later, when I was cleaning the playroom, I found the stuffed animal that she had been playing with so secretively. See the photo below of the donated stuffed lion. I can see how this piece of enrichment brought out the kid in stoic Jamie.
Enrichment comes in many forms, and it takes a lot to keep busy minds like Jamie’s amused. Enrichment is the antidote to boredom.
That’s why we have a whole database dedicated to sharing and gathering enrichment ideas. We’re always looking for new ways to help chimpanzees at CSNW keep busy and entertained, and we want to help other chimpanzees in captivity living in other facilities by sharing tried and true enrichment.
This time of year, we have a lot of enrichment that is centered around snow. It amazes me how much the chimpanzees love snow! It doesn’t have to be fancy or sweetened, though sometimes we do add treats or flavoring of various kinds. We really don’t have to add anything, though, because they never tire of just plain, pure snow.
After the playroom was cleaned, volunteers Robin and Kiana braved life and limb to harvest some icicles that had formed on the eaves of the chimp house and they created this masterpiece, which everyone enjoyed thoroughly:
Anything novel can be enriching, even if entertaining the chimpanzees was not the original intention. Taking a break from the snow and icicles, Jamie found a new way to amuse herself.
The official name for the Foot Box / Troll Cubby might still be in development. Jamie decided it was the perfect place to store her wooden saw after attempting to saw open the box.
Moving over to the other part of the building, we have another busy mind in need of activity and amusement: Honey B
When we began designing the expansion to the chimp building, we decided to include bars in the mezzanine area, similar to what is in the greenhouse, instead of having a solid, flat ceiling. It was a bit of a challenge to figure out how to do this within an indoor space with the need for insulation and lights above. This challenge was laid all on J.B. to work out with builders.
When Honey B, Willy B, and Mave first moved here, they didn’t use the overhead bars and I felt a bit dejected, partly because I had been such a huge advocate for this design, even though I wasn’t the one who had to engineer it. After all of the hard work that J.B. put into figuring out how to make it work and the considerable extra expense that went into including this feature, the chimpanzees just mostly remained on the floor.
I should have known it would just take some time.
It’s possible that the primate who appreciates the overhead bars even more than Honey B is caregiver Anthony. Here’s something to know about Anthony – he loves hanging fire hose for chimpanzees. And for good reason! Fire hose makes a space more interesting and dynamic, allowing the chimpanzees to move from one area to another (watch this old video or this one), or rest in between.
Speaking of resting, the chimpanzees even incorporate enrichment into their slumbering. Blankets at the sanctuary are a big deal.
Each chimpanzee has a unique style of nesting. Honey B, for example, starts with a base of blankets laid around her. Once settled, she often pulls one blanket over her legs up to her midsection, like a sleeping bag or a burrito. We’re just waiting for her to do that with one of the round tortilla blankets that a donor recently sent. Tonight, however, she used the tortilla blanket under her head.
Tomorrow will be another day full of enrichment. Sweet dreams!
Methinks that you have the works of a wonderful art installation: photos of items (or chimps) in the Wazzit Box.
Methinks that you have the works of a wonderful art installation: photos of items (or chimps) in the Whatsit Box.
Oh, now that’s a good idea!
Oh to have seen Jamie tossing her lion toy about, I always think what fun it would be to be a fly on the wall in the chimp house. New extension name for the new box : Foot Box / Troll Cubby / Tool Box. In the second link to the old video, I totally cracked up over Jamie’s shoulder-sling attire. What the heck is she wearing?! lol. And I loved hearing about Honey B and her style of nesting, she looks so comfy in her custom nest, all that swinging on the ceiling bars and firehose swings must have tired her out.
Yes, Sweet Dreams dear friends. XOXO
Lol, if there had been a photo as evidence, the caption would have been “oh. Hey. You’re here early”.
Jamie’s Chimp Chatter: “What toy”…”I don’t have a lion toy”…”I’m more dignified than that”…”I don’t know what you & JB are giggling about”…
JB & Diane: “awwwJamie, just because you’re the resident self-imposed Boss Lady doesn’t mean we don’t also recognize that you’re such a playful & lovable Lady with such a joie de vivre fashion sense
I think Jamie was wearing a floral infinity scarf in her own unique way :).
Since October 2019 I’m addicted to your posts. I’m Dutch, living in Amsterdam and very much interested in chimps since I read Jane Goodall’s first book some fifty years ago. I love all members of your family, but Jamie most. Showing my husband the post where Jamie uses the fire hose (April 21) he asked me: do the chimps know their name (the name they were given by the humans). and I said: of course they do. Our dog knows his name, so why should’nt a chimp? I wish you all the very best.
Look up “csnw Joey helping out” on YouTube and show him! 🙂
Hello Marguerite! Thank you for following! The chimpanzees definitely do know their names and nicknames, though when they choose to pay attention to the humans is up to them :). Showing that video is a good idea, Linda! Here’s a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylFaccSjhho
Regarding Jamie suddenly stopping her play. It reminded me of something I noticed about Charlie who was at the Oregon Zoo. I was behind the scenes when Charlie had finished his afternoon snack. He retired to his bench and sprawled out. I suddenly realized that he never took that position in public. When he was visible to visitors, he only sat in a very dignified manner. Apparently, it was only when he was “off duty” that he would allow himself to be less formal.
Thanks for your story, Gerry. That really did make me laugh out loud!
A friendly Hello Gerry…Thanks for your fun story & observations about Charlie…It’s sure making me laugh & only fuels my lifetime fascination of all Great Apes…Particularly Chimpanzees…
That’s so interesting!
Whoever donated that lion toy Jamie was playing with must be THRILLED to see it captured the attention and delight of Jamie who thinks she’s too grown up for toys. Loved this post, Diana.
Thank you, Elaine!
Great post and photos.. love the old videos. One more commonality between chimps and humans – don’t we all abandon our facade to do things when do not is watching? ” Dance as if no one was watching “.. or sing… or toss your cool, floppy lion stuffed toy. 🙂
Diana, hope you had a good Sunday! A question…in the pic where Missy is waiting for a stab at the icicles, is that blue thing a primate rocker? I’ve wondered before if they had one/would use one (particularly a certain Tiny One who likes to spin!)
I did have a good Sunday! It’s some sort of swing, but not an official “prima rocker”. We’ve had it for a while, and I’ve never seen anyone actually sit in it. I have seen it tossed about, and Jamie has used it to collect food during a forage. It works great for staff to collect snow in to add to the snow table too!
Ah, I see! I’d never seen Jamie use items to collect forage, so am surprised!