The day began with thievery. Everyone (with the exception of Negra, who chose to lounge in her post-breakfast nest) headed off together on a patrol of Young’s Hill, eventually spreading out to pursue their own interests. Jody’s interest was foraging for wild dandelion:
She made her way back to the greenhouse and just settled down to enjoy her haul when…
oh no…
Scooping up as much of her dandelion greens as she could while giving the approaching thief the side eye:
The Queen arrived to take her share. One thing (among many) that impresses me about Jody is her determination to hang onto items of food she wants when someone else also wants them, all while trying to avoid any conflict. She’ll start by just politely turning her body away and eating as fast as she can and even if it escalates to the point of someone (usually Jamie) screaming and chasing her, she’ll do her best to leave the area and avoid conflict, but she will *not* give up her food! Granted, this may not be the best move in chimpanzee politics, but nevertheless I admire it and it seems to work for her. In this case, she shoveled as much dandelion in as she could while Negra made off with a handful:
Meanwhile, I spotted Annie and Burrito together on the hill seemingly concerned about something they may or may not have seen in the grass. I braced myself for Annie to start screaming thinking they may have seen a snake, but she just held onto Burrito as they both stared into the grass. Eventually, they both made their way bipedally (and endearingly) uphill toward the safety of the climbing structures where they spent a great while taking in the sights and sounds of a summertime morning:
Missy returning from the perimeter patrol:
And Foxie bringing up the rear:
This guy has been non-stop today. While that’s not unusual these days, what is rather unique is that he’s been non-stop playing with all the girls (as opposed to the humans). As much as we love to play with him, it’s really wonderful to see his relationships with the other chimps blossoming. He started off wresting all morning with Jody, filling the chimp house with their laughter while we cleaned. I stopped to try and get a video and I seriously couldn’t tell where Burrito ended and Jody began. Later he and Negra had a game of wrestling and chase, which means some left hooks when Negra’s involved, but Burrito would just play slap her on the head in return which she seemed to love. Then he moved on to wrestling with both Annie and Missy! He’s currently looking out the playroom window toward the chute, blowing raspberries in an attempt to get Mave to come outside. Mave cannot hear him, and I doubt she’d respond, but he’s endearing in his attempts to catch the attention of the girl next door:
And over on the other side, Willy B was just hanging out in his tub/dinghy on the high seas (which I love so much I can barely stand it):
In other news, Honey B has discovered her ability to choose if she’ll have the humans cleaning her home or not. Though not particularly effective for cleaning, we’re particularly delighted that she’s making her own choices. And as we were saying to one another, she is Missy’s daughter after all. Her mother is infamous for choosing not to leave an area we’d like to clean and having us reroute our human schedule. And of course, that’s just what sanctuary is all about. The chimpanzees, in their time and their way. Just as it should be.
