Mave can be hot or cold when it comes to playing with the humans. Of course as much as we love to play with the chimps, we love it most when they play with one another as their relationships are the most important to their well-being. But when Mave does choose to play with the humans, like most of us, she has people she seems to prefer (of which I am not usually one), but she’s dignified you know, so at least with me she doesn’t usually let on that she’s really invested in whatever game we might be playing. š But yesterday she bestowed me with a sudden game of chase.
Now Mave also has a very endearing one-size-fits-all habit when she’s excited about something. It might be in greeting Willy B, displaying, or just having fun and playing, but she will repeatedly leap up and down on all fours and kick her legs straight down when she’s in the air. Even when she’s being serious, it’s pretty cute. So as we were playing, she would run to the windows to get me to run outside and chase her from the other side of the windows and when I’d run back inside I could see her shadow going boingity, boing, boing boing, in anticipation of me running back inside, but the second I’d turn the corner to see her she’d just be sitting there as though nothing were going on.
Despite doing her best to pretend she didn’t have the time of day for my shenanigans, at one point she could no longer contain herself and went flying through the front rooms, grabbing a slinky on the way, and just flailed about in a blur of joy:
As a side note, we’ve been marveling at how dark Mave’s face has become after all the sunbathing she’s been doing in the chute lately. Here’s a pre-summertime Mave portrait that J.B. took:
In other news, the original playroom for the seven is getting a facelift and as the humans work over the next few days to update things, the chimpanzees will be spending more time in the other areas of their home (Young’s Hill, the greenhouse and the front rooms). Routine is important for captive chimpanzees, particularly those who have been in biomedical research, so when we have no alternative but to disrupt the norm a bit, we try to think of extra enrichment and exciting things for them to enjoy to help distract them from the temporary changes in their day.
Today began with a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill and as the afternoon warmed up, we served ice cubes (I have no idea why they love these simple things so much, but they sure do) and buckets of Gatorade. Burrito felt the best approach was to just lie next to the buckets and go for the triple straw method:
Foxie joined in:
John Joseph O'Brien says
Hi Burrito. Now if I can just replicate that setup in my apartment. Thank you buddy for the idea.
Linda C says
Oh, I love Mave’s ” senior picture” at the top! My vote for Mave’s second calendar (or the cover of the all-Mave calendar). We’ve heard of this boingity boing before; I hope some day someone is lucky enough to capture that on video! I know, I know, this week, you’ve had your dose of “Mave luck”.
Looking forward to seeing the playroom updated! Is the Boss helping with color selection?
Tobin says
Yes! I noticed that Mave’s beautiful face has picked up some Vitamin D from her tentative excursions into the outside. I hope that her new seasonal look might entice Honey B to want to venture out to Willy B’s sundeck.
Bill says
Gatorade ice cubes?
Linda C says
That’s a good idea! And I have also wondered whether or not the chimps have or would like a snow cone machine!
Katelyn says
Yes, the chimps do have a snow cone machine! They love it! We break it out when we remember to pick up bags of ice and store runs are limited these days (we don’t want to take up our limited space with all the trays it would take to keep full). So for now, bowls of ice cubes seem just as exciting and actually last them longer haha.
Katelyn says
Great idea, Bill!
Kathleen says
Your description of Mave is quite funny. I mean look at her, she nails that nonchalant vibe. So funny. You have to capture her boing boing jump. What a character!
So this is probably a ridiculous question but asking it anyhow…. in early photos when The Seven first arrived, some of the chimps faces were pale but with time became darker (fuller and healthier!). Was Mave’s face pink because she was never exposed to an outside environment and, like The Seven, will her face remain dark? She is beautiful both ways. What I adore about her face is that little freckle dead center on her bottom lip.
What is it about ice cubes?! Dogs love them too. Is ice still Burrito’s favorite treat? Look at him, sipping in comfort and style.
As far as the playrooms face-lift goes, I hope you ran all plans past Jamie or you’re going to hear about it later. I have no idea how you manage a remodel in the middle of a pandemic while being short staffed! You truly amaze me. This skeletal crew moves mountains and we love you for everything you do.
Katelyn says
Hi Kathleen, the girls are funny, both Mave and Honey B have this deadpan way of staring at you, totally flat affect, so you never know what they’re thinking. It’s so great when they suddenly burst into a game. Her boing often arrives at times when I think we’re watching to see what it is in response to, but hopefully we can catch it.
And not a ridiculous question at all! I believe the chimpanzees at WWS all lived/live in outdoor enclosures with shelters, but I’m not sure how much direct sun they had. Now that it’s warmer, we find Mave and Willy B asleep in the chute when we come in in the morning and they both love to nap out there during the day, so she’s getting quite a bit of sunbathing in. I expect her pinky freckles will return somewhat in the winter, but we will have to see I guess haha. Oh, and that wonderful freckle on her lip got darker as well! š For anyone else reading, Honey B loves the chute as well, but she seems to be sensitive to the bright sun and she just loves nesting in the bottom close to the indoor enclosure. She makes big nests there now and often asks to have her meals served out there. š
Burrito does still love ice. In fact, once the snow was gone he started asking for ice cubes before bed. It took us a minute to figure it out, but now it’s more an afternoon request that they all enjoy. They hoot and food grunt and low moan like it’s the most thing ever. It’s a mystery.
The playroom is going to look very different! It’s the same that J.B. and Diana put up in front room 4 – a modern decor. š And we love everything you guys all do as well. š
Nancy says
Iām so happy that Mave is so free spirited more now!??
Katelyn says
Nancy, It’s really a delight getting to know her personality. š
CeeCee says
Wow, that transformation of Mave’s face is really quite something.
Is her hair darker as well? She looks lovely either way š
Katelyn says
Hi CeeCee, it is. š I believe Mave’s hair is the same. The three arrived very healthy. When the seven arrived from biomedical research, they had less hair and of course were very pale, but once their lifestyle changed while being in sanctuary their hair grew back and thickened which made them appear darker in addition to their skin darkening once they had time outdoors.
Judy says
That MAVE! What a gal… love the top photo.. maybe an all-Mave calendar would be possible someday.. she really does the casual pose so well… and how funny that she’s all about the Boingity boing… until you appear… just like playing with many toddlers… “I’m doing it but you don’t know…” and now I’m going to act uninterested… Love the post and pics. Thankyou Katelyn.. and everyone!