It has been one year and one week since Mave, Honey B, and Willy B arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Since their arrival, we have introduced them to the nightly routine of evening enrichment puzzles. Talking to some of the other staff members, when the Three first arrived, they would have this look of confusion on their face when they received something AFTER their dinner.
The Evening Enrichment Puzzles are a way for the chimpanzees exercise their cognitive abilities while also receiving a food reward. Puzzles could also be seen as a means to try to alleviate boredom. The key to an enrichment problem is to not make them so easy, there is no challenge in completing them. It also means not to make them so difficult, they get frustrated and quit. There is a balance to be made when developing an enrichment food puzzle.
Now that the Three have been here for a year, they are used to (and sometimes anticipating) their evening puzzles. Here are some photos over the past several months of them engaged in their evening food puzzles:
Honey B cleverly found a new way to complete the PVC Tubes.
Mave decided to forego using her chopstick for the Dipper Tubes and just use her fingers.
Willy B searches for more raisins in his Raisin Board.
Mave searches for more hidden treats inside her Firehose Cube.
Honey B trying to find the sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a peanut butter Pine Cone.
Mave tries to fish out nuts from a Kong.
In the video, the Three interact with a puzzle called Frisbee Puzzles (or Hanging Frisbees). We realized after their party last week, that may have been the first time they received this puzzle. After it seemed they really enjoyed them last week, we decided to bump them up in the rotation and make the puzzles for them again today.
you guys must go through a looooot of peanut butter!
How fantastic the Californians now anticipate their nightly enrichment games. Sweet video. After their initial food grunts it became so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Oh so heartwarming to see all three having such fun fishing for peanut butter. And thanks for all the bonus photos! How fortunate Willy B, Mave, and Honey B came to live with you. I will heave a massive sigh of relief when all the remaining chimps at WW find their well deserved place in a sanctuary home. (hoot three times) There’s no place like sanctuary.
the comments on YT are turned off, btw
Happy Anniversary to Gorgeous Mave, Honey B and Willy B! They are being well cared for in their forever home, and thank your whole team for all of your hard work. Be well and stay safe,
Much love, admiration and respect,
Caroline
I’m betting I’m not the only one, & I can’t explain “why,” but I always get a BIG kick out of watching the chimps licking & using their fingers…It never fails to amaze me watching them using their hands & feet…& with such dexterity…
In case you could use a little grin…Look at the bottom ( R ) side of Miss Mave’s firehose “picnic basket”….It looks like a human hand to me… (albeit with arthritis…HaHaHa) …Or meant as an early, spooky Halloween visual “trick”??? : ) (Yes,I do have an overactive imagination… HaHa)
I love the Frisbee challenge… : )
hi Debi! Looks like a troll head peeking out, lol!
Hope you are having a good week!