A New Throne

Followers who have been reading the blog for a little while may remember the Comfort & Joy Auction from last fall. The items bidders made for the chimpanzees were then highlighted throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas series. Though we covered some, we did not cover all of the items. Mostly because some items took a little longer to get. Well, today were were *finally* able to give the California chimpanzees another one of the items from that auction. Today, Honey B was able to finally get her chair! But before we get to the photos of Honey B using the chair:

Sending a special thank you to

Diane Mattis

Thank you so much for bidding on this item. Honey B wasted no time utilizing it. Every time I went back to their side of the building to get photos her using it, the chimpanzees would stop what they were doing. I was able to get some not so great photos though. It’s the context that counts, right?

Honey B was the first to claim her new seat

When I first found her, she was surrounded by others grooming her on her new throne

As you can see, in one photo, Lucky left when I was trying to get a photo, and Terry left when I tried from a different angle. Hopefully you get the idea though. All three of them (Rayne is also included) were grooming Honey B as she sat atop her throne.

As Honey B was taking in the ambience the new chair brought to Marmot Mountain Playroom, their neighbors were busy enjoying Spring.

One of my favorite things about Spring, and my indication that it is spring, is when the Pacific Bleeding Heart flowers begin to bloom.

This plant lives right outside the door that leads to their front rooms. But there was no time to admire the flowers, or so I was told.

It was time to go around Young’s Hill.

Luckily for me, about half way through our walk/run, Burrito got distracted by some morning Spring grass. Unluckily for me (but actually luckily for me), Missy picked up where he left off.

Missy is a chimp’s chimp. She will choose her family 99.9999999999999% of the time over dealing with the humans. In my case, she usually gives me one or two good acknowledgments a year. But unlike some of my colleagues, my interactions have never been grooming with her or playing tug-o-war. It has always been running around the hill. As you may have guessed, I lose every single time.

When we reached the very top of Young’s Hill, Missy took a break and sat in the shade to lookout upon her home.

When the break was over, it was time for a quick snack of fresh Spring grass.

Not far behind Missy was her best friend, Annie.

And Burrito came around shortly after.

A little later on, they all enjoyed a nice breezy lunch forage. Though she spent some time in her cabin eating the goods she found in it, Negra ultimately decided to grab some last minute picks and take it back to the Greenhouse.

This nice sustained Spring weather has been amazing so far. We hope you are all enjoying the weather wherever you may be as well.

Bonus Photos

Rayne in relaxation mode

Jamie doing her first patrol of the morning

Missy with a lilac bounty she collected from Young’s Hill the other day in honor of Jody

Mave, Dora, and Honey B having a nice lunch together in the outdoor chute during their watermelon bowl forage yesterday