Today’s blog is all about enrichment! We are so grateful to the many supporters who helped make it possible for us to purchase new enrichment and craft new food puzzles thanks their generous support during our Comfort and Joy online auction. Some of the donated supplies are still waiting to be turned in to their final form, so stay tuned for a future blog to share more. Today’s video and blog will highlight the newly made giant holey lids courtesy of Tricia M. and new troughs thanks to Kathleen C.!
I love watching the chimps meet a new challenge, and find their own ways to accomplish the task at hand. Some puzzles require a demo by the humans, but most of the time we let the chimps try on their own first. As you’ll see in the video, Honey B has come up with a very different approach to the new troughs. Honey B’s method comes as no surprise, and she accesses the treats in record time!
Below is Lucky showing off her mostly clean trough! We put sugar free strawberry pudding in the bottom, and tossed some pomegranate arils on top which stuck to the pudding, requiring that she use the bamboo stick in her hand (or a different tool) to get the pudding and pomegranate. These troughs are the perfect depth, as the chimps cannot simply use their fingers to reach the bottom, which encourages the use of a tool and engages them with the puzzle for more time. Lucky was the first to master her method, which Willy B and Terry also utilized. Sometimes we put seeds, cereal, or other non-sticky food items in the troughs, which they can access by tipping the trough towards themselves (or using the Honey B method!).
Below is a newly made giant holey lid, ready for it’s first use by the chimpanzees! I cut several holes into the large (brand new) trash can lid, and bolted a frisbee to the middle of the lid. The frisbee can easily be rotated to cover the different holes, thus allowing one chimpanzee to control access to the other holes in the lid. Peanut butter has been smeared on the back of the lid, around each of the holes. I created this with the intention of using it as a social enrichment device with Cy’s group as they continue to undergo their reintroduction. If you’d like to learn more about social enrichment, see here! The below photo is what the puzzle looks like from the chimps’ point of view.
This photo show the back of the puzzle with smeared peanut butter, and is what the humans see after hanging up the puzzle for the chimpanzees.
Willy B was the first to try out the new puzzle today. He quickly figured out how to access the peanut butter, and moved the frisbee slightly. When a conflict started in the group which required Willy B’s attention, Rayne was quick to seize her opportunity and worked on the puzzle for quite a while. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the chimps get to experience this new food puzzle, and hope to see them move the frisbee more intentionally in the future! Thank you again to Tricia M. and Kathleen C. for your generous gifts to the chimpanzees!
They had fun and so did i.
Oh, Beezus!
She reminds me of when I tried to incorporate discussion groups on Canvas into my lit courses…..they’d already created a group chat through text. In other words…”Good luck keeping up with us” :laughing:
I noticed that Willy B did not move away from the puzzle when Cy approached
Congratulations, Lucky. and that Honey B is one smart lady.
Well, talk about lateral thinking, Honey B sure had the smarts gathering up her treats with that stick especially those that landed outside the enclosure! I also loved seeing Willy B’s dexterous fingers working the peanut butter puzzle.You guys are so creative making sure the chimps have fun as well as tasty treats galore. Thanks for sharing another day of frolics and new challenges at CSNW.
Ellen, you’re a genius puzzle maker! Interesting to see how you pulled together all these items that were up for bidding to create these challenging puzzles. I do enjoy watching the way each individual interacts with their enrichment item. (Same goes for watching dogs in the shelter) Willy B, ever so gently circling his finger along the drilled holes, swiping up the peanut butter was a treat for us to watch! Thanks for the quick zoom in.
And then there’s Honey B!!! You’ve got to be kidding me! Was this the very first time she saw this puzzle? Unfortunately, I see the big heavy duty carabiner clips weren’t tested properly by the manufacturers. They needed HB as an official tester. You need the big heavy duty carabiners that screw tightly together. Not saying that will stop HB from accessing them, just thinking the unscrewing will slow her down and increase the enrichment for her.
Enrichment games fascinate me. Thank you, Ellen! I look forward to your Part 2 video in the future. And a big thank you hug for going above and beyond to keep everyone’s brain challenged while offering up lots of fun at the same time.
Enrichment videos are my favourite, it’s amazing to witness both human and chimp creativity, thank you, Ellen! I have a suspicion I wouldn’t be even half as inventive in getting hold of the treats as our cousins are…:frowning: And I wouldn’t be surprised if zoos and places (of certain standard) where animals (of all sorts) are living in captivity employed experts of enrichment with the sole duty of creating a more stimulating environment – animals have been entertaining us for quite a long time, now it’s our turn. (Or would it be frightening for the greater public to realize that animals are actually much more intelligent, versatile and inventive than we thought….?) I can hardly wait to see the sequels of the enrichment video with Rayne The Brain! Thank you, Kathleen and Tricia for the gift!:hugging:
Lucky is a puzzle pro! She’s got perfect technique!
You weren’t lying about Honey B being a pro at undoing carabiners… That girl had it unclipped in seconds. Is she the only one who unclips them? Seems like something Jamie would be able to do quite well…