We often refer to one of the chimpanzees “asking” us for something – Jamie frequently asks us for a cowgirl boot, Foxie for a troll doll, etc. Luckily for us, the absence of speech does not always impede communication. The chimps have a wide array of behaviors they use to get our attention: foot stomps, head slaps, claps, raspberry sounds, and head nods, to name a few. Jamie is a stomper, while Foxie and Missy usually employ a vigorous head nod when they want something.
In this video, taken right after the chimps were given access to the freshly cleaned playroom, Foxie spies an unclaimed Brazil nut. She’s hesitant to grab it since boss Jamie is sitting nearby, so she makes sure to “ask” Jamie’s permission first.
A lot of nodding going on there. Foxie and her troll dolls. I just love it!
That’s to funny. As soon as she had it, she slid away very quietly. (We’ve all done that many times when we’d snag something we didn’t want Mom or Dad to see!) Clever girl. Just like a stealth plane!
Fascinating to watch Foxie’s expressions.
Okay, that was completely hilarious!! I loved how she gently slipped it into her mouth, kept her head down to keep the nut out of sight, continued to pick up troll dolls as if that’s all she’d been picking up, and then quickly turned around and slithered away to enjoy that Brazil nut all to herself. Genius I must say!!
She is so precious!! And smart!!
What a slick little cutie pie! I’m glad the Alpha wasn’t paying attention, she would of insisted on stealing it, I’m sure of it. Finders keepers 🙂