Grooming is a standard activity here at the sanctuary. Usually, the chimpanzees groom one another. Some of the chimps enjoy being groomed by their caregivers. Jamie, though, likes to be the one doing the grooming. For safety reasons, the chimps don’t have the same level of physical access to their caregivers as they do to one another, so when Jamie wants to groom a caregiver she grabs a tool.
Jamie is fascinated by humans and often uses her tool to explore as much of us as she can. She removes dirt from the bottom of our shoes, checks our fingernails, and tries to remove buttons from our clothes or undo zippers or velcro. She pays special attention to any wounds, scars, or tattoos.
Fascinating, her lip, mouth movements are like she’s using them or her fingers. I love her focus and intent!
I would love to be groomed by the beautiful Jamie!
She was really concentrating on her grooming session, such busy lips (can’t remember the name of that behavior?). It must be such a privilege to be groomed by Jamie or any of the Cle Elum Seven.
2 questions:
1. Whose blowing the raspberries in the background?! : ) Had me giggling.
2. I see you have placed Jamie’s new favorite purple-passion boots outside the caging. Knowing Jamie is clever, did she ever maneuver those boots into her enclosed area? Looks oh so tempting!! (I am assuming they can fit under the wire mesh?)
Hi Kathleen!
1. I think that was Foxie. If I remember correctly, she was in her own grooming session with one of the other chimps.
2. The boots don’t quite fit through or under the caging, though Jamie has tried. 🙂 When she’s ready to have the boots, she gestures to us and we drop them to her through a chute inside the building.