I don’t know very many chimpanzees that will laugh when playing all by themselves.
Time to relax
The weather is getting warmer in Cle Elum and the chimps are starting to spend more and more time out on the hill. Over the winter, the chimps spent most of their time outside running around, playing, and exploring. But with the warmer weather, they are starting to relax a bit more.
Jamie sitting on the end of a climbing structure beam:
Missy:
Missy can only sit still for so long, however. Jackie took this photo of Missy playfully grabbing Annie’s foot:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The chimps enjoyed a St. Patrick’s Day feast this morning. Volunteers Katelyn and Connie brought potatoes, brussels sprouts, and Field Roast grain meat, as well as green fruit & vegetable juice. And while the staff were disappointed to see snow on the ground this morning, the chimps were more than happy to eat it – especially with a little bit of juice poured on top.
Giving Missy a run for her money
There’s no question that Missy gets the most out of Young’s Hill. She has always been very playful and energetic, so we expected her to be in her element out on the hill. But I am still shocked to see Jody running. I think Jody might be a little surprised herself, given the face she makes when she runs!
Contact
Chimpanzees engage in close physical contact for a variety of reasons. They might be seeking reassurance, playfully tickling one another, or quietly grooming. If two chimpanzees haven’t seen each other in a while, they often embrace each other just as we would. But what I love most is seeing chimpanzees hug, kiss, or hold hands out of sheer joy or celebration. For the Cle Elum Seven, just being on Young’s Hill is still reason enough to celebrate
Jamie encounters Foxie on the hill and puts her arm around her friend:
Foxie responds by giving Jamie a “soft bite” on her back (this is a friendly behavior):
Foxie and Jamie run off with big smiles on their faces:
Later, Jamie walked by Jody, who was eating grass near the bamboo. Jamie stops and gives Jody and quick kiss:
Chimpanzee kisses are slightly different than human kisses. A chimp kiss usually involves a soft bite, often with the lips covering the teeth, and some breathy panting. When Jody moved to a different bamboo grove, she received a kiss on the arm from Foxie:
A dominant male chimpanzee usually accepts submissive greetings from subordinates like a king is greeted by a commoner. The subordinates are made (or choose?) to grovel, and the dominant male acts like he is being generous by allowing the subordinate to be in his presence. Burrito, however, is not dominant, and he lacks some rudimentary chimpanzee social skills. Rather than submit to the females or accept their submission, he usually closes his eyes and acts like he doesn’t even see them when they approach him. But sometimes Jamie won’t let him get away with that, and in this case she ran after him and grabbed his feet. While foot-grabbing is usually an invitation to play, in this case Jamie seemed to be forcing Burrito to simply acknowledge her friendly greeting.
Sometimes greetings are preceded by a lengthy introduction. Jody often greets Burrito in this manner – there is a lot of pant grunting and bobbing (bouncing up and down on all fours), and in Jody’s case even some soft pant-hooting, before the two ever make contact. In this clip, Annie waits for Foxie to approach and gives her an extended greeting:
Missy & Annie
Mornings at the chimp house are pretty predictable. Burrito likes to start out the day with a long and loud display. Jody likes to camp out by the window to the kitchen so she can watch the caregivers prepare the morning smoothie. And Negra stays in her bed, under the covers, as long as she can without missing breakfast.
Missy and Annie, on the other hand, like to begin the day by playing.
Room to run
Watching Missy run uphill amazes me. I’m not sure how it looks on video, but the volunteers that helped build the enclosure can tell you that just walking up that hill will wear you out. It’s just another sign of the chimps’ inherent strength, and their desire to experience the simple joys in life.
