Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Lisa

Let’s Talk Body Language

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You may be aware by now that Jamie can be a pretty exacting boss. She knows just what she wants AND when she wants it. For example, as I type she insists that I should, instead, be taking a walk with her while wearing a cowboy boot. Right. Now. Seriously, NOW. Often people will ask about her specific requests (like wearing a boot while walking around Young’s Hill) “But how do you know that’s what she wants?”

The simple answer is she tells us. Chimpanzees rely heavily on the use of non-verbal communication to get their point across. Gestures such as foot stomping, play bowing, pointing, arm reaches, and hugs & kisses (just to name a few) are all part of the daily vocabulary of chimpanzee life. Additionally, facial expressions, body postures, and vocalizations all provide a potential social partner (whether chimpanzee or human) with important information to help understand the context for interactions. Sometimes those cues can be subtle and sometimes not. Often behaviors can be used in multiple settings (play and aggression, for instance) so it’s vital to make sure we’re paying attention to the full picture painted by someone’s body language.

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As I mentioned, Jamie is insistent about that walk. How do I know? She’s stomping her foot loudly and repeatedly while gesturing frantically towards the bin that holds her boots. If I pick one out and bring it to her (which I promised to do just as soon as I finish!) she will tell me to put it on by staring at my foot then gesturing to the boot and then my foot again. She usually won’t take off running for Young’s Hill until I have it on my foot. Then she’ll run faster than Forrest Gump for the entrance to Young’s Hill pausing every so often to to look back, make eye contact, and make sure I’m following along. For me, the question is not how I know, but how could I possibly not? The chimpanzees communicate their wants and emotional states as clearly as if they were speaking. In fact, I often wonder if life wouldn’t be less complicated without the use of spoken language confusing the matter at hand!

Be here now

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The most invaluable lesson I think I have learned from working with chimpanzees is this: what matters is this moment, right now. The Cle Elum 7 had already lived so very many different lives before coming here to sanctuary and so much of that history is unthinkable, unconscionable to my mind. Not only have they survived difficult lives but they have also thrived beyond my imagination. Rather than languishing over the dark years of the past they enjoy the gift of freedom of today. I believe this is one of the reasons they, and so many other chimpanzees in captivity, can experience such a transformation under the right care. My hope is that all great apes in captivity will know such care. I consider it an honor to be a part of this moment. Thank you to everyone who makes it possible for us to be here now.

Negra and Jody foraging for breakfast on Young’s Hill this morning:
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Jody on her own on the hill:
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Negra on the hill:
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Burrito enjoying his breakfast beside Negra’s cabin:
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The Rainy Day

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The weather has been volatile today as you can see by the clouds menacing the sanctuary with the promise of rain.

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What better way to spend a rainy, blustery Sunday than curled up in a nest with some of your favorite things? I certainly can’t argue with that!

Annie nesting in the greenhouse:
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Missy in a nest on the catwalk in the playroom:
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Jamie inside with her boots:
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Jody peeking out from a nest on the catwalk:
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Negra from underneath the blankets:
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And while I personally would prefer the nap, I have it on good authority that although rain is threatening, that’s no reason to cancel a perfectly good walk around Young’s Hill!

Engaging the mind, body, and spirit

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One of the most challenging and rewarding responsibilities of care-giving for chimpanzees in captivity is, I think, coming up with activities and enrichment ideas that are engaging and satisfactory for the chimpanzee mind. Keeping them busy is a full-time job (just ask enrichment coordinator and caregiver, Debbie). Luckily we don’t have to come up with ideas in the dark. Each chimpanzee has individual inclinations about how to spend their days in sanctuary and, as I come to know them better, I can accommodate those preferences more easily.

As you may be aware by now, Jamie does like to create art. But Jamie’s not just an artist. Her mind is so active that she comes up with a myriad of ways to entertain herself. In particular, Jamie is often actively engaged in her environment. She will take the time to inspect any and every new or unusual thing in and around her home. If there is something different at the sanctuary, Jamie will know and make sure it’s been thoroughly investigated and properly dealt with (if necessary). There is a lot of work that goes into being the boss! Good thing she gets the time to relax and create art in between all her other responsibilities.

If you’d like a quick and easy way to help enrich the chimpanzees make sure you’ve voted for Jamie’s artwork in the chimpanzee-only art contest sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.

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In the meantime, check Jamie out as she checks out the world around her.

Jamie & Missy spying on the neighbors (as previously seen on our Facebook page):
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Jamie inspects the camera mount on Young’s Hill:
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Jamie inspects the donors’ sign on Negra’s cabin:
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Jamie checks the grass on Young’s Hill:
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15 minutes of paint

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Thank you again to Lindsay Zager’s parents who sponsored today in honor of her birthday. Jamie really got into the spirit of things by spending some time making the artwork we provided today her own.

We painted a mountain-scape on the window between the greenhouse and the playroom and, as soon she was able to, Jamie inspected our work.

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She also made some personal edits.

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And, here is my nod to Lindsay’s day, an Andy Warhol-esqe version of Jamie and the artwork. Happy Birthday, Lindsay!!

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Mirroring Fun

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Recently we posted about Burrito’s love of food. It is true that Burrito brings a certain enthusiasm to each meal but I would say that this is just as true of many of the activities that Burrito engages in. Burrito brings a level of energy and vivacity to play as much as, if not more so than, he does to the dinner table.

It was a quiet afternoon here at the sanctuary and a few caregivers spent quality time enriching the lives of the chimpanzees as creatively as they could manage. In this video you’ll see me playing with Burrito and may notice I have a fairly distinct tendency to employ “mirroring” behaviors. Mirroring, mimicking your social partner in language and behavior, often occurs subconsciously during interactions. The next time you’re interacting with someone see if you can catch yourself in a mirroring moment. I find it can be fascinating to observe! Also, it seems to work out pretty well when entertaining chimpanzee friends.

Jamie’s not-so-serious pants

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There are some people who are simply intense, even their resting face is intimidating to the uninitiated! Their approach to life and every experience in it can seem so serious that it’s hard to imagine them ever being a kid. If you asked my husband, that’s a fairly accurate description of me. If you asked me I’d say it’s a fairly accurate description of both Jamie chimpanzee and me. I do love Jamie’s serious face. Isn’t it intense?

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But I also know that, just like me, Jamie doesn’t always wear her serious pants. We’ve often posted about Foxie’s ability to draw out Jamie’s silly side but, really, she can be silly all on her own when she chooses. Today, during cleaning, Jamie initiated an exuberant game of chase, roll, repeat with me and I was happy to oblige. Taking Jamie on her own terms allows her to express her complex character completely and I’m so thankful to provide her that opportunity, especially when it involves laughter!

Here’s photo evidence of Jamie with a not-so-serious face. You may notice that the only photo evidence I could find of Jamie with a playface was in the company of Foxie!

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