Brief description: A variety of treats can be placed in the bristles of each brush, then the brushes are hung inside the caging using locks. The chimpanzees use their fingers or tools to retrieve the treats. These could be hung outside the caging as well for increased difficulty.
Materials: Brush head, chain, bolts, washers, lock nuts, and firehose if desired to cover the chain. We used 1/4″ x 1.5″ hex bolts, flat washers, and hex lock nuts.
Tools needed to create the device: drill, 1/4″ drill bit, ratchet wrench, socket wrench
Assembly instructions: Mark two spots where you will drill holes into the brush head, on either end of the brush. It is easiest to drill from the top side without the bristles. When determining the placement of your holes, try to place them where they will not go through a pocket of bristles on the other side, as you then have to pull the remaining loose bristles out. Drill each hole as marked. Cut 2 lengths of chain to your desired length. Having 2 chains allows you to secure it more tightly to the caging than just 1, or to attach the brush around larger objects (like a pole inside the enclosure). Insert 1 bolt with a washer into the end of one of the lengths of chain, and then insert through the top of the brush head into one of the pre-drilled holes. And a lock nut to the end of the bolt and tighten using your ratchet wrench and socket wrench. Repeat this process for the other hole.
How to use: Insert/smear treats on or in the bristles of each brush. Some of our favorites to use are mashed banana, peanut butter, raspberries, and blueberries. The easiest for the chimps to retrieve are nuts like peanuts or bigger nuts in the shell like hazelnuts. Smaller seeds like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds do not stay in the bristles well.
Price: ~$20 per hanging brush
