As many of you probably already know, Negra hasn’t been going out on Young’s Hill much since last fall. Obviously, we cannot ever truly get inside of the chimps’ heads, and I’m sure Negra’s lack of interest in the hill is due to many different factors. I imagine 35 years in a small laboratory cage would make 2 acres seem extremely intimidating (it is intimidating!) plus we know she isn’t much of a fan of cold weather, so lately she has preferred to hang out in front of the chimp-proof glass windows in the Playroom with a blanket over her head (who can blame her when it’s that cold really?). But with the warmer weather and the vibrant fresh grass, she’s found just enough motivation to get herself out there, even if just for a minute.
animal rescue
Lounging with trolls
Delicate Jamie
Sometimes Jamie can be quite destructive, with her great displays that show her domination, and her investigations of enrichment. So in contrast, I really love how delicate she looks with this small cherry tomato in these pictures from the other day. (I also really love the amazingly vibrant green grass in the background!)
Lazy Play
Annie and Missy love to play, whether it be rough-and-tumble wrestling, or like today—playing at the same time as resting. Annie certainly didn’t want Missy to go to sleep, and really, who’s to say you can’t play and lay down at the same time?
Grass underfoot
Annie on Mt. St. Helens
As mentioned on the blog before, the folks that created the treat rock on Young’s Hill had some concrete left over, so they made a little replica of Mt. St. Helens. Foxie and Jody have both explored around the replica, but it also seems to be a nice little perch. Here’s a picture taken the other day of Annie sitting on top of the mountain:
Foxie and troll bellies
Foxie likes to not only rub her trolls on her own belly (and other dolls like Dora or a stuffed animal with JB’s face on it), but she also likes to gently rub their bellies with her thumb. This is just a picture so you can’t really see the action, but even with the troll upside down she’s still rubbing its belly.