A recent visitor to the sanctuary wore a pair of boots that really caught Jamie’s eye, so you can imagine how excited we all were when those very boots were included in a care package that arrived earlier this week. As is Jamie’s preference, we started by modeling them and she was instantly enamored. Did she remember them? I would bet money on it. She seems to have a photographic memory when it comes to boots.
boots
The New Boot Ritual
Jamie received a new pair of boots from our wish list this afternoon. She has a specific series of rituals that must be followed when she receives a new pair of boots. First, one of the staff or volunteers must wear the boot and join Jamie on a walk around the hill. After returning, Jamie expects the boot wearer to meet her in the greenhouse for a grooming session.
Jamie begins by inspecting the boots carefully.
She encourages the caregivers to show her all of the features of the new boot, such as Velcro or zippers.
Then she begins to groom the boot with a tool – in this case, a wooden chopstick given out earlier as part of a food puzzle.
Eventually Jamie will ask to groom the caregiver herself, pointing and gesturing toward specific areas she wants to groom. Sometimes it’s a freckle, other times it’s a scab or hangnail. She also likes to untie our shoelaces with her grooming tool. Her dexterity is incredible, even when she’s holding the tool with the very tips of her fingers.
With a brand new pair of boots, Jamie will often insist on being given them immediately after the grooming session is finished. With boots that she’s had for a while, she will typically ask for them back when the staff are doing their closing rounds. But you can only give them back to her when she’s ready. If you drop them in the chute too early, she will take them out and throw them back to you (or rather, at you) from an opening high up on the playroom caging. When she is truly ready to receive them, she will wait by the chute and issue a low moan of contentment as they are dropped in. Eventually she will make her nest for the night include them or even use them as a pillow. Only then can you close up for the night, knowing that Jamie is satisfied.
Jamie and the Tumbleweed
Sometimes the chimpanzees do something we’ve never seen before. Once in a while we are able to capture it on video!
Ritual
Over the years, Jamie has continued to develop the ritual around her walks with staff and volunteers. These days, it goes something like this: First, Jamie selects a boot for the human to wear. Next, they walk around the hill together (on opposite sides of the fence, of course). When the walks are done, they reconvene in the greenhouse area, where Jamie grooms the caregiver and the boot. And finally, later that night, she will ask for the boot back before settling into her nest.
In anticipation of the grooming part of the ritual, Jamie will often grab a suitable tool during the walk and bring it back with her into the greenhouse. Today, Jamie grabbed a large tumbleweed that had blown against the fence and later used it to groom volunteer Patti and her boots.
Bonus Foxie photos:
Saturday Lounging
Today was the kind of day to kick your feet up…
Annie:
take in the wonder of your surroundings…
Missy:
share a moment with a friend in the sun…
Missy & Annie grooming:
enjoy what nature has to offer…
Burrito eating snow:
settle in with a good book…
Jamie and a new boot book:
and take some trolls for a walk.
Foxie with a troll scarf:
Happy Saturday from the chimpanzees!
Jamie's nest
It’s been very quiet here today. Freezing rain has left everything coated in a thick layer of ice, making it nearly impossible to travel to or from the sanctuary.
Jamie didn’t seem too upset by the fact that her two-acre habitat had frozen over. In fact, she seemed to relish the opportunity to stay inside, make a cozy nest with blankets, giant stuffed animals, and her favorite boots, and leisurely flip through a new book about primates.
Christmas Party #1 in Honor of Nancy Hedlund
Molly Adrian is the second sponsor of today’s day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees! She is honoring her mother, Nancy Hedlund and shared this message:
“Christmas Day – my mom would love nothing more than to gift a day of happiness and nourishment for these beautiful chimpanzees. Merry Christmas!!”
Happiness and nourishment abound today!
Here is a little preview of their Christmas so far, with more to come, of course!
This photo pretty much sums up Christmas for Jamie. We’ve been talking about how she is the consummate consumer – she loves things! The more, the better. Her friends really came through for her and the other chimps today and sent an abundance of gifts and decorations for the party. So many, that we’ll be having a second party later this afternoon! Here is Jamie looking through one of her new boot books:
If you’ve been following the blog for a bit, you know that food is the biggest source of excitement for Burrito. So, he’s pretty much beside himself when the holidays roll around:
We’ve got a third sponsor-a-day coming up, and we’re working on the video of Party #1 right now. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!