Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimp

Annie and Missy

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Annie and Missy have such a strange relationship. They are nearly inseparable, but when Missy decides to groom or play with someone else, Annie appears to be jealous. Its very predictable – if you see Missy playing with another chimpanzee, you can bet that Annie is watching her every move from a distance. Sometimes Annie will sit back on her butt and tap her heels on the floor, which is a behavior she often displays when she is anxious. And while Missy likes to interact with the other chimps, Annie mostly keeps to herself when Missy is not around.

Today I was taking photos of Missy and Jamie grooming and playing together outside:

Jamie Missy groom platform OA resized_MG_5374

Jamie Missy play blanket brachiate OA resized_MG_5382

And sure enough, there was Annie in the doorway, keeping an eye on things:

Annie doorway to OA resized_MG_5368

Tool use

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Chimpanzees are famous for their ability to use tools, but some individuals are more skilled than others. We know that human talent is a combination of genetics, early life experience, and practice, and the same is true with chimpanzees, I believe.

Jamie loves using tools. She could spend all day working on a project. I don’t think she’s as interested in the end result as she is in the process. Sometimes, when we are serving food, we accidentally drop a few pieces on the floor outside the enclosure. Jamie will spend the rest of the mealtime working to get those pieces, even though her caregivers are still giving out food.

Burrito, on the other hand, is just not a tool user. He has very limited patience, and he doesn’t seem to get that same flash of insight that spurs chimpanzees like Jamie to go fetch an appropriate tool. This doesn’t necessarily mean he is less intelligent. Most of the time, begging humans for help works just fine. But it does give you an idea why Burrito is not the alpha that he would like to be – Jamie is always one step ahead of him!

Why it’s called enrichment

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Foxie loves troll dolls and seems to always be thinking  of new things to do with them. The video below shows her playing with me this morning. Clearly, the term “enrichment” applies to troll dolls – they certainly do enrich Foxie’s life (and mine as a result).

Foxie and her troll dolls from Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest on Vimeo.

All About Burrito

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Here’s a video all about Burrito in celebration of his 27th birthday which is on January 6th. Please share with others!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Burrito by being his Chimpanzee Pal and overall friend.

Happy 2010 everyone!

I’m trying out Vimeo (video below). The video is also on You Tube.

All About Burrito at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest from Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest on Vimeo.

Party in the evening

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A few photos of the dinner fun. The Tofurky dinner was a big hit, and of course, everyone loves cranberry sauce. Oh! And shots of punch (see Negra in the third photo below). A day full of food grunting!