Foxie frequently rubs her toes together. I don’t think we’ve shared any video of this on the blog before. It is one of Foxie’s many endearing habits.
chimpanzee retirement
Annie and Missy
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:
And sure enough, there was Annie in the doorway, keeping an eye on things:
Tool modification
A few weeks ago, before J.B.’s recent post on tool use, I took several minutes of video of Jamie attempting to get a piece of chow just out of reach in the front rooms. I condensed the video a bit to show the highlights. There are a couple of things that Jamie does in the video that just make her all-around cool as well as demonstrate the intelligence of chimpanzees.
Kids helping chimpanzees
Chimpanzees are lucky to have some very dedicated young people who are speaking out on their behalf. Nine year old Brandon Wood recently sent the Cle Elum Seven a care package all the way from Florida. Not just any care package, though – the most colorful care package we’ve ever received!
Brandon also recently sent a package to our chimpanzee friends at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute and has been raising money for Save the Chimps. It’s inspiring and uplifting to see such dedication and caring in someone so young. Please visit Brandon’s blog to learn more about him and his work to make the world a better place: http://makeachimpsmile.blogspot.com/ and follow him on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Makeachimpsmile. Thanks, Brandon!
Sun!
The chimps were outside bright and early this morning to welcome the return of the sun to Central Washington.
Enrichment
Op-ed in Seattle Times
CSNW’s Executive Director, Sarah Baeckler, along with colleague and friend of the Cle Elum Seven, Debra Durham, just had an op-ed published in the Seattle Times. Please read the guest column, about the Great Ape Protection Act, here. Nice job, Sarah and Debra!