I think it is widely known that Burrito is quite the charmer, as you can see in these photos below:
He seems to lack some grace while dismounting the treat rock, but that just adds to his charm:
chimpanzee sanctuary
Fun with Water
Yesterday someone asked whether the chimpanzees like to use water to cool off. The answer, as it often is, is both yes and no. Yes, the chimpanzees do enjoy water, quite a lot in fact! But, no, they don’t really jump in the pool to cool off. Rather than hanging out in water they prefer to use water to cool off in other ways. For example, bottled water can be a fun treat, drinks from the hose are a daily favorite, and ice cubes are a rarer treat but greatly appreciated nevertheless. Water can also be useful, for cleaning faces, or cleaning other things.
Today’s weather forecast called for heat in the ninties with little wind and a lot of humidity. Thanks in part to yesterday’s question I considered filling things up with water to be a great enrichment idea for the day. The chimpanzees appeared to appreciate it as well!
Negra:
Missy:
Jody:
Jamie:
Foxie:
Burrito, however, chose to get his water from the spigot instead!
Nesting, Napping, and Sharing
Today is hot, hot, hot here in Central Washington and the chimpanzees are making the most of the day by relaxing in style. Each chimpanzee has been resting and nesting according to his or her personal preference.
Jamie enjoying the cool, shaded front rooms and, of course, a boot or two:
Negra relaxing in one of her favorite playroom hangouts, the catwalk with a view of the valley:
Jody resting comfortably beside the open barn doors of the playroom with a view to the garden:
Burrito lying on his back in the warmth of the greenhouse:
Foxie lying on her side, also in the greenhouse:
Missy took quite a while to construct the absolute perfect nest for herself in the greenhouse:
And almost immediately upon completion of it, promptly ran off onto Young’s Hill. So, while Missy was off on an adventure, Annie took full advantage of her friend’s skilled nest building.
I Spy
Lisa got some pictures of Burrito spying on her from the greenhouse into where she was standing in the front room area, and again from behind the ladder in the greenhouse. It amazes me how anyone could be quite so charming just by shyly spying on you.
Jamie – Keeping it Interesting
If there is one thing that we have written about more frequently than anything else I think it must be Jamie’s multifaceted personality. Jamie is the boss but she’s also good friend. She takes things seriously but she can also be quite silly when the mood strikes. Sometimes she shares her things and other times she’ll take what she wants from others. She’s a complicated individual. She likes boots, enrichment projects that challenge the mind, and doing things her own way.
Being friends with Jamie Chimpanzee is an intense ride but there is never a dull moment. Jamie keeps everyone on their toes and keeps life at the sanctuary stimulating. I simply can’t imagine the diamond of her mind trapped in the confines of her previous environment and I take every chance I get to provide her with a project. Yesterday that meant that I found more challenging places to hide the playroom lettuce forage. I filled the square building blocks you see in the pictures with lettuce, closed them up tight, and hid them in the playroom. Rather than foraging for the lettuce easily available on the ground Jamie made a beeline for the greater challenge of the blocks.
Today we gave her cleaning supplies so that she could participate in her version of the front room cleaning. I was pleased to see her complete that task with vigor. Although I was unable to get a picture of Jamie cleaning up after us today you can watch video of Jamie’s cleaning style here.
But it’s not always necessary to be on the move with Jamie. Sometimes she appreciates quiet down time with friends too! Grooming is a great social outlet for chimpanzees and, on occasion, the chimpanzees will ask to be groomed by their human caregivers. We are, of course, always happy to oblige a grooming request.
Close ups
Elizabeth caught some great close ups of the chimps recently. Wouldn’t you agree?
Burrito:
Jamie:
Jody:
Negra:
Perspective
It’s hard to get photos of several chimps in one frame out on the hill. Typically they are foraging or exploring on their own or in pairs, but getting four, five, or six chimps in one frame is pretty rare. It seems this morning, JB was able to capture these rare moments when all but Negra were out on the hill checking out a helicopter flying overhead. They had a good perspective from where they were, I think. And since these aren’t close ups of the chimps, it gives you a new perspective as well.
Annie, Missy, Jody, and Foxie:
Foxie, Jamie, Missy, Annie, Jody, and Burrito:
I like this series a lot because both Jamie on ground and Missy (just above Jamie) are climbing up posts simultaneously. (Foxie is up top and Annie is on the bridge).
