Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum 7

Forages All Day

by

Each day there is a theme for the enrichment we give the chimpanzees. Having a daily theme helps to ensure that the chimpanzees do not receive the same items each day and also helps keeps life for them interesting. We always try to include favorites, such as boots and troll dolls, and of course they receive many fresh blankets each day so they can make cozy nests. In addition to these staple items we might wrap their toys in blankets for them to unwrap or decorate the floor with chalk art. Today the theme is “forage all day,” so the chimpanzees started their day with a breakfast forage in the greenhouse!

Annie (left) and Foxie (right):

web_annie_foxie_forage_tire_sit_GH_WE_IMG_6232

Jamie (center) found an orange slice hidden in the hanging tire (Annie to her left, Foxie to her right):

web_jamie_annie_foxie_blanket_tire_forage_stand_GH_WE_IMG_6237

web_jamie_annie_foxie_stand_forage_tire_GH_WE_IMG_6239

web_jamie_annie_foxie_forage_orange_tire_stand_GH_WE_IMG_6240

Missy:

web_missy_forage_platform_orange_GH_WE_IMG_6255

web_missy_forage_orange_platform_GH_WE_IMG_6258

Negra:

web_negra_sit_eat_forage_orange_GH_WE_IMG_6244

Jody:

web_jody_forage_platform_GH_WE_IMG_6207

Burrito:

web_burrito_eat_forage_sit_GH_WE_IMG_6205

web_burrito_eat_orange_sit_GH_WE_IMG_6250

Extra Helpings

by

After we serve a meal to the chimpanzees, there’s usually a few pieces of food on the ground that have dropped on the human side of the caging. The meal server typically leaves the food where it is, and the chimps will go find tools to use to pull it closer, or they’ll grab the attention of a caregiver and “ask” for the food by pointing to it.

Today Anna served the chimps a lunch of broccoli, kale, and bell peppers in the greenhouse. I went out shortly after the meal to see what everyone was up to, and Burrito immediately swung down from the platform where he was finishing his chow, and pointed out some kale and broccoli that had fallen on my side of the caging. After a quick scan for boss Jamie (she’ll occasionally pull rank when we try to offer food to the other chimps), I picked up the dropped food and gave it to a very grateful Burrito.

web_Burrito_eat_broccoli_kale_food_lunch_GH_ek_IMG_6107

web_Burrito_eat_broccoli_food_lunch_GH_ek_IMG_6109

web_Burrito_eat_broccoli_food_lunch_GH_ek_IMG_6111

Food in different forms

by

One of the easiest ways to enrich the lives of chimpanzees is through food. We try and provide the Cle Elum 7 with as many different kinds of produce as possible in an effort to keep things exciting for them. Caregivers do their best to make sure the chimpanzees don’t have repeated fruits or vegetables when they prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not only do we look for variety in food, but we also try and change up the ways in which we serve an item. For some meals we might roast a food like pumpkin, while other days we might choose to serve it raw. Each day the chimpanzees enjoy fresh fruit for breakfast, frozen fruit in their smoothie, and a couple pieces of dried fruit in their evening night bags, all to help increase food diversity!

Yesterday, volunteer caregiver Stephanie brought Brussel sprouts to contribute to the chimpanzees’ dinner. Instead of coming in the more traditional bag of “mini cabbages,” these Brussels sprouts were in their original stalk form. There were lots of food grunts and squeaks as Katelyn scattered the stalks around the playroom. Burrito and Jody were exceptionally successful foragers, but Negra was the easiest photography subject. She decided to eat her stalk in front room 4 (also known as the portrait studio).

web_Negra_brussel_sprout_zoom_fr4_aw_IMG_5648

web_Negra_brussel_sprout_blur_fr4_aw_IMG_5651

web_Negra_look_brussel_sprout_fr4_aw_IMG_5652

web_Negra_eat_brussel_sprout_fr4_aw_IMG_5696

Learning Curves

by

In some ways, Burrito has had to learn to be a chimpanzee. Lab chimps don’t get many chances to act like chimps – they often don’t have access to other chimps to groom or play with, they don’t get to forage for their food, and they don’t have room to move like chimps should move. Those of them who are lucky enough to move to a sanctuary usually exhibit a learning curve; they have fears to face and skills to acquire.

One natural chimp behavior that Burrito never exhibited during his first year or two at the sanctuary was brachiating (BREAK-ee-ate-ing). This is the arm-over-arm swinging that chimps do from branch to branch in the trees. Despite never having the space to move in that way before, the other chimps all brachiated across the ceiling of the greenhouse from day 1. But not Burrito. It just didn’t seem to occur to him as an option.

And then one day, he did. We’re not sure what changed, but it was one of many steps Burrito has made on his way to chimpanzee-ness.

web_Burrito_swing_fire_hose_GH_ek_IMG_9703

Jamie’s plan

by

I cannot emphasize enough how intelligent Jamie is, and how interested she is in human activities. Yesterday near the end of the day, I heard an unusual tapping sound coming from the playroom. It’s always important to investigate any different noises one might hear from the chimpanzee’s area because you never know what kind of mischief they might be getting into. As it turned out, I found a tube we give to the chimps for enrichment sticking through the playroom door into the basket of cleaning tools we keep nearby.

Exhibit A:
web_Jamie_tool_use_poop_scooper_IMG_9690

Jamie was sitting at the door casually. I left the room to get the camera to take a picture and try and catch her in the act of attempted tool nabbing. From the other room I heard the tapping start up again, but when I went back with camera in hand, she was again sitting nearby with a nonchalant look on her face.

The boss is an impressive forward thinker and I’m sure she will get back to her project another day.
web_Jamie_quadrapedal_yh_aw_IMG_5322

Scenes from a sunny lunch

by

The chimpanzees are very in tune with what time of day it is. When meal times roll around, you can usually spot several individuals waiting expectantly in the playroom, peering through the window to the kitchen to get a look at what’s on the menu. Negra was prepared for lunch a little early today. She got out of her nest and made sure we knew she was ready with some hand clapping and food grunting.

She did try her best to be a little patient though:
web_Negra_arm_up_pr_aw_IMG_9630

When lunch was ready, the chimpanzees were served in the greenhouse (which was filled with golden sunlight). They enjoyed carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and primate chow. Some of the chimps chose to get each course of the meal and take it away from the group so they could savor their lunch in peace.

Missy:
web_Missy_eat_gh_aw_IMG_9646
Annie:
web_Annie_carrot_gh_aw_IMG_9667

Foxie had the idea of carrying her troll doll over to distract me from photography. She spent her lunchtime eating veggies and then repeatedly dropping the tiny purple doll out of the caging for me to pick up and give back to her. A meal is always better with a little bit of entertainment!
web_Foxie_potato_gh_aw_IMG_9654
web_troll_purple_aw_IMG_9641