The chimpanzees have been making the most of the paths we made through the snow this weekend. As soon as the door to Young’s Hill was opened this morning, Foxie, Annie, Missy, and Jody set out to explore.
Cle Elum
Icicles
The chimpanzees continue to enjoy the spoils of winter.
Snowpocalypse 2019
As the state of Washington braces for more snow, the chimpanzees spent the day thoroughly enjoying the first day of Snowpocalypse / Snowmageddon / Snowzilla WA 2019.
We really just got a few inches here, which is pretty normal this time of year. Anna did do a pretty good job of hyping the drama of the storm with her snow and ice sculpture for the chimps:
Missy did her best to carefully remove an icicle so she could abscond with it to the loft:
Jody decided to eat hers in situ:
Foxie kept a close eye on the snow as she consumed it (as is her way):
Jamie received a bonus treat today! After reading Anna’s post from the other day, donors must have immediately started gathering things to send, because we have already received some special Jamie enrichment.
We thought Snowmaggedon was a good time to give Jamie a donated folio full of interesting things.
She carefully pulled out and sorted through each item. When she came across a piece of paper that had photos of boots, she put it aside. After closely examining each card and envelope, she picked up the paper with the boot photos and went upstairs with some leftover lunch for some private Jamie-time. This chimpanzee knows what she likes:
A Dietary Staple
There’s one item that’s part of any self-respecting Pacific Northwest chimpanzee’s diet.
Missy’s Rumination
When presented with an edible landscape, what is one to do?
Perhaps first, a moment of reflection:
And then a careful up-close contemplation:
And, finally, a decision:
Snowy day activities
It’s a beautiful, snowy day in Cle Elum, and the chimpanzees are cozying up in the warm playroom. I caught Jamie in the middle of making a nest (and doing some repair work on a wagon) in one of her favorite nesting spots.
Home
Every chimpanzee deserves a territory – a home space worth defending. One measure of welfare in a captive chimpanzee is whether they demonstrate territorial behavior. If they take ownership over their home, that’s a sign that they consider it home.
Here at the sanctuary, boss Jamie does the work of defending her family’s home. Every day, often multiple times a day, in all weather conditions, day and night, Jamie takes perimeter walks around the two-acre outdoor habitat to make sure everything is on the up and up. Sometimes she brings friends, and sometimes she goes it alone.
