On Saturday, volunteer Connie brought huckleberry plants for the chimps- what fun enrichment! Here are a couple of the shots J.B. got of Annie enjoying hers out in the sunshine:
Enrichment
Thanks for the Boomer Balls!
Jody and Missy would like to thank everyone who participated in our recent Chimps’ Choice request by sending Boomer Balls.
Jamie cleans
Jamie is very human-oriented. She is always interested in what the humans in her home are doing and how they’re doing it. Out of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees, Jamie is the most likely to sit and watch while we work on a construction project, fix a mechanical problem, or scrub the playroom. It’s no surprise, then, that she participates when she can.
New enrichment
Volunteers Amanda and Tennyson helped us build a new enrichment device for the chimps. The woven fire hose has pockets to stick browse in (browse includes leaves, branches and twigs – an important part of a chimp’s diet). Many thanks to Chimps Inc. and the Honolulu Zoo for the idea! Annie, Missy and Jody spent hours picking out the cattails, bamboo and fennel.
While we were installing the browse feeder, we also hung a few more fire hose swings near the new windows. As you can see, they created the perfect game for Missy.
A chimp and a monkey
The chimps seem to have a love/hate relationship with stuffed animals. Stuffed monkeys and apes, in particular, tend to get their insides ripped out quickly and somewhat violently. Sometimes, though, if they have that ineffable quality, they are granted a temporary reprieve and become snuggle partners.
Volunteer Stephanie P. and her niece Sara donated this giant monkey to the chimps, and he/she is still “alive” and kicking, against all odds.
Foxie in the mirror
Summer Loungin’
Yesterday was hot, hot, hot here in Cle Elum, so the chimps spent quite a bit of time lounging around their indoor playroom. As you can see, Jamie is still rarely caught without a pair of cowboy boots (notice she has one by her head and another in her hip pocket).
