Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Foxie

The New Annie

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Diana and Elizabeth have both noted on this blog that Annie seems to be getting more confident. She’s taking food in front of the more dominant chimps – sometimes from more the dominant chimps. And she has begun interacting with chimps other than Missy.

What really amazes me is her newest choice of playmates. In the past, Annie would occasionally attempt to join in on games that other chimps were playing, and it almost always ended badly. It’s like she didn’t know how to read the cues that playmates trade throughout a game. The other chimps would be playing a quiet game of tickle, and Annie would come running in with a slap to the head or a full-on tackle. Someone would get upset and a fight would break out, ending with Annie splayed on the ground in a full-blown, chimp style panic attack. This was especially true when she tried to play with Foxie.

That was the old Annie. The new Annie has realized that there is a world out there beyond Missy. And she seems to be figuring out how to get along with everyone else. Her newest playmate? Foxie. Go figure.

Greenhouse play

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Here’s the video I promised in yesterday’s blog post. My favorite part is when Annie joins in the play (using her favorite blanket-swinging method of play initiation), something she’s doing more and more as her confidence continues to grow (read Diana’s thoughts on the changes we’ve seen in Annie here.)

Play with me

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This morning Jamie seemed to be feeling a little ignored. She displayed a couple of times, probably in an attempt to draw some attention to herself, but volunteer Denice and I were busy cleaning the front rooms, and the other chimpanzees didn’t seem too impressed. She eventually convinced Foxie to play with her by “stealing” one of her trolls. Once she had Foxie’s undivided attention, she proceeded to drag her around the playroom by her feet.

Full of beans

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I love watching Jody play. Usually, she expends the least amount of energy possible. If she’s playing chase, she’ll walk at a snail’s pace. If she’s playing tickle, she’ll do it laying down. But something got into her today, because she was climbing, brachiating, and even running (if you can call it that) during a game of chase with Foxie.