Today I discovered a new game with Foxie. I was having difficulty throwing her troll doll back to her (some days my aim is just off), so I put it in a sock and tossed it up, my thought being that she would have more to grab on to. It worked like a charm, and Foxie actually really liked the sock! She almost immediately flung it over her neck, walked down the stairs and began playing with it in front of the mirror. I am sure other chimpanzees have done this before, but it was the first time I have personally seen a chimp play in front of a mirror. She was so enamored with her own reflection playing, that she completely ignored Missy’s attempts to get her attention. For the rest of the day, Foxie carried around the sock, sometimes in her hand, sometimes over her shoulders, and once on the top of her head. Every once in a while she would go back to the mirror and play.
Foxie
Bad weather, happy chimps
The chimps have been in very good moods lately, despite this late winter snow storm. Sometimes when they’re too cooperative, and they’re not spitting and banging at us at all, I get suspicious…
This morning, when Elizabeth and I went in to say good morning to the chimps, Foxie passed two small trolls to me and proceeded to do a dozen pirouettes and at least as many backflips. Missy and Jody both wore makeshift garter belts for a good part of the day (I think one of them was a scrunchy). I managed to catch a few more of the day’s activities on camera:
Missy in action
Missy was enjoying a game of keep-away with Jamie and Annie today. First, she came running into the outdoor area with a bag over her shoulder. I don’t know what was inside – it may have been enrichment that the volunteers put out, or she may have stuffed the bag with coconuts. In any case, she was challenging the other girls to take it away from her. After going back inside, she reemerged with a single coconut, clutching it like an NFL running back. Missy and Foxie seem to be the only individuals who know how to crack coconuts, so I think Missy enjoys making everyone wait until she’s ready to open them.
Lessons from chimpanzees
When I am feeling down, I think about the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees at CSNW and everything they have been through in their lives.
I am amazed and humbled that Jody, after decades of living in a small cage in a medical laboratory, after having seven babies taken from her, can still enjoy relaxing in the February sun, holding her feet:
and Foxie, who endured research protocols, five babies being taken from her, and periods of social isolation, can greet each day with the desire to play with her caregivers and her chimpanzee friends
and Missy and Annie, who spent years without each other, can decide to sleep in together, napping in the side-by-side nests they created in the playroom
When I think about my chimpanzee friends and their lives, I realize I have little to complain about. And, if I can remember to live for today as they do, each day should include relaxation, happiness, play and companionship.
Bubbles, glasses, and something suspicious
This morning we put out a large bucket of (non-toxic) soapy water, thinking the chimps might want to do some cleaning. Jody had other ideas:
The chimps were also very interested in the eyeglasses (with plastic lenses) that we put out:
Missy, of course, wore her sunglasses on the back of her neck:
Annie seemed content to sit quietly and watch everyone else have fun:
Later, Jamie decided to pull the Christmas tree out of the tire….
….which uncovered something interesting and a little bit scary. Maybe a bug they hadn’t seen before?
I could use a sunny day…
For our response to the tragic situation in Connecticut, click here.
It’s sunny in Cle Elum! For me, that’s reason enough to celebrate. Enjoy these pics of Jamie (with her emery board!), Foxie, and Jody and Annie!
Foxie “disciplining” a doll
J.B. posted a video a few days ago with the background sounds of Foxie hitting a troll with a spoon. It’s not an uncommon occurrence these days. I consider it a good thing, because now she interacts with more forms of enrichment – spoons! This video is of Foxie “disciplining” a Madame Alexander doll with a ladle.
