Jamie gets a special kind of pleasure from trying to destroy things that I have just repaired.
Jamie
Evening Enrichment
Each evening, before leaving for the day, we prepare some sort of puzzle or activity for the chimps to work on. There are a variety of ideas that we rotate throughout the month, including KONGs, Boomer balls, drink buckets and pine cones, to name a few. So, I thought I’d share a few of these on the blog today.
KONGs
We add nuts or a mixture of mashed bananas or avocados into the open holes for the chimps to figure out how to get out.
Missy
Boomer Balls
We place peanuts inside the balls and the chimps have to shake and move the balls to get at the nuts inside. Some of the chimps use chopsticks as tools to get the nuts out. In the following photos, Foxie used her finger to help get at the peanuts inside.
Foxie
Kebabs
We skewer small food pieces (grapes are a favorite) inside of paper rolls and tie the “kebabs” to the outside of the caging. Below Burrito demonstrates how to hold onto the caging and use his fingers to try to pull the paper rolls inside.
Burrito
Pine cones
Add a few raisins in toward the center of the cone and smear peanut butter along the outside and voila, a pretty special treat that keeps the chimps busy for quite a while.
Annie
Negra
Jamie
Treat Buckets
There are a variety of options when using buckets as enrichment. Sometimes we fill the buckets with water, adding lemons or limes for some flavor and give the chimps long plastic straws to drink from. Other times we place seeds and nuts inside the buckets and the chimps have to knock the buckets over and use a tool to “sweep” the seeds toward them. Below, Annie demonstrates how to drink the flavored water from the bucket that was placed outside of the caging.
Annie
Raisin Boards
Jamie demonstrates how to use a chopstick to push raisins through the holes in this hanging raisin board.
Thanksgiving 2016
Today we’re thankful for delicious feasts, for food squeaks, for volunteers who spend their holiday spreading joy to the chimps, and for all of you who have so much love for seven chimpanzees you probably haven’t met. It’s been a good day.
Annie:
Missy:
Negra:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Foxie and Jody resting after the party:
Most of the video footage we ended up with after today’s party happened to feature Burrito stuffing his face:
To all of you friends, supporters, volunteers, and well-wishers, thanks for giving Annie, Missy, Burrito, Jody, Foxie, Jamie, and Negra so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!
Time to Rest, Relax, Contemplate and Be Still
There’s something about rainy days that make contemplation, napping and relaxing seem like the perfect things to do.
Foxie
Jamie
Negra
Annie
A chimp family stroll
We are being gifted with a stretch of incredibly spring-like weather. The mornings start out damp, foggy and cold, but by the afternoon it’s warm, bright and sunny. The humans decided we needed a walk around Young’s Hill as much as Jamie did so we all decided to join her. The sight of a group of their caregivers always gets the chimps excited and often all or most of them will join us. This also gets our resident wild elk friend excited and she decided to tag along as well (though I am pretty sure the chimps attempted to un-invite her). You know, just a chimp family stroll in our own wonderful world at the sanctuary (missing Keri and Elizabeth who are home recovering from colds, and Negra and Foxie who were nesting in the sun).
We all hold so much gratitude in our hearts for this most special and magical of places and all who make it possible. A sanctuary to so many, non-human and human alike.
Anna, Diana, Yuri, Ellie and JB:
Missy and Annie (L) and Ellie and JB waiting for the others to join us:
Missy, Burrito and Jody suggested Ellie walk elsewhere at which point she ran to catch up with the humans:
On a second lap around the hill, Jamie decided to check out the happenings in the neighborhood atop her beloved Twister:
Today is for Chaela!
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Glen Rinzler in honor of Chaela Ferguson! Glen has been a supporter and friend of the chimpanzees since they arrived to their sanctuary home and we are so happy to celebrate Chaela with him today.
Glen, thank you so much for your continued friendship of the chimps and for all you do to ensure their lives are overflowing with love, respect, adventure, joy, and family. We’re so happy that you chose to include them as you honor Chaela today!
Chaela, we hope you have a beautiful day! May it be full of all that brings you joy, just as you’ve helped provide the chimpanzees!
Jamie and Foxie play wrestling over a troll. Those play faces!:
More Positive Reinforcement Training Progress
Our Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) program is coming along nicely. (Learn about PRT and how it helps the chimpanzees in this blog post from last year.)
Here’s a video of Diana and Jamie’s session this afternoon.
