I’ve had shoes that made me pretty happy before, but never have I felt this much contentment. I think Jamie is in love.
Jamie
The greatest staff meeting ever
Today at the end of our staff meeting, Jamie started stomping in the playroom loft. As we’ve figured out, this seems to mean “please put on one of my boots and chase me around the hill.” We thought it would be fun if we ALL played this game with her. As we all started walking out there, Jamie’s hair stood straight on end and she ran so fast out to meet us—she was so excited! It was a lot of fun, and probably the best staff meeting we’ve ever had. I think Jamie would agree.
Chimps’ Choice- “Once Again” Peanut Butter
The Cle Elum Seven absolutely love peanut butter. We have traditionally purchased large containers of Adam’s Peanut Butter at Costco, however we are trying to steer clear of salt, especially with Burrito’s heart condition. So, we found a new (to me) brand that comes in 9lb tubs on Amazon called “Once Again”. I’ve added it to our wishlist. Even though we use peanut butter for all sorts of things, I think 9lbs will last us a pretty long time so we only need one tub for now but I thought I would make it a challenge for you! The first person to purchase it will receive a special package from me, which will include a photo of the chimp of your choice. Check out our wishlist (http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/ref=wish_list) and be sure to email me ([email protected]) to let me know your chimp preference!
Annie licking peanut butter out of a kong, one of the Cle Elum Seven’s favorite activities:
Jamie licking the peanut butter off of a celery stick:
Missy using a tool to fish peanut butter out of the tubes in the treat rock:
Jody cleaning the last bit out of a plastic peanut butter jar:
Happenings on the hill
We’ve had a fun day on Young’s Hill today. JB installed the sign on Negra’s Cabin, and of course Jamie had to inspect JB’s handiwork:
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Finding no problems, Jamie went on to have a great time with good friend Foxie. First they played chase all over the Hill, then they played chase through the cabin panels:
Then Jamie ushered Foxie along a stroll around the Hill:
And when it was time to come in to the greenhouse for lunch, Jamie shared her excitement with a kiss:
Breakfast al fresco
We posted this morning that supporter Vicky Miller sponsored today for the chimpanzees. To celebrate Vicky’s day, and to take advantage of today’s beautiful sunny weather, we set up a breakfast forage in the greenhouse. Meals at CSNW are served in one of two ways: a caregiver can serve food to one chimp at a time through the fencing (like this), or we can scatter a food forage in the chimps’ enclosure. The chimps really love forages, and we love them too because we’re always looking for ways to encourage the chimps to express species-specific behavior (basically, letting the chimps do what chimps do naturally). This morning’s forage consisted of some favorites: fresh pineapple and pears, peanuts, and fruit smoothie in Dixie cups.
Missy:
Jamie:
Foxie:
Thanks again to Vicky for making this day special!
Messing with the GoPro
As Diana mentioned yesterday, the weather has (off and on) been incredible the last week or so! Yesterday it actually got up to 60 degrees (!) but then there was snow on the ground this morning. So, we really have to take advantage of good weather when we have it. J.B. and Diana set up a forage on Young’s Hill yesterday and put the GoPro camera in it’s mount. As I was reviewing the footage this morning, I discovered Foxie and Jamie had a little post-forage project – to get to the bottom of this whole GoPro thing, once and for all!
The things we do
Chimpanzees are weird. I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course. But there are days when this job borders on surreal.
As many of you know, Jamie has a very strong personality and when she wants something she has no problem letting us know. Usually she just wants a pair of cowboy boots and we are happy to oblige. But for the last couple of months, Jamie’s demands were incessant and we could not figure out what she was asking for.
We tried all of the usual things…boots, a drink from the hose, a magazine to flip through, more boots…to no avail. We’d bring out entire bins full of enrichment and take each piece out one at a time looking for signs of interest, but our efforts only made her more frustrated. As caregivers, we felt like failures.
Somehow we stumbled upon the answer. And when I tell you what it was, you’ll see why we had so much trouble figuring it out.
She wants us to wear cowboy boots.
And walk with her.
All the way around Young’s Hill.
Two to three times.
And when we get back, she wants us to give her the boots off our feet.
The primate behavior textbooks we read in school did not prepare us for this.
Chimpanzees are incredibly intelligent and they have strong individual preferences. Add to this mix a childhood in the unnatural environment of the lab, circus, or human home and you end up in a strange place. All chimpanzee caregivers will tell you of a chimpanzee they know with an odd predilection – the chimp that demands that the TV be turned on when Oprah comes on at 3pm or the chimp that will only drink a specific brand of tea. Chimps that like Halloween masks or particular types of hats or Sponge Bob Square Pants pillows.
When you think about it, this strangeness is a window into a complex, creative mind that is caught between two worlds. Biologically, they’re all chimpanzee, but mentally and culturally, they’re not quite chimpanzee and not quite human. We do what we can to bring the “chimpanzeeness” out of them, but at the same time we can’t deny their histories. So we dance for Negra. And we run around with troll dolls in our pockets for Foxie. And now, we run laps around the enclosure in the ugliest boots you have ever seen.
Don’t judge me:
Off we go:
You would assume that Jamie has fun doing this, but there’s no smiling or laughing. It’s all business:
Once and a while she glances over at us or, more specifically, the boots:
Once we get back, the boot is given back to its rightful owner and the game is finished…for a little while, at least:
