Missy probably has more energy than anyone I know, especially when she’s playing. But it’s fascinating to watch her play with Negra. Negra doesn’t play too often and is usually pretty subdued about it when she does, so watching Missy tone it down a notch in order to get to play with the Queen is really pretty special.
Missy
Cattail forage
The chimps are able to find plenty of native plants to eat on Young’s Hill but they still love cattails, which only grow by the edge of the pond on the sanctuary grounds. So once and a while we cut some down and hide them throughout their enclosure.
Nearly 4 years
If you’re a regular reader, you probably know that tomorrow is a big day for us here. It’s the 4th anniversary of the chimps’ arrival in Cle Elum and also Negra’s birthday. We’re planning a whole bunch of fun! As we get ready, we always find ourselves pausing to reflect about how far the chimps have come, and then daydreaming about how much further they will go. Check out this post from four years ago today, and this one too. There was so much excitement in the air. And then compare this with this. Breathtaking!
Fun & Games
Missy makes it obvious when she wants to play. The gigantic play face is the most obvious indication, but she also has the unique signal of wearing a sock on one foot.
Wet grass
Jody was not very happy about the cold, wet grass on the hill today. She walked bipedally (upright) to try to keep herself dry, but decided in the end that it was better to stay warm and dry in the greenhouse.
Blanket Play
Today as the chimps were waiting for their lunch to be served, I caught Missy playing with a red blanketed lump, also known as Negra Chimpanzee. It stood out as particularly funny to me because, although Negra loves to wrap herself (head and all) up in a blanket, and although lots of the chimps, particularly Missy and Jamie, often play with blankets over their heads, we don’t often see Negra playing like this. I love seeing Missy bring out Negra’s playful side!
The endless salad bowl
One of the best things about the hill lately has been the fact that it’s an endless salad bowl of grass. Everyone has a favorite “harvest” spot, but lots of folks are discovering that Missy’s Mound has the best grass. Today I drove the gator around the hill and caught Missy getting some grass from there. As soon as she saw me, she grabbed a huge handful of grass and playfully ran inside. Once I parked the gator and walked in, I found Missy standing in the playroom with her mouthful of grass, and she playfully ran back out to the hill to get me to chase her.