Jamie started a great game of “steal the troll” with Foxie this morning. There were multiple trolls involved and they changed hands several times. Foxie used every trick in her book – strategic tickling, biting, wrestling, surprise tackling, spinning, and somersaulting – and eventually got her trolls back.
rescue
Snow day
What do you do when it snows in early November? If you are Jackie, you give the troll dolls “snow-fro’s” and put them out as part of the chimps’ dinner forage.
A different perspective
Our blog is biased. When you watch our videos, you are likely to see the chimps eating, playing, making nests, or using enrichment. Our blog posts are based on impromptu recordings of the daily goings on here, and these are the things that tend to catch our eye.
You are less likely to see the chimps spitting at us, poking us, or fighting with each other. These things do happen (on a daily basis), but they are much harder to capture on film. So here’s a look at the other (healthy and perfectly normal) side of chimps. It’s not always easy to be a caregiver, but it’s always interesting!
Happy Foxie
We should all be more like Foxie…
Annie’s favorite thing
Usually, when grass grows in and around your garden, it’s considered a weed. But it’s a perfect addition to a chimp garden.
The Mural
Here are some shots of the new mural. Thank you all for donating to this project. Though it was several months ago, you remain permanently appreciated!
Artist Kim in front of the mural, just after completing it.
Missy checking it out:
Great way to start the day
One of the things that we stress to our staff and volunteers is that our attitudes have a significant effect on the chimps. We all know from personal experience with friends, family, and coworkers that moods can be contagious, so we try to shake off whatever is bothering us before we go into the chimp house. The last thing the chimps need is for us to bring them down!
It works the other way as well – the chimps can really influence how we feel about our “day at the office”. Some chimps are particularly influential. If Jamie is in a bad mood, we’re in for a rough day, to say the least. But if she’s happy, we’re happy.
For me, there is one individual in particular that has the ability to brighten my morning no matter what side of the bed I wake up on. This morning, as I opened the door to greet the chimps, Foxie was waiting, troll in hand, to launch into a full-on game of “pass the troll” with some flips and spins thrown in. Not a bad way to start the day.
