There’s no question that Missy gets the most out of Young’s Hill. She has always been very playful and energetic, so we expected her to be in her element out on the hill. But I am still shocked to see Jody running. I think Jody might be a little surprised herself, given the face she makes when she runs!
run
Room to run
Watching Missy run uphill amazes me. I’m not sure how it looks on video, but the volunteers that helped build the enclosure can tell you that just walking up that hill will wear you out. It’s just another sign of the chimps’ inherent strength, and their desire to experience the simple joys in life.
Jamie running
Missy isn’t the only one who’s getting plenty of running in on the hill. It’s so awesome seeing the chimps getting to really run a relatively long distance for perhaps the first time in their lives. They are getting so much exercise!
Run, Missy, Run!
One of my favorite things so far about Young’s Hill is watching Missy run at full speed. She is like a spring that was coiled up for decades, just waiting to be released. Every time she goes outside, she runs up and down the hill, for no apparent reason other than for the joy of it.
I was surprised by how moved I was when I first noticed that I could actually hear her running…the sound of her hands and feet pounding the ground and her heavy, rhythmic breathing with each stride.
We were talking today about how it seems like Missy is eager for the other chimps to become as comfortable as she is on the hill so that she will have someone to play with out there. Many of the other chimps are still in the cautious exploration stage, but not Missy. She waited 36 years for a chance to run, and now she’s ready for the most epic game of chase ever.
