Chimpanzees playing- as far as the eye can see!
Sanctuary
Don’t Mess with Honey B
I wanted to write a light-hearted blog because, well I think we all need it. But this morning Honey B, Willy B, and Mave had a big fight at breakfast. Don’t worry everyone is fine, but it was an intense one! It was mostly Honey B and Willy B fighting, because Willy B tried to steal her chow. Chow is no joke. Each chimp really looks forward to getting their bags of chow. In general, the three seem to be less physical with each other. They have their occasional fight, but a lot of the time it’s just screaming. This morning, Honey B was not having it. Honey B has always been described as fun and silly, which she is, but I would NOT want to be on her bad side. Honey B can be, let’s go with feisty, but another word could be ruthless. Surprisingly, Honey B tends to avoid any drama that doesn’t have anything to do with her. If Mave and Willy B are worked up she will leave the area, but she also tends to be the person who will strike first if she thinks something is going to happen to her. I won’t lie, I think it works. During the fight, Honey B quite literally beat Willy B with a scooter. Again everyone is fine, but Willy B’s pride might be hurting just a little. Mid-morning we found Willy B grooming Honey B, so I think everything is all good now, but I don’t think he will try taking her chow for quite some time.
On a lighter note, Jamie received a late Christmas present. I am sure many of you are familiar with the Bodies Exhibit. We found the book version and it seemed pretty on brand with Jamie so we put it on the wish list. It finally came today! Jamie was in a very cozy nest upstairs when caregiver Anna went to go give it to her. Instead of coming down right away, Jamie had Anna flip through the pages for her. Later, after lunch Jamie took the book and began skimming it.
This is the page Jamie left her book on.
I think we should get some bonus photos!
Willy B taking a nap.
Yesterday Mave, Willy B, and Honey B watched the chimps from Chimp Haven on Disney+. Mave settled in to watch her soaps.
Jamie was on patrol after hearing the fight this morning. She went straight out onto the Hill to get a better view of the other side.
Burrito <3.
Missy sprinted out onto the Hill and had Burrito and I joined her on a mid-day run! She is seriously so fast! I took a video but I was embarrassed by how heavy I was breathing.
Honey B making a nest with toys this morning.
Watch out for this one, she doesn’t take crap from anyone!
Slight Change of Plans
I planned on posting a blog about chimpanzee gestures since a common question we have received in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, and even here within the blog is about when any of them request something from us and how we know. I.e. Jamie requesting to go on a walk, her requesting the Gator, Burrito requesting snowy treats, Foxie asking for a doll, etc. Also because gestures are near and dear to my heart, and has consumed most of my life for the past couple of years as part of my studies. However, as we all know every day is different and what you had planned in mind could change within an instant.
Today was one of those days. Not because anything bad happened. In fact, today was a really calm and smooth day. The chimpanzees were very cooperative in going where they needed to go so we could clean enclosures. Cleaning was done at a relatively fast pace. There were virtually no fights (there were minor arguments, but nothing too serious that resulted from them). All this calm on a day nobody has decided to go outside since it had snowed a little bit last night.
What caused me to change course and post something different were these:
Honey B and Mave had one heck of a play session earlier today. It reminded me of the old Andy Capp cartoon. Just a cloud of fur with feet and hands flung everywhere, and every so often a head would pop out. Except it wasn’t a fight like in the cartoon strips. This was play.
Then there was Honey B at lunch, enjoying her leek.
Kelsi and I debated for a longer time than we would like to admit about which of the two photos were better and to include. So we decided the best decision would for me to just include both of them. Though they are extremely similar, there are some minor differences that add a little pizzazz to each them, respectively. For instance, in the top one you can really see the coloration of Honey B’s eyelids and detail in her face. While the bottom one has the slight little turn away from the camera with a little side-eye that adds a little sass.
For me, these photos HAD to be shared today and could not wait. But don’t fret, I will post the blog about gestures soon enough. Maybe with photos a little better than the ones I currently have. As I mentioned before, every day is different.
Here are some bonus photos from today:
Jamie resting on her favorite barrel.
Willy B looking dashing, while also about to dash to the camera to review this photo.
Chimpanzees
This afternoon, I reached back to draw some interesting words from my quiver and found out it was empty.
Instead, I am giving you all that I’ve got: photographs of chimpanzees.
Quirky, unique, fascinating, charismatic, weird, goofy, expressive, resilient, inspiring, celebrated, beloved and deserving chimpanzees.
Weird and Routine
Since Anna included it in her Top 10 Sanctuary Videos of 2020, you may have been reminded recently of the video of J.B. and I in the gator racing Jamie at sunset. Thanks to J.B.’s transcription, you know I said, “This is the weirdest job.”
That’s true, in many ways.
The weird, however, has a way of becoming quite routine round here.
Jamie now frequently asks us to get the gator so she can race it, or us in it, or maybe just the boots we are wearing while driving it, around the hill.
Today, she made this request of Kelsi as they were starting off on a walk (you just need to know Jamie and how to interpret her gestures to know what she’s asking for – it’s a learning curve).
Kelsi ran back into the barn and started up the gator and Jamie took off at a sprint to get a head start. This time Burrito, Missy, Annie, and Jody joined the race. I climbed up to the observation deck to get a few photos.
Later in the day, Mave was having me play a fun game of chase where she ran around the mezzanine and I went from the human area of the mezzanine, downstairs via the rungs, through the door into the new getting-closer-to-being-finished playrooms, and upstairs to the window, where she was waiting for me.
She thought this was great fun.
While I was playing with Mave, I looked out one of the upstairs playroom windows, which have great views of the hill. Honey B was in the chute and spotted me through the window, so then she and I played a little game of chase where she ran back and forth in the chute and I went from one window to another.
Like J.B. yesterday, my batteries seemed to run out at an alarmingly accelerated pace compared to the chimpanzees.
It was all kind of weird, kind of routine, and very special at the same time.
Energizer Burrito
He keeps going, and going, and going…
Ordinary
Today was just an ordinary day at the sanctuary. Considering the chaos in the world right now, “ordinary” seems like a VERY good thing to be experiencing. Let’s all take a short break and drink in a little bit of that sweet sweet “ordinary.”
Simple, ordinary moments like…
Missy building a nest in the greenhouse:
Mave (right) grooming Willy B (left):
Willy B looking handsome:
Mave coming along to interrupt my Willy B photo shoot:
And turning it into a Mave photo shoot:
This raffle ticket nest I found in the playroom:
And just a peek at our new (coming soon) normal. Here you can see Honey B playing chase with Anthony in the window. The photo is backlit because we have electricity in phase 2 now (!!!) and you can see the staircase going up to a loft in one of her new (coming soon) playrooms!!
Cheers to the ordinary!
