Willy B never seems to tire of playing with his slinky.
toy
It’s a Burrito thing
On any given day, Burrito usually has some sort of enrichment object that he carries around with him. Some days it’s a wooden toy…
Last week, it was a plastic toy bucket….
and a toothbrush…
Today, it’s a white and green scrub brush.
Both Foxie and Jamie have their “thing” (dolls and boots, respectively). Burrito has his toys. And, when he’s feeling playful, he will put the toy in his mouth and bite it. This is often accompanied by a quick nod of his head and a foot stomp directed toward one of his human caregivers. It’s Burrito’s invitation to play a game of chase and it’s pretty hard to resist!
Boat Bumper Ball Antics
One of the first nearly chimp-proof enrichment items the chimpanzees had after arriving to the sanctuary was a “boat bumper” donated by long-time supporter Kathy Benson, who found it at a garage sale.
Below is a photo of Annie (yawning) holding the toy. This was taken in July of 2008, less than a month after the chimpanzees arrived.
Recently, I searched on amazon for the same thing, remembering how much fun it had been for the chimps all those years ago. It turns out the big ones are fairly expensive, and I didn’t know if it would last as long, so I opted to get a small version and see how things went…
I do like how portable this version is –
but given Jamie and Missy’s keen interest in “opening” the ball, I’m not sure how long it will last. What do you think?
Missy and the Kong toy
Missy seemed to be having a great time working on a food puzzle this morning. Chimpanzees engage in solitary play quite often, but I can’t remember seeing anyone smile so much in the process.