Giant box enrichment
November 28, 2011 by Debbie -
The other day, Denice and I filled a giant refrigerator box with all of the chimps’ enrichment and blankets. Not surprisingly, Jamie was pretty interested. But Jody, Missy, Foxie, and Negra showed some interest as well!
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Loved, loved, loved this video. My favorite piece was Jody using her lips to flip the pages.
me too
me three!!!
This is a great video! I love that they can all choose their own favorite enrichment item.
I’m not sure Negra was all that thrilled with the way the blankets and enrichment was distributed on this day. Normally when blankets are given out we spread them around the play room and we make sure there are plenty in the window that Negra likes to lay in front of. She will come out of the frontrooms when a staff member opens the doors and goes around and picks up a few of the forage items. Then she heads up to her spot in front of the window to make a grand nest to lay in. This day she gathered a few forage items and continued upstairs to her place only to find no blankets. She sat down and looked around and didn’t see any blankets so she sat there for a few minutes looking down at the big box and Jamie going throught all the blankets looking for more forage goodies. After a few minutes Negra came back down grabed a couple of blankets and headed strait up to her spot. I know she gave us the “Look” before she headed back upstairs…. I know she did…..I don’t think she saw the humor in this Giant box enrichment at all.
Ah, you can’t fool Neggy. 🙂
lol, that’s too cute, Negra giving you guys the “look”… but it looks like the others enjoyed the box 🙂
I think that’s great of you giving unexpected enrichment activities to them.
i think it needs to be either more challenging for them or the items need to be new. I can see why ripping stuff out of a box isn’t overly exciting to them. maybe the stuff should be hung where the chimps have to climb to get at them if that’s possible in that enclosure. staff would need to put it up the night before mind you but that would be interesting.(for staff too;-)) just a thought.
Shelagh, that’s a great idea! Every day we have a different enrichment “theme.” Basically, we try to come up with creative and different ways to present the enrichment to the chimps, or just a theme of something like “blue things” so we dig to the bottom of the enrichment bins and the chimps will get some variety. One thing we occasionally do is “toys tied to the ceiling” or caging. Sometimes they find this pretty entertaining, and other times they’re pretty interested in simply a pile of enrichment, or everything in a box, or trolls tied to scarves, etc. We really want to make their lives as interesting as possible, so we’re always coming up with different enrichment themes! If you have any more ideas, let Jackie know—she’s in charge of the enrichment calendar.
Jamie looked like she’d seen it all before and was looking for something new. I’m assuming you take things out of rotation periodically? I noticed Jamie picking up something and putting it in her mouth…do you include raisins or other kinds of snacks in something like this?
Sara, the enrichment is swapped out every week and new items are added often.
I think Jamie was looking for the forage treats within the blankets and enrichment. The chimps are given a verity of forage items each day such as raisins and other dried fruits, nuts and seeds, popcorn, cereals, fresh or frozen fruits, fresh vegetables or maybe some juice.
I loved Foxie just going for the doll. That girl knows what she wants!!! And is quite happy when she gets it! I guess the box will have to be all food to get Burrito interested! LOL
After the girls had investigated the giant box Mr. B did have a go at it. He sat on a couple of blankets in the middle and found a few blocks to hold and chew on.
What a sweet image! 🙂
I noticed the other day the goodwill by my house is having a toy sale this month – I will go check it out. Any genre of toy that you are in particular need of?
Lynn, here’s some general guidelines about what toys the chimps can have: https://staging.chimpsnw.org/2010/04/guidelines-for-gifts/
We have lots of enrichment but it’s nice to get new things to rotate out the older stuff. Some toys that we use a lot would be popper toys, musical toys, containers, TROLLS, plastic tool sets, beads, boots, socks, and Burrito enjoys toys that he can bite on — something small but sturdy like a block or wood hammer.
thanks Debbie – I will go check out goodwill next week and perhaps it’s time to get on ebay for another troll shopping expedition. I will bring them over next time I have a chimp house shift – hopefully before Christmas 🙂