Rainy day play
July 20, 2012 by J.B. -
The wind and the rain have kept the chimps inside for most of the day, so Jody and Foxie played quietly near the door to Young’s Hill, waiting for an opportunity to go out.
This is another example of how the chimps change their style of play to suit their playmate. Earlier in the day, Foxie was running, leaping, spinning, and swinging with joy when she got her favorite Dora doll back. But Foxie knows that Jody lives life at a slower pace than she does, so she toned it down a bit.
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Has the thunder bothered them? We have had a lot of it this week.
They don’t seem fazed by thunder or lightning anymore. Last week, Diana and I were watching an evening lightning storm from our porch at the sanctuary when I remembered that I had left some tools outside at the chimp house. I went up with a flashlight at about 10:30 p.m. and out of curiosity I shined the light into the greenhouse. I was surprised to see Jamie in a nest (and she was surprised to see me shining a flashlight in her face). As far as we know, none of the chimps have ever slept outside overnight (we close Young’s Hill at night but they have access to the greenhouse), so this was a first. Maybe it was her interest in the lightning that caused her to nest out there?
Oh, that’s great to read, J.B. I’ve always wondered if anyone slept out in the greenhouse at night now that the weather has warmed up.
What a great video, J.B. The quality seemed superior to most of the other videos; were you using something new to record?
Loved the wrestling move Foxy put on Jody’s bum. Priceless! Couldn’t have asked for a more ideal ending (no pun intended) 🙂
Thanks Annie. It was shot with a camera and lens that we have had for a while. I think the lighting can have a big effect on the quality of the video, so the videos taken under the greenhouse roof (with diffused light) tend to come out well.
That makes sense. I also think I noticed that you adjusted the focus just shortly after you started filming, so that made a difference. I’m convinced it had something to do with natural videography talent as well.
It’s so obvious what an improvement for the 7 the opening up of Young’s Hill has meant to them. You have made life living instead of just existing for these guys. They really love the ability to spend time outside – how terrible it must have been for them all those years in the cages!
Now for the other thousand still languishing out there!
When is the bill before Congress supposed to be finally passed? Any update on it?
As with any bill before congress, it is very difficult to say when it might get passed. But I would recommend checking the Project R&R website for updates: http://www.releasechimps.org/laws/regulations/gapcsa.
Random question: Who is the Young for whom Young’s Hill is named?
It is named for Karen and Don Young, two amazing chimpanzee advocates that donated a significant amount of the money needed to build the enclosure (as well as contributing to other projects like the greenhouse and the chimp-proof windows in the playroom).