New workbench

August 28, 2013 by Debbie -

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The chimpanzees received a new workbench through our Amazon wishlist! Jamie and Annie were both very interested. Classic Jamie first pulled out the instruction manual before fiddling with the tools themselves (maybe she was trying to undo all my hard work in putting it together!) Annie is not always the first to play with tools but she went straight for it the second Jamie stepped away.

They both had some pretty interesting ways of investigating the workbench. Watch for Jamie using the screwdriver as a nail, using the nail as a hammer, and using the wrench as a screwdriver! And Annie used the hammer for its intended purpose, but from the opposite direction.

We just caught Jamie “cleaning” each piece of the workbench systematically with a sock as a rag. She stopped the second we brought the camera out, though. Many times she avoids the paparazzi caregivers when she’s focusing on a project like this, so it’s pretty fantastic we were able to capture so much of her work on video.

YouTube video

Thank you so much to whoever sent us this wonderful engaging item!

8 Comments

  1. Avatar Denice on August 28, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    It was nice to see so intrigued with the work bench.



  2. Marie cross on August 28, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    Wonderful:-) Jamie needs her own tool belt next 🙂



  3. Avatar Carrie on August 28, 2013 at 5:08 pm

    I could watch this video all day. Jamie and Annie are amazing! (Debbie, your construction skills aren’t too shabby either).



  4. Avatar Cindy on August 28, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    Annie seems to be coming into herself so much more these days. Aging backwards is amazing to watch!!!



  5. Avatar Karen on August 29, 2013 at 1:08 am

    Wow, I can’t get over how gently they play with the bench and the pieces. Chimps I’ve observed at a sanctuary in Africa would have fought over it, then dismantled it, and/or grabbed pieces and run off with them!



  6. Avatar Wendy Hadley on August 29, 2013 at 5:36 am

    So cool! Look for the famous cowboy boot at one side and one of the chimps in the background is holding her smurf doll. They are so interested in the tools!



  7. Sara on August 29, 2013 at 11:05 am

    Fascinating, I love watching the intense concentration when they are trying to figure something out!



  8. Avatar Rita Stevenson on September 1, 2013 at 11:13 am

    Debbie
    Q ) is it customary for JAMIE to ALWAYS be the fist to check out ANY new apparatus ?
    if a lower ranking chimp were to have checked out the new work station , do you think
    THE BOSS would have protested aggressively or and displayed her dis favor, ?



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