Jamie loves to dig.

We sometimes find evidence that the chimps have been digging into the nests of ground squirrels on Young’s Hill. They seem to want to figure out where those squirrels disappear to when they dive into those little holes in the ground, but they never dig down far enough to find them.

Some of the chimps use tools to dig into the hard clay soil. A plastic shovel or trowel works best, but in a pinch, anything pointy will do. A tool also keeps a chimp’s hand away from the sharp teeth of an angry squirrel – the same reason why Jamie uses hardcover books or pasta spoons to chop at garter snakes instead of her bare hands. I would bet that, by now, Jamie knows that garter snakes are not going to hurt her, but she still seems to act as if they are dangerous, or at least “icky.” I’m sure a lot of humans can relate.

When Jamie is not going after squirrels, she likes to keep herself busy with projects. A few weeks ago, I found her digging in the entrance to Young’s Hill with a plastic trowel.