Carrying things around when you’re a chimpanzee
May 19, 2014 by Lisa -
Everyday I put on clothes that have pockets to hold my keys, cell phone and wallet. When I leave the house, I carry a purse to transport the many “vital” items I might need throughout the day. Most of the time, I do this without thought since it’s such a natural part of my day. While I am grateful for the ease that these modern conveniences provide I can tell you with confidence that they are not strictly necessary. You might think that carrying things around as a chimpanzee could be challenging. The chimpanzees do not have pockets or purses (although they do have access to them provided by the daily enrichment) and yet they manage to carry around the important things just fine. In fact, their ingenuity is often inspiring! There are various solutions to the problem of carrying things when you’re a chimpanzee. Here are just a few.
Of course, hands and arms are always up to the task.
Mouths are often quite useful as well.
Carrying things on your back takes a little practice, but Foxie is a pro.
Options that are particular to chimpanzees are the hip pocket (the area between the thigh and the abdomen) and the ever popular foot grab!
Sometimes, you just have to make it work with whatever you have at hand. Jamie’s problem solving skills often lend themselves to situations like this in interesting ways. For example, she has been seen on more than one occasion to use this table to carry her portion of food from a meal to a more comfortable location were she can enjoy her selection at leisure.
7 Comments
Subscribe to the Blog and
Get Notified of New Posts First!
If you like what see, be sure to subscribe. Personally written by the caregivers themselves, 365 days a year, you’ll get an insiders glimpse of all the goings on at the sanctuary. Follow us!
I look forward to seeing all the wonderful pictures of these beautiful and clever chimps. Thank you for all you do!
when i don’t feel like bending down I often pick things up with my foot.
Love this post! It was hilarious and inspirational!
Thank you!
Burrito looks like he won at Vegas poker.
Okay, maybe it’s just me but that hip pocket option intrigues me. If they are walking, how does the object stay in place? I have seen items in the hip pocket before and I can’t figure out how the troll doll (or whatever) isn’t dislodged with movement. How deep is the “pocket” space? Do they ever place food in there?
And I am now going to call Missy “Missy Manners” since it looks as if she is eating her chow and holding her napkin in her foot! ; ) (I do know it must be her white paper chow bag but still it made me laugh to think she had her napkin in reach)
Way to go Jamie eating cafeteria style. She is so smart it never ceases to amaze me.
I guess purses are very over rated in the long run.
Items in the hip pocket stay in place primarily because of the mechanics of quadrupedal walking. It allows pressure between the thigh and the belly because the chimpanzees are bent over walking quadrupedally, with both hands and feet on the ground, rather than bipedally, just feet on the ground with the trunk upright. Additionally, their legs are generally more bent (at the hip and the knee) for quadrupedal movement providing a narrow angle at the hip creating a pocket of sorts in which to tuck something away. It’s true that they can’t necessarily walk exceptionally fast with things tucked in the hip pocket but they do stay in place when moving.
Awe, my beautiful , dearest, sweetest Burrito, He is in his glory,, FOOD, and lots of it, and ALL he can carry, pick, eat, and even use a mouthful as his transportation vehicle, I love how he stock piles his food,s. Then again, when I think of all the deprivation he has endured, and the many, many, years he went to sleep an night, HUNGRY… this for Burrito ,is especially grand, its epic, it means so much for Burrito, Thank You CSNW for always making certain Burrito has enough,,
I also think Burrito gets a great sense of security when he see and eats his foods,