Enjoying ice on a hot day

August 2, 2015 by Keri -

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Volunteer caregiver Sandra came up with the idea to fill small water balloons with water (with a few blueberries) and then freeze them as enrichment for the chimpanzees. After they were frozen, we removed the balloon portion, leaving behind balls of ice with frozen berries inside. Ice provides a lot of enrichment for the chimps. And ice with frozen blueberries inside seems to be even more enjoyable when temperatures exceed 100 degrees like they did today.

YouTube video

I can’t decide which part I love more; Jamie’s use of a tool or Foxie rubbing her toes together…which is your favorite?

10 Comments

  1. Avatar Jackie on August 2, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    Love both methods of getting the berries.



  2. Avatar Julie on August 2, 2015 at 6:06 pm

    I loved both!



  3. Avatar Joseph Garza on August 2, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    Absolutely adorable.



  4. Avatar Kathleen on August 2, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    I love it all, tools and toes, but Jamie’s pant hoot was my very favorite part!! Especially her last 3 little barks. LOVED it!



  5. Avatar Tiki Kim (Forwood) on August 2, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    LOVE! ice treats are awesome no matter how they are made. this is a great idea. make sure to check, some balloons have powder in them, not sure if thats a caution point or not. … jamie’s tool use is brilliant! i have no doubt how smart they are, but still always joyed to see it confirmed. … those foxie toes are adorable! thank you for enriching everyday of their lives and for making them feel comfortable and content!



    • Avatar keri on August 3, 2015 at 5:11 pm

      Hi Tiki. Thank you for your comment! Yes, you are absolutely right in that some balloons do have a powder inside. A rinse before filling them up all the way helps to get rid of it.



  6. Avatar Dalyce Kowalski on August 2, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    Such a clever girl that Jamie! And Foxie, well I could watch video of her rubbing her toes together – all day long … Warms my heart.



  7. Avatar Jeani Goodrich on August 2, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    How can you pick between these two adorable ladies?!!? Jamie’s pant hoots or Foxie’s cute toes, OMG! I can’t believe anyone can choose one over the other! Great idea with the ice balls and blueberries and great video. Thanks.



  8. Avatar Pat Malcolm on August 3, 2015 at 7:20 am

    This post arrived in my mailbox with only a number in the subject line. If you’re going to number posts that’s ok, so long as the number also has some descriptive language along with it. I save favorites to re read, and if there’s no description in the subject line I won’t be able to tell them apart. Also, as a retired marketing professional I can tell you a description is more appealing to open than a number and you may lose readership with numbers.



    • Avatar keri on August 3, 2015 at 5:08 pm

      Hi Pat. Sorry for the number that appeared in the subject line. Unfortunately I realized just after posting the original blog that I did not include a title. I edited the blog right away to include the title, but unfortunately a number was already assigned to that blog, hence the reason why a number came up in your subject line.



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