Enrichment comes in many forms
December 20, 2017 by Anna -
We provide the chimpanzees at the sanctuary with a wide variety of enrichment to enhance their daily lives. The great thing about enrichment is how flexible it is!
Some enrichment (and often the most popular kind) involves food…
A forage helps exercise the chimps’ bodies and minds:
Negra
Enrichment can also have nothing to do with food…
A daily rotation of toys and other objects give the chimps new things to play with and look at each day.
Burrito
Jamie
Enrichment can be large and permanent!
Jamie on top of “Negra’s Cabin.” Missy, Annie, and Jody below.
Enrichment can be tough and durable…
Jody shakes a peanut out of a a boomer ball.
Or naturally sourced…
Annie licks peanut butter off a pine cone.
Negra nests in fresh straw.
While some enrichment might require a bit of money and assembly time to create…
Missy uses a tool in the treat rock to find peanut butter
Jody and Missy explore the towers on Young’s Hill
Other types of enrichment can be quickly created from recycled materials!
Hanging food stuffed in paper towel rolls is a free enrichment puzzle!
Jamie looks for peanut butter smears on a magazine.
Making enrichment for chimpanzees relies on a little bit of imagination and creativity. If you know someone who works with primates and would like to share ideas with us, please feel free to direct them to our enrichment database!
6 Comments
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Great picture of Jamie and her boots. It looks like Negra will be enjoying carrots and dill for lunch.
what an amazing delightful post. Interesting how she wouldn’t miss a single page and that little kiss at the end touched my heart. I wonder if it was a baby chimp that reminded her of one of the babies they ripped from her hours after each birth. JB thanks for a touching video
Silly Burrito slipping that Slinky on his foot as if were a sock. What a funny guy! Negra looks so engrossed as she builds her straw nest, great photo since we usually see Negra covered in cozy fleece. You are all so amazingly creative and putting your ideas into an easy access data base is such a wonderful gift for all sanctuaries and zoos. You do not miss a trick!
Hi Elaine, you question made me go back a watch that endearing kiss one more time and you were right! I watched the video full screen on my computer and Jamie was kissing a photo of a baby bonobo with a bottle in hand!! Jamie is so incredible isn’t she?! Heavy sigh…..
great photos…so fun to see the chimps explore. such a wonferful and great job you do with enriching their lives and keeping them active…
Love to see the chimps enjoying themselves!