Second Thoughts
March 20, 2014 by Elizabeth -
Jody sometimes showers her caregivers with a mouthful of water. She has this hobby in common with many other captive chimpanzees, who often find creative ways to express themselves.
Jody fills her mouth up with water at one of the wall-mounted water spigots in the chimps’ enclosure, and holds onto it for awhile, mouth bulging, apparently waiting for the perfect time to let it fly. But sometimes, we caregivers are spared when Jody seems to have second thoughts. Maybe she’s waited so long with the mouthful of water that she can’t remember why exactly she felt such an urgent need to spit it in the first place. Maybe she just decides we’re not worth the effort. In these instances, she dips her head down slightly and lets the water fall gently from her mouth in a perfect stream.
6 Comments
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This looks like a good idea to me. I think I’ll try it at work. Thanks, Jody!! You made my day.
Love, Julie
I agree! I think high school teachers would enjoy this too!
Once again, it’s the fact that Jody has this choice!
Do any of the chimpanzees spit water at each other, or do they only spit water at humans?
The chimpanzees don’t tend to spit water at each other; humans are the main targets. When you’re a captive chimp, there are only so many ways you can affect the world outside your enclosure. At CSNW chimps and humans are always separated by caging, so water spitting is one way for the chimps to let us know they don’t approve of something we’re doing. If a chimp is frustrated with another chimp, however, their physical access to each other means there are much more effective ways to get their point across.
Makes sense. Thanks for the reply.
Like Cheryl, I too am curious if chimpanzees spit water at other chimps or just humans. I have read about chimps often spitting water (and throwing poop!) on other sanctuary sites as you stated. Do the chimps do this “for fun” to see the reaction on the humans face or do they do it out of “frustration and boredom”? In the book “Next of Kin” some of the chimps spit water at people they did not like (even if meeting for the first time). What more can you tell us about water spitting, food spitting, etc. at humans. Inquiring minds want to know!
I will admit, I like Jody’s strategy, very sneaky!