Lunch time is usually a pretty peaceful affair for the chimpanzees. The morning cleaning has just finished and the chimps get to enjoy their meal in any part of their enclosure that they wish. Usually, most of the chimpanzees will linger in the area that we serve the meal so they don’t miss any of the lunch action. Some chimpanzees (especially Missy), will take their vegetables and eat them in a different area for privacy or comfort.

Today Missy took her vegetables to her nest upstairs in the playroom. She came back to the lunch service to grab the food she was interested in and chose to take it all “to-go.”

The last course of lunch is small paper bags filled with primate chow (2 per chimpanzee). The bags signal that lunch is over and are convenient for each chimp to take their portions off to their own space. This way, the last part of lunch can be spent leisurely snacking.

Burrito took his portion up the stairs in the playroom.

Negra saved a pepper to go with her chow bags today.

Annie made a wadge in her lips with all of her chow.

And Foxie savored each piece.