The VIP Lounge
November 7, 2022 by Anthony -
The chimpanzees spend more time resting and socializing in the heated indoor areas as the weather gets wetter and colder.
We’ve recently been focusing much of our content on the chimps’ outdoor enclosures, especially Young’s Hill and The Bray. Large outdoor habitats are irreplaceable because they provide chimpanzees with unique opportunities to engage in “natural” behaviors such as climbing, foraging, and patrolling as a group. The greenhouse-type enclosures, including the new Riverview and Oakwood Greenhouses, also have certain characteristics that the chimps can take full advantage of at their leisure.
Even so, chimpanzees living in sanctuary also need clean, climate-controlled, enriched indoor spaces. These are locations where they can be cozy, entertained and secure, regardless of the conditions outside. It would be easy to look at the artificial interiors and think that these enclosures are inferior to the outdoor ones, but the chimpanzees don’t seem to think so. Instead, the residents seem to utilize the various spaces differently so that together they provide one expansive, complex, multi-functional home.
Sofia highlighted the indoor front rooms in her September post “Back to Front Room 7” and Anna wrote about them again in last week’s post “Small space, big fun“. I thought it might be fun to share some additional video clips of the chimpanzees enjoying that same space today!
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I just have to share this:blush:
https://twitter.com/fasc1nate/status/1588613809094418433
Hi Paulette,this is one of my all time favorite videos. That’s Zola (the most joyous playface ever!) The video was originally posted back in 2017 when Zola was 14 years old. He lives at the Dallas Zoo. You must google him because there’s another video of him dancing in water when he was youngster. Amazing isn’t it?! I play it often for a mood booster.
Thank you Kathleen! I’ll look her up. She’s wonderful!:heart_eyes:
oops. I mean “him”
Terry’s raspberries are a little weak….!!!!!!:relieved:
Well, there are raspberries and there are Bronx cheers… depending on the context, one assumes that Terry has to vary his speech patterns based on his immediate audience and context. I would guess that the mangoes at Lucky’s birthday party yesterday might have inspired him to elicit many a Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan cheer!
What a lovely blog. I had been thinking just lately how the interior space has grown since I began following the original chimps. There are so many different places they now to socialize, ponder I’m not sure what in quiet solitude, celebrate, groom, talk and interact among themselves, perhaps with their best friend, and of course play silly or seriously. You have done such a fabulous thoughtful job in how the rooms are designed to.provide easy movement through the spaces. I am really quite in awe of the home you have built and continue to build for these very special people. You seem to think of everything. I have no doubt that they love their home and that is a priceless gift.
I love the quiet alone time and i wonder what they are thinking about when they are just chillin’? I also want to say that grooming is a very serious event, the looks of concentration are just incredible!
Sweet, quiet, everday moments. Everyone looking comfortable, content, and cozy.
Lovely quiet moments.
Anthony, is what Cy is doing with his teeth typical, or do you think he might have something going on that’s causing him discomfort?
Paulette, that’s hilarious! I’ve never seen that one before! The music DOES suit it, too!