Posts by Anna
Still new and fascinating
The chimps had their first experience with fresh jackfruit this week and have really been enjoying it! For those not so familiar with this fruit, it is quite large and odd looking. We’ve been cutting the (same!) giant fruit into pieces for the chimps to enjoy for several days now. Negra took her breakfast jackfruit…
Read MoreThe maiden voyage
The chimps still love their newest structure! Today it was the first thing they investigated during their early morning excursion and Jamie has been taking breaks on her perimeter walks to climb and sit on it. Here’s a video from Sunday of their very first outing on the structure after they patiently waited for our…
Read MoreA little extra fresh air
Last weekend, JB took down a couple of the clear plastic panels that surround the chimps’ greenhouse enclosure. We can take these panels on and off, depending on the weather. The chimps don’t mind at all! Cozy blankets, a good view, and a little extra fresh air: the perfect springtime combination! Just ask Negra:
Read MoreQuiet friends
This morning we watched the chimps go out on Young’s Hill for their first adventure of the day. They did their usual scatter into the wind technique, each chimp moving in a different direction, checking out all the changes that occurred overnight. The chimps all have different priorities when they’re outside, but there is usually…
Read MoreMotivation for the Queen
Negra isn’t always brimming with patience for enrichment projects, but when a food puzzle involves peanuts or peanut butter, she usually puts in a pretty good effort. Here she takes apart some stackable kid’s snack cups to find hidden treasures.
Read MoreBest boots of all time
A tribute to a few of Jamie’s favorite things.
Read MoreFor the thrill of it
When Jamie decides she wants to go for a walk with a caregiver, there is almost always one chimp that decides to join the hike. Quite often, it’s Missy, but it isn’t always so obvious at first. Instead of following close behind, Missy makes sure to give Jamie a big head start so she can…
Read MoreRainy day puzzles
A rainy day like today seemed like a good time to introduce the chimps to a new enrichment food puzzle. Before we fully integrate a puzzle into the chimps’ enrichment schedule, we often do a trial run where we try and gauge the chimps’ level of interest in the puzzle, as well as how difficult…
Read MoreA burst of happiness
When some of the chimps are feeling a bit silly and relaxed, they have this little routine they do where they lay on their back and flail their arms and legs in the air and side to side for a few seconds. It’s sort of like a shiver of joy, contentment and energy runs through…
Read MoreAdded enrichment
Believe it or not, Jamie, the self-appointed boss, has a tendency to hoard enrichment food puzzles. If we put out a dozen Kongs with peanuts in them, Jamie always winds up with a big pile and more than her fair share. To encourage “sharing,” we try to spread out the enrichment as far as possible…
Read MoreThe infectious joy of grabbing feet
Last week after the chimps’ enjoyed a St. Patrick’s Day party in the greenhouse, Jamie and I went for a walk around Young’s Hill together. Like many of Jamie’s walks, this gives some of the other chimps an excuse to spend some more time outdoors as well. Missy was a bullet of energy, running around…
Read MoreSlow to rise
Negra isn’t exactly a morning person, so it’s always a surprise to see her without a blanket over her head when we first arrive at the sanctuary. This morning, half her face seemed to be still drooping with sleep and she had some serious bed head: The sight of staff caregiver Katelyn arriving (with some…
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