Posts by Chad de Bree
Welcome to the New Playroom!
Today was the day! Willy B, Honey B, and Mave were finally able to move into one of the new playrooms! We are beyond thrilled they now have so much more extra room! As you know, this is only part of our plans to expand. With the construction crew finished with the playrooms, they have…
Read MoreBurrito and the Chamber of Play
It was a busy day today. The construction crew worked hard to begin installing the new doors in the new playrooms. Since they spent most of their time in the Mezzanine, that means Willy B, Honey B, and Mave had to stay in the Front Rooms and Chute while the crew was up there. The…
Read MoreOdds & Ends
Every so often, I get that dreadful warning that my phone’s memory is almost at capacity. I have a certain degree of confidence I am not the only one here who constantly takes pictures with their phone, thinks “This would be great for the blog,” then forgets about them when our day to write a…
Read MoreA Sense of Things to Come
The sun was bright and warm today, and birds were flying around the sanctuary every which way. There is a sense of Spring in the air, even though Old Man Winter may bring his snowy forecast once more this week before being banished for the next couple of months. Regardless, everybody seems to be enjoying…
Read MoreMorning Adventures and Afternoon Naps
The staff will continue our positive reinforcement training this afternoon. But before we dive into our training, here are some photos of some chimpanzee adventures and naps. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite piece of art! The three designs with the most votes will win the People’s Choice awards! So be sure to vote…
Read MoreTraining Continues
Today, the staff continued our PRT training. However, I was able to take a few photos from today of the Seven enjoying Young’s Hill! The days have been getting warmer and the snow is disappearing quickly. Just like yesterday, the Seven (minus one) spent a lot of time today exploring Young’s Hill. When the door…
Read MoreMave, Maeve, Meadhbh, Medb
Scrolling across social media, I came across a page that dives deep into Irish sayings, names, language, traditions, etc. I’m a huge fan of learning about different cultures and languages. I guess that’s how I developed my interest in studying chimpanzee communication and cultures. It was the perfect blend of learning about two things I…
Read MoreThe Path to a New Day
As the snow continued to come down this morning as staff arrived, we were prepared for another snowy day. We were anticipating a full day of snow as the forecast had predicted. Luckily enough, we caught a break! By early afternoon, the sun broke free of it’s clouded prison and started to warm the cold…
Read MoreLet’s All Go To The Movies
As staff training still continues, we didn’t want to leave the chimpanzees without much to do while we continue to progress our PRT program. So today we decided to throw them something fun. Today was “Let’s Go To The Movies Day.” We put out some ticket rolls and bags of popcorn to munch on. Negra…
Read MorePardon the Interruption
Today, staff will be under going training this afternoon. We are hoping to analyze and enhance our positive reinforcement training program since we are always trying to find ways to better ourselves as caregivers to provide the best care we can for the chimpanzees and cattle. Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is a cooperative health monitoring…
Read MoreConiferous Cold Cabbage
It began snowing on Sunday and hasn’t really stopped since. Though it hasn’t been a heavy snowfall, it’s enough for it to start to feel like winter finally is here after several bouts of warm weather. When the caregivers began to arrive at the sanctuary in the morning, they were greeted by something to remind…
Read MoreSleight of Hand
One common question that we are asked right here on the blog, as well on Facebook and Instagram is how do we know what the chimpanzees are trying to tell us, or how do we know what they’re requesting. A lot of it has to do with gestural communication. Throughout the years, studies have been…
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