Pan bloglodytes

There are a lot of things that one must learn to do when training to be a caregiver at CHCI. I have been training for Chimp Care for a few months now, and the only thing I had yet to experience was an interaction on berm (the walkway and garden along the outdoor enclosure). 

Since the Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day fell on the same date this year, the chimpanzees at CHCI celebrated Chinese New Year a little early. For Valentine's day, decorations and other related party items were prepared over the three-day weekend and were ready for the chimpanzees to enjoy!



While every day at CHCI there is a theme to the enrichment that the chimpanzees receive, the themed enrichment on holidays is extra special. All of the students and volunteers at CHCI worked together to make hand-crafted decorations for the chimpanzees' RED HUG/LOVE DAY celebration. The East Play Room was decked out in red and white and pink streamers, hearts, and clothes. Cellophane bags held stuffed animals and tasty treats. Perky purses and apparel pockets hid more treats, including lollipops, chocolate-covered marshmallows, peanut butter cheese cracker packs, raisins, sunflower seeds, and 100%-fruit-juice boxes.



Dar collected several of the cellophane bags and sat on the wooden platform to enjoy the spoils: lollipops, raisins, and sunflower seeds. He opened all of the bags with his teeth and peeled the cellophane back like wrapping paper. Loulis went for the treats hidden on the upper wooden platform - marshmallows and fruit juice. Loulis also pulled down all of the streamers one by one, making a colorful mess on the floor. Tatu found all of the peanut butter cheese crackers and ate the peanut butter first, before enjoying the crackers.



After all the treats were gone, the chimpanzees settled down for mid-morning naps. Valentine's Day was a sweet success!

This year the Chinese (Lunar) New Year and Valentine's Day fell on the same day, so we celebrated the New Year a little early. In the East Room, interns hung paper dragons, dragon masks, red decorations for luck, pictures of tigers and fish, and a huge sign that said "Happy New Year" in English and Mandarin. There were also raisins, an exciting favorite.


When the doors opened, there were lots of pant-hoots, and excitement as the chimpanzees raced around, picking up raisins all over the playroom, and playing chase. After all of the raisins were gone, Loulis made another loop around the room, pulling down all of the decorations, red sheets and clothes, streamers, the paper dragon hanging over the wooden platform, and finally the red "Happy New Year" sign.



For dinner, all three of the chimpanzees attended a special order Chinese take-out party sponsored by Kathy Gee.  We ordered the following items from Panda Garden for the feast: Egg Flower Soup, Crab Cheese Won Tons; Almond Chicken; Garlic Chicken; Vegetable Fried Rice and extra Fortune Cookies (3 each).  Prior to the start of the meal the interns were drooling over the smell and we took bets on which items might be favored.


The meal offered a number of surprises.  First, the Egg Flower Soup was served as a forage in paper cups hidden in the night-time enclosures.  Although Dar tasted the soup, the forage was primarily commandeered by Tatu, who drank almost every cupful while Dar and Loulis looked on.  Crackers were a bust so Dani, the evening's server, moved onto the main courses.  In the second surprise of the evening Dar took a shining to the Crab Cheese Won Tons and managed to eat all eight!! Tatu picked through the offerings for bits and pieces while Loulis tasted everything on the plate.  Interestingly, no one was very taken with the chicken.


The fortune cookies were served for desert and enjoyed by all, once we told them they were cookies!   Prior to that explanation the chimpanzees merely looked askance at this seemingly ridiculous looking offering.  At least, that's what I imagine they were thinking considering their initial facial expressions and general lack of excitement.  Overall the meal was quite a success but maybe next time we should try some pork? 

Sunday was a holiday in American culture; Super Bowl Sunday- a day
usually filled with lots of snacks, friends, and excitement. Super
Bowl Sunday was no different for the chimpanzees this year, with a
special meal cooked up for the occasion. For an appetizer, in addition to
their protein biscuits, the chimpanzees foraged in their night enclosure
area for air-popped popcorn; Tatu excitedly pant-hooted early in the
morning signing POPCORN/ when she was told about the afternoon's forage.
In true game-day fashion, the chimpanzees enjoyed nachos (tortilla chips
covered with melted cheddar cheese)and hot dogs (ethical and organic, of
course!) with mustard as their main course, with celery and carrot sticks
on the side.


               Dar especially enjoyed the nachos, eating the cheese from
his own bowl while holding Tatu and Loulis' servings in his hands and
feet. Tatu enjoyed the hot dogs with mustard, eating extra portions that
Dar and Loulis left behind. Loulis enjoyed a little bit of everything,
including the popcorn forage. Overall, it was a delicious and enriching
meal for the chimpanzees of CHCI; nomatter who the winning team happened
to be!

At CHCI we do a lot of research on human interactions with the chimpanzees that live here. I have been thinking a lot about my own behavior when I interact with Tatu, Loulis, and Dar. So, I thought I would write about an interaction that Loulis and I just had.

It's very cold here in Ellensburg during the winter, and the chimpanzees spend a lot of their time indoors. As such, we try to provide many fun activities to keep them from developing too-bad a case of cabin fever. I was in the observation area when Loulis approached me for a game of chase. Since no other humans were around, I decided to get especially silly, and jumped up on the window ledge so that I could be up against the glass. Loulis seemed to think this was excellent, and started playfully knocking on the glass, and rubbing his knuckles up and down with a huge play face. I turned my back to him so that I could kick the glass with my bare feet. He responded in turn by turning his back and kicking the glass in the same place I was. I found it so interesting that he changed his posture to imitate my own that when he climbed down to play more chase, I did the same, and did my best to make it appear that I was running quadrupedally along the glass with him. When he back-hand-thumped the glass, I did the same, banging my wrist on the glass where he banged his wrist. This seemed to make him even more excited, and we ran along the glass together, banging our wrists and laughing for many minutes.

My wrist is a little sore now, but I've learned a valuable lesson about how adjusting my own behavior, as Loulis adjusted his, can make for a great interaction.

Editor's Note: Kelly has been working at CHCI for more than three years, and finished her time here as a Tech, the highest level of training available at CHCI.

December 31st is the end of my three year journey here at CHCI. I came to Central in 2005 for the Primate Behavior and Ecology major not knowing what to really expect. My sophomore year I started as an intern at CHCI and my life has never been the same. Not only have I met some really amazing human primates, but I have had the chance to meet four amazing non-human primates.

Some people find it hard to believe that I would be so strongly impacted by chimpanzees, but what they don't know is the first time you really look a chimpanzee in the eyes, you have a realization that they are so much more complex than you ever gave them credit for, or at least that is how my experience went. It's hard to put into words how it feels to have Tatu invite you into a peaceful grooming session for the first time, or how good it feels to have Dar offer you a kiss on a day when it seems like life is getting too crazy. I think the chimpanzees here have taught me some really great life lessons that I am lucky enough to walk away with. I think one lesson would be to enjoy the little things in life that most people take for granted, like being able to go outside. We aren't able to let the chimpanzees go outside if it is below 20 degrees which, if you've ever been to Ellensburg, can be quite a few days in the winter. I have had a few moments where I would be opening the door and the excitement would be overwhelming.

Yet, most humans don't have to worry about not having the choice to go outside. In fact, as humans we have almost unlimited choices in everything. The chimpanzees here are given as many choices as possible, including who they choose to be friends with, and like any friendship there is a level of patience and forgiveness involved. Some may argue that chimpanzees aren't patient, but if you've ever trained someone to give a drink from a hose you will see a lot of patience on the chimp's part. I have seen people accidentally spray the chimpanzees while trying to give them a drink and the chimpanzees' reaction isn't always anger, but often they may adjust and give the person another chance. I think this may be the greatest lesson I have learned from the family here.

Although I am leaving, I know the chimpanzees will be in good hands and will be well taken care of. So all I can say is goodbye Tatu, Loulis, and Dar. You guys are wonderful and I hope you continue to shape others who have the opportunity to be your friends. To all of the human primates, thank you for always supporting me and thank you for all the good times. I will miss you all.

The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute is located on a university campus. As such, the number of interns who are able to put time in over school holidays is limited. But, those interns who do stay find ways to have a good time, even without their home-bound comrades.