June 2009 Archives

One of the most enriching things we have at CHCI is the berm garden, where caregivers plant certain fruits and vegetables and the chimpanzees can watch them grow. Once the plants are ripe, the chimpanzees can request items from the berm garden and caregivers can serve these treats to them through the fencing. Sometimes they will request things before they are ready, and caregivers respond with something like, "SORRY CAN'T THAT PLANT NOT READY," "THAT PLANT BABY," or "NEED GROW MORE." Tatu can be pretty persistent however, and if she is told that a plant isn't ready - but she has her mind set on getting that plant, she will invent ways to get it on her own. Just the other day she came outside carrying two hoses in her mouth. She climbed up to the highest ledge in zone 7, behind the cargo net, and squatted down to the point where she was barely hanging on to the edge of the corner ledge. She looked down at the two hoses, which were in her hands now, and dropped one. It was insufficient. She took the other one, which was longer, and started feeding it through the fencing to hook the apple tree that grows just outside the fencing in that corner of the berm. The apples are only about one inch in diameter right now and very, very green. I stood there watching and signed "THAT BABY APPLE, NOT READY!" but Tatu was determined. It didn't take her long to hook the branch in just the right way in order to snag one of the apples. I laughed a little and congratulated Tatu as she happily crunched away on the very unripe and tiny apple. 

It was in the morning and I was cleaning one of the drains next the east indoor enclosure. I saw Tatu walk up to a new chimpanzee mask that had been put out as enrichment, she pointed at it and signed "THAT BLACK". We think that black is Tatu's favorite color; she also seems to use it to describe things she likes, much like we would use the word "cool". She picked up the mask, rolled it up, and shoved it though the door that I was next to. When I took the mask from her she looked at me and signed "CHASE". I put on the mask and stomped through the rooms. I ended up in the human cage. Tatu signed "NUT?" I told her "CAN'T NOW MAYBE LATER". Tatu got a piece of garden hose (we put hoses in their room every day- they use them as tools, straws, etc...) and shoved it through the caging toward me. I lifted the mask and put my end of the hose up to my mouth, blew into it as hard as I could and signed "SMELL". Tatu smelled my hose breath and signed "THAT" pointing to the chimpanzee mask. I pulled the mask back over my face (it gets hot in there!) and started a game of tug-o-war. She had a huge play face and was not going easy on me. Loulis walked up and Tatu gave him a play bite on his shoulder. Loulis joined in on tug-o-war so it was me against two chimpanzees! I didn't stand a chance. Loulis had both of his hands and one foot on the hose. Tatu peeled back his toes so she could get a better grip. They beat me. Tatu signed "NUT?". I went and got everyone a walnut.