I know I've used this picture before, but I just love it so much, I gave it a reprise. (creds to CSNW)
This face will more than likely be my next tattoo; ALL HAIL THE QUEEN.
Jamie is very much aware of what we say. She understands all too well what we are trying to do and where it ranks on the important scale. She is arguably the most intelligent chimpanzee at CSNW and the more time I spend with the chimps the more obvious that becomes. She is quite the tool maker and user, the first to snatch left over food that was dropped outside the caging and is the first to tell you when you have made a mistake. She can be the most charming chimp in the house and then immediately reverse her request. (ie: she gestures at a piece of food outside the caging she wants, you ask if its okay to pick it up and give it to her, she nods, you pick it up, and she displays and bangs on the caging saying "I did not say you could touch that, ya fool!"
I can't pick favorites at CSNW because the chimps are all so different from one another and each fill a different part of my little primate heart. But I could admit that Jamie is my favorite to learn from, because every time I'm there she teaches me something about how smart chimpanzees really are. How they really understand situations and projects happening around them. Today in the chimp house I said "Some days I think Jamie chimpanzee is smarter than me." Caregiver/Volunteer Elizabeth replied "That's how we all feel most days. And don't worry, that feeling will only intensify as you get further in your training."
Jumping in with both feet I guess.
So, Doing things the "Jamie" Way, what does that mean?
WELL I'LL TELL YOU SILLY GOOSE.
In order to clean the chimp areas, we move the chimpanzees from room to room, which involves opening and closing automated doors. When we arrive in the morning the chimps have access to all areas except the hill. We close off the two doors that give access to the greenhouse, and then the humans are allowed in to clean. Usually moving the chimps is a relatively easy process. They are used to the routine of being shifted from place to place and normally in the morning they are already inside, because they know breakfast is coming (and some of the chimps love to watch us make it. aka BURRITO.)
Today we were done cleaning the greenhouse and playroom and were trying to move on to the front rooms. This is after breakfast has been served, so everyone is pretty much playing and taking a siesta. Usually the chimps are in the playroom scouring for the forage we left (forage in the playroom is typically a small food we just throw around so the chimps will come into the playroom and out of the front rooms so we can close them off.) Rooms 1,3 and 4 were closed off, and Jamie and Jody had taken up camp in room 2. Every time Lisa tried to move the doors, Jamie would throw poop at her. So, we ended up waiting in the kitchen doing laundry and making ourselves a snack until Jamie decided it was okay to leave room 2 and Lisa was allowed to close the doors. This is the Jamie way. Need I more proof that the chimps are the boss around here? I don't think so.
This is Ellie, a female elk who has taken up residence outside the young's hill electric fence. Ellie walks right up to humans to let them pet her, and has apparently sparked some animosity with the dog of the house.
Today I was lucky enough to accompany Elizabeth on a walk around the hill with Jamie. Jamie requested we wear boots on our walk, so Elizabeth put one on her hand and I wore one on my foot. Don't worry, Jamie stopped a few times around the hill to check and make sure we still had our boots.
Jamie usually requests that whoever walks with her around the hill wear a pair of boots, after the walk she likes to inspect and/or groom them. Usually the boots you have on the walk, Jamie will ask for so before the walks we hold up pairs of boots for her to choose, so we don't end up upsetting her when we wear our own boots and she can't have them after the walk.
After the walk we went into the greenhouse to see if I could observe any interactions between Elizabeth and Jamie, as I am still in the observing stage of Level 3 training. Once again, Jamie said "We are doing it my way" and insisted that she poke my boots, and I had to take off my shoes, and she wanted to groom me instead of Elizabeth. Elizabeth kept saying "Come on James, you can groom my boot. Its really cool. Look at my boot!" and Jamie kept gesturing at my feet and boots. Elizabeth's response: "Well Jamie, Becca isn't in that part of her training but if you groom my boot you can groom Becca's really soon."
Jamie's response: *turns back to us*
So, it's pretty much Jamie's way or the highway. And when Jamie doesn't get her way, its class dismissed.
Here's Burrito getting ready for breakfast. SUPER PUMPED.
L to R here's Jamie , Jody and Neggie getting ready to enjoy some breakfast.
So that's all for now. I'm almost done with stage 1 of level 3. My next stage is the "assisting" stage where I start to help serve lunch and can be invited to play by a caregiver. EXCITED.
mew mew.
-b
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