Would you eat an Icee in the dead of winter? Chimpanzees will and they seem to love it!

Noel and the other former research chimpanzees at Project Chimps didn’t hesitate when caregivers served them giant frozen blocks of juice, colorful paper mache “eggs,” twisted paper vines filled with seeds, bamboo “shakers” with sunflowers seeds, and open-ended bamboo tubes smeared with peanut butter and chia seeds on the inside. All of these colorful and engaging items were part of a special February celebration for the chimps.

Former research chimps Kareem and Collin enjoy a frozen juice block at Project Chimps.

Squeals of excitement filled the air

Each of the 59 chimpanzees now in retirement at the Project Chimps sanctuary seemed to relish the special day planned by caregivers and volunteers. The sanctuary was filled with screams of excitement (from the chimps) and there was a constant hum of food squeaks and food grunts as the chimps discovered and devoured the tasty treats.

Thirty-year-old Kareem and the other males in Villa 4 seemed beside themselves with anticipation. They watched the caregivers scatter the items on the porch from inside their villa bedroom. After the caregivers left the porch and open the doors, Kareem, Alex, Ronald, Jermaine and Collin rushed in to examine the treats. Ronald ran to Kareem for reassurance and together, they started to discover the hidden treasures in each enrichment item.

Chimpanzee caregiver Madeline Silva helped to organize the celebration, which marked the birthdays of chimpanzees Betty (Feb. 7), Patrick (Feb. 19), Arthur (Feb. 20), Kennedy (Feb. 21), Harley (Feb. 23), and twins Buttercup and Charisse (Feb. 24).

Chimpanzees like to browse

The porch areas of each of the chimpanzee villas were carpeted in beautiful green bamboo, an invasive but edible species of plant that grows in one area of the sanctuary grounds. The chimpanzees “browse” the bamboo and other edible native plants, eating the leaves and later the stems, as chimpanzees would in the wild.

Eight-year-old Kivuli is learning how to use tools, as chimps do in the wild. He used a small stick to scoop out the peanut butter and seeds inside this bamboo stick.

The caregivers provide browse to the chimps in the villas to ensure that even the chimps who choose to stay indoors have the opportunity to learn natural chimpanzee behaviors.

Chimpanzees, both wild and captive, are intelligent and many are very quick learners. Those who are not familiar with browsing edible plants as food learn by watching other chimpanzees who have more experience.

Project Chimps caregiver supervisor Brooke Allen observed that Marlon and his group of seven adult male chimpanzees had never engaged in the browse sessions until recently.

Now that Jurita her group of ten female chimps share the other side of Chimps Ahoy Villa, Marlon and the other males have learned that the plants are edible and have copied the female’s browsing behaviors, reports Brooke.

Browsing edible native plants

Chimpanzee caregiver aide Ryan Kennedy has learned to identify the edible plants that grow on the sanctuary grounds in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia. He gathers the plants and distributes them to each of the four chimp villas as enrichment. With repeated exposure, the chimpanzees learn to recognize the plants growing wild in Project Chimps’ forested, 6-acre outdoor habitat.

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the caregivers observed the chimps eating edible, native plants like (need a few here that are actually native) and wild blackberries out in the habitat. It’s a heartwarming sight to see the chimpanzees behaving outdoors as they would in the wild, after years in research facilities.

Volunteers prepare special treats

At Project Chimps we want to ensure that each chimp is engaged and stimulated in some way every single day. Each day, our volunteers and staff prepare enrichment items and activities for the chimps that may include food, puzzles, toys, and indoor or outdoor climbing structures.

Special celebrations like the one held this month are made possible by the generous donation of time, and additional food items, puzzles and toys by volunteers and private supporters. These special days are relished by human and non-human primates alike.