Archive for the ‘Chimpanzees’ Category

May
23

‘Spotlight on Species’ Chimpanzee

Posted by in African Forest,Chimpanzees,Conservation,Endangered Species,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Primates

Chimpanzees are very intelligent and incredibly resourceful when in comes to creating ways to obtain their food.  Visitors to the Houston Zoo can see an example of this creativity on a daily basis during the 12:30 keeper chat. The chimpanzee exhibit has its very own termite mound replica and guests can watch the chimpanzees modify and use branches to retrieve delicious treats such as yogurt, bananas, or juice .

Lucy fishing at replica termite mound.

Chimpanzees in the wild exhibit a similar behavior by modifying branches to fish for termites. Other examples of tool use by chimpanzees in the wild include modifying branches into spears for hunting small mammals, using rocks to crack nuts, wadding leaves as sponges to soak up water, and bunching leaves and branches to make comfortable nests to sleep in at night.

When visiting the Houston Zoo chimpanzee exhibit, take a second to watch the different techniques the chimpanzees use to ‘fish’ for their treats in the termite mound.  Lucy’s favorite spot is the top of the termite mound. This is prime real estate when it is time to ‘fish.’ It is also a great spot for her to observe guests of the zoo and all their entertaining antics. She usually chews on the end of her branch in order to make it better able to soak up liquids or makes it flatter so that it can scoop more treats out of the tubes.

Willie

 

Willie, the juvenile, has his own unique technique. Instead of modifying his own branch, he usually tries to steal someone else’s already modified tool. If he doesn’t steal the tool, he may sit just next to another chimpanzee and take their delicious treat off the end of their branch before they get a chance to enjoy it.

 

 

 

Let us know your suggestions for what tasty treat to put in the chimpanzees’ termite mound, then stop by on May 25-27 for a ‘Spotlight on Species’ focusing on Chimpanzees to see what they are fishing for that day. The ‘Spotlight on Species’ will be from 10am-3pm and there will be many fun and educational activities to help visitors learn about chimpanzees. You can bring in old cell phones for recycling in exchange for a chimpanzee conservation bracelet. Meet the primate keepers who care for the Houston Zoo’s chimpanzees at 12:30 and 2:30 during a keeper chat.

Mar
30

Double Point Days in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Chimpanzees,Conservation,Endangered Species,Just for Kids,Primates,Spotlight on Species,Swap Shop,Uncategorized,Wortham World of Primates

How can you get DOUBLE points in the Swap Shop?  We are again offering double points for Nature Journals on the animals in the spotlight at the Houston Zoo. 

Chimpanzee

Nature Journals can be as simple as information on sheets of notebook paper.  They can be as detailed and elaborate as you like – the only limit is your imagination.  But remember, the more work you put into your journal, the more points you will get.  So, do some research and get ready for double points!  Please note that in order to get double points, the journal must be on the animal or animals in the spotlight and brought in the day of the event.

The upcoming Spotlight on the Species are as follows:

April 20 – Bear Awareness Day

May 17 – Endangered Species Day

May 25 – Chimpanzee Spotlight on the Species      

Ring-tailed Lemur

August 31 – Lemur Spotlight on the Species

Need more information on the Naturally Wild Swap Shop?  Click here.

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Jun
02

Learning how to use all this new technology is hard work!

Posted by in African Forest,Animal News & Updates,Chimpanzees,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Primates

Well, except if you are a chimpanzee or an orangutan at the Houston Zoo, then it can be tons of fun. As mentioned previously in Problem Solving with Apes, the orangutans and chimpanzees are using the iPad as a form of enrichment.

So how does a chimpanzee or orangutan use an iPad?

Kelly using iPad

For starters, the iPad is held by a keeper outside of the ape’s enclosure. Orangutans with their curious nature love to take things apart to see how they work. Rambunctious chimpanzees tend to use everything in their path when creating big noisy displays. Unfortunately, the iPad would not withstand either one of these situations. A protective case called an Otterbox is also used to ensure that the iPad is not damaged by the more enthusiastic apes.

Both the orangutans and chimpanzees are still able to touch and interact with the iPad. The choice to interact is completely up to the individual. They can walk away from the iPad when they choose and no food treats are given as a reward for interacting with the iPad. Playing with apps on the iPad is the treat! Most of our chimpanzees and orangutans love this new enrichment item and become very excited when they see the keeper approaching with it.

Mac playing the piano

 

 

To introduce the iPad, keepers started with just showing it to the apes. Videos were shown first as well as various storybooks. They are especially fond of videos featuring themselves or other apes! Keepers then began to demonstrate apps to them. As individuals showed interest in touching the screen and interacting with the iPad, keepers gave them the opportunity.

Cheyenne and Aurora fishing on the iPad

 

 

 

 

 

At this point, one of the most difficult challenges was discovered. The iPad reacts to an electrical current from the body. Touching with a fingernail does not work and as Cheyenne, an orangutan that is particularly good at problem solving, discovered neither did any of the amazing tools she created using branches, paper, or cardboard.

 

 

 

 

Some quickly figured out that the finger pad was the best option to use to work with the iPad. Others eventually caught on after observing the successful interactions of other apes. Lulu, an independent chimpanzee, invented her own way of interacting with the iPad using the back of her finger. This is particularly useful if you want to paint a large area of the iPad screen quickly. Lulu, who is one of the older mothers in the chimpanzee group, was also helpful in demonstrating how to use the iPad to other more hesitant chimpanzees.

Now that most of the chimpanzees and orangutans have figured out how to interact with the iPad, the next step is introducing them to a wide variety of apps. Stay posted for details on just how we pick out apps for them to use.

 

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May
16

Problem Solving with Apes

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Primates

Chimpanzees and orangutans, two great ape species, can be found at the Houston Zoo. These amazing animals are incredibly intelligent. In the wild, this intelligence is constantly being put to the test as they encounter novel situations on a daily basis. To deal with these novel situations as well as completing everyday tasks, apes have developed keen problem solving skills. They use tools such as branches or rocks to help them obtain difficult food items such as nuts or termites. They build complicated nests out of branches and leaves each night high up in the trees to help keep them safe as they sleep. They use leaves to shelter them from rain or to collect water to drink.

Indah painting on iPad

Great apes that live in zoos such as the orangutans and chimpanzees have a team of dedicated keepers that ensure that their basic necessities such as food, water, and safe shelter are met on a daily basis. However, a zoo keeper’s job also involves ensuring that the animal has the highest quality of life possible. So not only are keepers interested in meeting the animal’s basic needs but also in making sure that the animals are constantly being engaged and stimulated by their environment. This is an especially important challenge when working with great apes due to their intelligence. The devices and activities that keepers use to accomplish this goal are referred to as enrichment as they enrich the lives of the animals.

Apes can quickly figure out many enrichment devices and keepers constantly are faced with the problem of trying to come up with new ideas to capture their interest. The Houston Zoo primate department’s newest solution to this problem is ……. the iPad!

Sally creating a masterpiece with a musical app.

 

Now many of you may wonder, what do the orangutans and chimpanzees do with an iPad? The answer is … they play with apps, of course! The iPad screen is the perfect fit for orangutan and chimpanzee fingers. Its small size makes it very easy to move so keepers can introduce it to the chimpanzees in the training room, to the orangutans at the viewing window or at any of the many rooms found in the animals’ holding area. The quantity and variety of apps available make it easy to keep the device novel and interesting for both the orangutans and the chimpanzees. Stay posted for more updates on this new fun enrichment project with our orangutans and chimpanzees!

 

 

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Dec
22

12 Days of Grub: Day 10 – Ten Chimps a Chasing

Posted by in African Forest,Chimpanzees,Feeding Our Animals,Supporting Your Zoo

On the Tenth Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Ten Chimps a Chasing, Nine Fruit Bats Flying, Eight Giraffes a Galloping, Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

For most wild animals, the acquisition and consumption of food is not just a casual activity, but in fact a full-time job.  A wild chimpanzee in Africa must always be on the search for ripe fruit, edible greens, tasty termites or ants, hard-shelled nuts  and yes, even small animals to hunt and eat.

Although we can’t re-create a wild chimpanzee diet, here at the Houston Zoo, we provide our chimps with a healthy variety of food including many types of lettuce, fruits, vegetables, nuts, different types of local plants and a specialized “biscuit” made for primates in zoos.  We also give them many types of treats which make up only a small portion of their diet, but are their favorites, including popcorn, peanut butter, honey and fruit juice.

Lucy enjoys some sweet potato and sunshine

Our chimps did not grow up hunting or eating termites, ants or meat, so this is not included in their Houston Zoo diet, but they are given the daily opportunity to show off their amazing ability to use tools by “fishing” for sweet or savory treats in our termite mound replica.

The chimps enjoy using sticks to “fish” for delicious treats

In order to keep their day interesting and to keep them active, the chimps’ meals are provided at different times throughout the day.  One of their favorite types of food is “browse”, or edible plants collected for them throughout the zoo by our own amazing Horticulture team.  Everyday the chimps get some combination of mulberry, banana leaves, willow, fig leaves or other edible plants.

Mac enjoys fig leaves

Chimps aren’t great at sharing their food with one another with a few notable exceptions (moms and their babies, males “wooing” receptive females, etc.)   They have a fairly stable social hierarchy and the higher-ranking chimps have first access to the yummy stuff.  For that reason, it is important that we make sure the food is scattered throughout the chimps’ entire habitat so that each member has the opportunity to collect food, and there is always enough for everyone.

Feeding the zoo’s animals is one of the best parts of being a zookeeper.  We enjoy giving them their food almost as much as they enjoy eating it!

Give the Gift of Grub this holiday season to help provide tasty meals for our chimpanzees and all of the animals at the Houston Zoo!  Our chimps send their ape-preciation for your support.

Thank you also to TXU Energy for generously matching the first $25,000 in donations this year!

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Dec
16

Free Educational iPad Book About Chimps Now Available

Posted by in Chimpanzees,Conservation,Holidays,Just for Kids,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Zoo News

Chimps Should Be Chimps is designed for early readers

Available just in time for holiday reading, a new children’s book for iPad, Chimps Should Be Chimps is now available for download fre free from the App Store.

Published by Lincoln Park Zoo’s Project ChimpCARE, Chimps Should Be Chimps is designed for early readers aged 3 to 8 years of age and offers an interactive and engaging story that aims to educate and inform kids – and their parents – perceptions about chimpanzees.

“Too often, first impressions about chimpanzees are formed by seeing them in human clothes performing in movies or television shows,” said Steve Ross, PhD, founder of Project ChimpCARE.

“Unfortunately, recent research suggests that these impressions can be lasting and have detrimental consequences for this endangered species,” added Ross.

Chimps Should Be Chimps provides kids, and their parents, with a different impression – one that looks at life from the perspective of the chimpanzee. Through rhyming, lyrical prose, the story is told through the eyes of two chimpanzee characters: wise old Poe and his granddaughter Lulu who live amongst other chimps at a local zoo.

The engaging story is highlighted with bright, colorful and playful illustrations which seem to come to life with the stroke of a finger on the iPad screen. The multisensory book includes the sounds of waterfalls, music and birds to bring the characters to life.

The story highlights things that chimpanzees love to do including climbing and swinging in trees, fishing for termites, building nests and playing with other chimpanzees.

The story carefully conveys a message about things that do not make chimpanzees happy, such as being separated from their mother at an early age and being isolated from their peers to be used for performances in movies or TV shows.
“The inspiration for the book came from trying to talk to my own children about chimpanzees,” explained Ross. “The story aims to relate how chimpanzees deserve to be free from these antiquated practices of being dressed up for human amusement. But perhaps just as importantly, it conveys to kids the importance of being yourself and believing in what comes naturally to you.”

Chimps Should Be Chimps was created in partnership with Manning Productions. Find out more about this free iPad book, see illustrations, view the book trailer and get details behind the scenes interviews about the creation of this children’s app and the work of Project ChimpCARE when you visit www.chimpsshouldbechimps.com.

One lucky person could win a brand new iPad! Sign up to win when you visit www.lpzoo.org/chimpcare until December 31. The lucky winner will be notified on January 16, 2012.

 

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Dec
06

Foto Friday Winner of the Week

Posted by in African Forest,Chimpanzees,Contest,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Featured

The FOTO FRIDAY caption challenge results are in!

Last Friday we posted our weekly Foto Friday pic and invited you to leave your best caption in the comment section. Then readers “liked” each caption comment to vote for their favorites. Their votes, combined with those of our own panel, determined the caption to appear under the picture right here on the Official Houston Zoo Blog this week.

YOUR VOTES HELP DETERMINE THE WINNERS!

Here is the picture that was posted along with the top voted caption by Jane Judd Peikert, whose caption won by a landslide!

We're never going to finish if you keep eating all the fruit!

FIRST RUNNERS UP – a tie between:

Hillary Skeryanc-Mann: He needs an ear right here.
Charlie Paul: We can call him Parson Brown!

SECOND RUNNER UP:

Alma Garza Mescher: By the time his cousin, Frosty, gets the ransom together, he’s gonna be slush and we’re going to have to make do with selling him to Sonic.

THIRD RUNNERS UP – a tie between:

Dana Rice: We have some ice to pick with you!
Dana Rice: Are you losing weight?
Cathy Rackley Todd: Monkey see & monkey do!
Christine Ledder: Wow the kitchen crew is really evolving…snow sculpture!
Excargo Services: How will we communicate with the primate?
Lacy Pekarik: The face of that snowman looks like a seal.
Pat Harper Patterson: Hey! This rude guy is STARING at you, but you shouldn’t poke him in the eye!!! I’ll bet his frosty attitude will melt away soon.
Elizabeth Riley Firchau: “Back off! I already called dibs on the scarf!!”
Debbie Bazan: Get Italy on the phone. I’ve created a new masterpiece.
Rebecca Dolen Bowers: Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle….. a snowman in Houston.

Thanks for joining in the fun!

And please come on back for the next FOTO Friday!

The chimpanzees can be seen daily in the new African Forest section of the Houston Zoo. The snowman however is an occasional treat, part of the many types of enrichment we offer our animals.

Nov
23

Meet the Staff: Alissa Fuhrman

Posted by in African Forest,Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees,Featured,Meet the Staff,Wortham World of Primates

Hometown: Livermore, CA

Section: Primates-I mostly work in Chimps right now.

Quote: “If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.” Willy Wonka

Special interests/hobbies: I’m a member of a Drum and Bugle Corps.  I play the French horn and the Mellophone.  I also have 5 fresh water fish tanks at home.

Favorite animal: Amelia, a De Brazza’s Guenon; she is really cute.  Penda, a Swamp Monkey; she has a great personality.  Kerchak, a Red-capped Mangabey; he can be aggressive and unpredictable but I’ve taught him some fun behaviors that kind of off-set his personality.

Animals you train: Mangabeys, Red-tailed guenons, Swamp Monkeys, De Brazza’s Guenon, Chimpanzees

How long have you been in the animal care field?  I was a volunteer/intern beginning in 1997 at the Charles Paddock Zoo and the Oakland Zoo.  I have been a keeper here at the Houston Zoo since 2001.

What made you want to be a zookeeper? Animals are cool and can be easier to relate to than people sometimes.  In Junior High I wanted to work at Seaworld and work with marine mammals.

What is your previous education/training? I have a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science with a concentration in Zoo and Exotics from California Polytechnic State University.

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field? Volunteer and be well rounded. You need to know how to work with tools and be creative.  Work on making fun toys for your dog, similar to how we enrich animals here at the zoo.  You should also read “Don’t Shoot the Dog” by Karen Pryor to learn more about animal training.

What is your favorite animal story?
Naku, our Swamp Monkey, loves his pool. He likes to take things from the yard and soak them in the pool.  We decided to put grass sod in the yard for greenery and give them something else to walk on.  The day we put the sod in, Naku decided to take each sheet and drag it to the pool.  80 squares of grass was in the water.  He had fun that day.

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