The above-ground tunnel leading from the night room to the large outside enclosure is also a favorite play area. The chimps love to race back and forth in here. We can bring the chimps in quickly through this tunnel if a storm blows up. They never sleep outside at night but come into the house to their night cages, hammocks, blankets and VCR/DVD movies.

The tunnel is connected to a large enclosure 21ft. long x 14 ft. deep x 8ft. tall. This is divided into 2 sides with a sliding door in between. This allows us to feed them separately and then run them together to play. Each side has a hammock, tire swing, a lixit for water, a ball, an over-head ladder and a stainless steel food drop. Toys are rotated daily and they are fed 4 times a day plus snacks to keep them from becoming bored. They are right outside the large playroom windows on purpose. It allows them to watch us inside and vice-versa.

 

 

Where the tunnel goes into the night room there is a smaller cage for  babies to start out in. A window opens into a bathroom so they can be brought inside quickly if a storm comes up or if they become frightened.

 

 

A wooden fence with a gate divides the pool/people area from the chimp/cage area. This fence  is designed to keep children and other visitors from getting too close to the cages.

 

 

This is the walkway between the wood fence and the cage, looking towards the door of the night room. There is plenty of shade from trees and most of the roof is covered. Enrichment is provided by our volunteers. They sit near them, talk to them, read to them, blow bubbles for them, play in the pool or sandbox with them, etc. Toys such as hula hoops, or old tennis shoes are changed out with water or sandbox play. Empty water bottles are stuffed with dried fruit, cereal and nuts for treats and the chimps are fed something every few hours. For a captive chimp, eating, playing, and interacting with caregivers is the very best enrichment.    

 

 

 This is the little pool were the chimps enjoy water play. There are hook-ups sunk into the concrete to attach their leads. My son's video production company office is on the left.  Chimps cannot swim and are instinctively frightened of large bodies of water, but do enjoy playing in the water with floats and toys. Of course pushing people in is the most fun!

 

     

This is the changing table area in the chimp's night room, which is inside the main house. There is storage underneath for the diaper pail, chimp pajamas and extra supplies.

 

 

The chimp's favorite movies are at the top and the volunteer bulletin board & photos at the bottom. The changing table is behind this wall.

 

 

This shot is looking from the kitchen into the night room. There are two of these  floor-to-ceiling cages where the chimps sleep. They can also be brought into this room to watch TV  in cold or stormy weather.  They each have a hammock and get a blanket at night. The cage on the right is attached to the tunnel that runs to the large outside cage. Most actually learn to go potty in the bathroom between the two night cages by age 3.

 

 

This shot is looking from the night cages through the doorway to the playroom and kitchen areas. Their TV/VCR and DVD are on the shelf at the top. The chimps love to watch movies until they fall asleep. The bars on the left are a door that can be closed and locked to allow visitors to see in but not enter the night room. The sign is a joke...made for us by a former caretaker.

 

 

This is the indoor playroom where we have Chimp Encounters with the youngest chimp. The trunk holds their toys. The rocking chair on the right gets plenty of use. They all like to be rocked after their bath and before being put to bed for the night. The half 'barn' doors close to provide a large, open play area and there is a TV for the volunteers. You can see the outdoor enclosure from here and watch the chimps run and play in the above ground tunnel.

 

 

This is one of the outdoor areas where encounters may take place in nice weather.

 

 

Doesn't everyone have a kitchen island like this one? This holding cage has a mattress that covers the floor for babies and is great for keeping an eye on a little one while I'm working in the kitchen or for separating one that is sick and needs extra attention after the others go to bed.

 

 

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