To answer some of your questions from the previous post, both Jamie and Annie ventured all the way out yesterday. Jamie explored the entire outdoor area without stepping foot on the snow. She eventually settled in an alcove where she could sit on a dry ledge and watch the snow fall. Annie took very delicate steps across the snow to fetch some dried fruit.

Some of you may remember that Jamie signs to us occasionally. Sometimes she is clearly gesturing - in a way that other chimps don’t - but we can’t figure out what she’s trying to say. Its possible that she was taught different signs than the signs of American Sign Language that we are familiar with, or it could be that she just gets too excited to sign in a way that we can understand.

When we first opened the door to the snowy outdoor enclosure, Jamie was signing up a storm. I thought she might be asking for clothes, but when I offered her a sweatshirt, a hat, some mittens, and a scarf, she just looked frustrated. She eventually donned the winter hat and gave up on me…