Gossau 26 March 2015
Balima, Digit, Chicca (has menstruation swelling and Digit stays at her side)
Everyone leaves and for a long time (10 minutes) no one appears
We call Mojo, who sits at the corridor in the back
He does not come and then climbs up with Digit to the inner compound
During most of the session, he sits at the corridor in the back and observes us
Pili and Petiri
Brigitte joins, but wants to get loused
Chicca comes down after we have called her
She dips the brush, eats the paint, then stipples hesitantly on the paper and leaves
Pili and Petiri
Pili dips the brush
Petiri takes the brush away from him
Pili dips into the paint with the new brush, then leaves with the brush
Petiri stipples on the paper but shows no real interest
Chicca comes down again, dips the brush, eats the paint, strokes hesitantly on the paper (through the enclosure grid) and leaves again
Tzippi comes down after we called her; she dips the brush and leaves again
We go to Madschabu, who is sitting at the corridor in the back
He strokes on the paper
He is aggressive against Angela and she chases him away
Angela is not sure if he really wanted to show display behavior
Madschabu does not join us any more
Digit is also in the corridor in the back
He takes the brush but shows no interest and leaves
Today the atmosphere was relatively quiet and relaxed. Chicca has a menstruational swelling and therefore Digit did not leave her side. Chicca sat in the upper corridor and made it impossible for most of the others to get through. Pili and Petiri slipped past Chicca and Digit with their mother, but did not really show any interest in stroking. They wanted to play with each other and the brushes. Brigitte covered her hands and then her arms with the white paint. She probably learned this before and confused the white paint with sunscreen cream or body lotion. Chicca joined us twice, but she just stippled the brush quickly on the paper and left right away. Madschabu just began to stroke as we went to him with the painting implements at the corridor in the back. He then made loud noises with the brush on the enclosure grid in front of Angela, causing Angela to correct his behavior by chasing him away. Mojo was sitting for a long time in the corridor in the back, but never came to us. He was observing us for a long time. Tomorrow the two new chimpanzees from the Netherlands will arrive. We are eager to see how the group dynamics will change and what the two new members of the group will be like.
