RitaRita ChimpanzeeChimpanzee AA successsuccess storystory atat thethe DohaDoha Zoo,Zoo, QatarQatar
HildaHilda TreszTresz VolunteerVolunteer CoordinatorCoordinator KeepersKeepers withoutwithout bordersborders ChimpanZooChimpanZoo:: Research,Research, EducationEducation andand EnrichmentEnrichment JennyJenny andand BarbaraBarbara WilsonWilson
OnOn MarchMarch 23,23, 20092009 RootsRoots andand ShootsShoots teachersteachers JennyJenny andand BarbaraBarbara WilsonWilson werewere directeddirected toto HildaHilda TreszTresz ChimpanZooChimpanZoo VolunteerVolunteer CoordinatorCoordinator toto improveimprove Rita,Rita, aa lonelone femalefemale chimpanzee’schimpanzee’s behavioralbehavioral enrichmentenrichment atat thethe DohaDoha Zoo.Zoo. PeoplePeople onceonce askedasked prophetprophet Muhammad....Muhammad....doesdoes GodGod rewardreward usus whenwhen wewe treattreat animalsanimals wellwell ??
MuhammadMuhammad (Peace(Peace BeBe UponUpon Him)Him) answered:answered: "There’s"There’s aa rewardreward inin everyevery wetwet kidney“kidney“ MishkatMishkat alal--masabihmasabih,, BookBook 6;6; ChapterChapter 6.6. Barbara and Jenny Wilson with Mr. Mohammed Tariq RitaRita ChimpChimp
PPossiblyossibly differentdifferent subspeciessubspecies fromfrom thethe pairpair ofof chimpanzeeschimpanzees inin thethe zoozoo
1010++ yearsyears oldold
HoHousedused alonealone allall herher lifelife
DDidn’tidn’t knowknow muchmuch enrichmentenrichment
KeKeptpt onon aa cementcement withwith metalmetal andand somesome woodenwooden furniturefurniture ExhibitExhibit NightNight HouseHouse WaterWater areaarea GoalGoal ShortShort termterm goalgoal-- mapmap outout whatwhat neededneeded toto bebe donedone andand provideprovide immediateimmediate reliefrelief atat first:first:
FFastast
SiSimplemple
FreFreee
EEasyasy toto supplysupply WorkWork oneone stepstep atat thethe timetime
WorkWork onon longlong termterm goalsgoals laterlater Let’sLet’s getget toto workwork
FFirstirst thingthing firstfirst-- GettingGetting managerialmanagerial supportsupport JennyJenny beingbeing alreadyalready familiarfamiliar withwith thethe situationsituation andand staffstaff waswas toto serveserve asas aa “middle“middle man”man” betweenbetween HildaHilda andand thethe DohaDoha ZooZoo
OnOn Monday,Monday, AprilApril 13,13, 20092009 JennyJenny receivedreceived thethe newsnews thatthat thethe DohaDoha zoozoo hashas agreedagreed toto workwork withwith ChimpanZooChimpanZoo TeamTeam OneOne-- DohaDoha ZooZoo StaffStaff
Mr. Mohammed Hussein Hassan Head Curator
Dr. Abubaker Head Veterinarian TeamTeam OneOne-- DohaDoha ZooZoo StaffStaff MMr.r. MMohammedohammed Tariq Lead chimpanzee keeper
Mr. Mohammed Abdulraheem- Maintenance in Charge
MMr.r. Mohammed Nurnobi Chowdhory and Mr. Mohammed Tariq Chimpanzee staff TeamTeam twotwo AmericanAmerican SchoolSchool ofof DohaDoha andand TheThe LearningLearning CenterCenter StudentsStudents observingobserving RitaRita chimpanzeechimpanzee receivingreceiving newnew enrichmentenrichment itemsitems Jenny’sJenny’s andand Barbara’sBarbara’s rollroll
TToo create a report of current situation TakTakinging pictures for precise information FiFindnd resources to accomplish plans InInvolvevolve The Learning Center School and Roots and Shoots students of American School of Doha to help implementing enrichment ideas as well as to conduct behavioral observations PrProvideovide constant communication between the ChimpanZoo Representative and Doha Zoo Management DDocumentocument proceedings by: WrWrittenitten reports both to Doha Zoo Management and ChimpanZoo Volunteer Coordinator PiPicturesctures and videos of new enrichment TheThe shortshort termterm planplan IntroducingIntroducing RitaRita ChimpanzeeChimpanzee toto safe,safe, simplesimple andand nonnon--threateningthreatening ideas:ideas:
SSubstrateubstrate forfor nestnest buildingbuilding andand extendingextending foragingforaging timetime
BrBrowseowse forfor foragingforaging andand nestnest buildingbuilding
ExExtendingtending feedingfeeding time,time, variationvariation ofof currentcurrent dietdiet presentationpresentation (scattering(scattering andand hidinghiding choppedchopped basicbasic diet,diet, ++ noveltynovelty foodfood items)items)
MManipulativeanipulative itemsitems (toys,(toys, paperpaper boxes,boxes, etc.)etc.) StepStep 1.1. SubstrateSubstrate FFirstirst choicechoice ofof enrichmentenrichment waswas providingproviding substratesubstrate onon andand offoff exhibitexhibit duedue itsits multimulti--purposepurpose ObstaclesObstacles andand solutionssolutions PublPublicic demandsdemands ofof feedingfeeding animalsanimals WWhenhen visitorsvisitors seesee keeperskeepers scatteringscattering foodfood inin substratesubstrate inin thethe outsideoutside cage,cage, theythey demanddemand toto bebe ableable toto dodo thethe samesame SmSmokingoking andand fire.fire. PeoplePeople wouldwould throwthrow cigarettescigarettes insideinside exhibitsexhibits andand litlit themthem onon fire.fire. FireFire isis stillstill anan issueissue andand althoughalthough thethe securitysecurity guardguardss areare trainedtrained toto watchwatch visitorvisitor activities,activities, itit waswas notnot sasafefe andand shreddedshredded paperpaper waswas takentaken outout fromfrom thethe exhibitexhibit StepStep 1.1. SubstrateSubstrate
ObstaclesObstacles andand solutionssolutions
RRitaita refusesrefuses toto comecome inside.inside. RitaRita feltfelt tootoo comfortablecomfortable inin thethe eveningevening inin herher nestnest sheshe hashas mademade inin herher outdooroutdoor enclosure.enclosure.
ShreddedShredded paperpaper waswas substitutedsubstituted byby sandsand RitaRita receivesreceives paperpaper thethe fistfist timetime inin herher lifelife 44--2288--0909 HayHay andand shreddedshredded paperpaper onon exhibitexhibit BurritoBurrito RitaRita ……….with……….with wrappingwrapping paperpaper StepStep 2.2. BrowseBrowse ObstaclesObstacles andand solutionssolutions DiDifficultfficult to come by in the desert PaPalmlm caused blood in the stool LaLackck of plant knowledge StStartedarted out with commonly known edible plants such as date palms CCoordinatoroordinator sent list of edible browse (by scientific and common names) to veterinarian CoCoordinatorordinator identified plants via email for immediate use RitaRita withwith palmpalm leavesleaves PalmPalm frondsfronds gavegave RitaRita somesome bloodybloody stoolsstools soso wewe switchswitch overover toto deciduousdeciduous plantsplants StepStep 3.3. ExtendingExtending feedingfeeding timetime bothboth onon andand offoff exhibitexhibit HiddenHidden foodfood inin substratesubstrate CabbageCabbage hiddenhidden inin substratesubstrate LongLong termterm plansplans
11.. CreCreatingating rere--usable/permanentusable/permanent fixturesfixtures thatthat elicitelicit speciesspecies appropriateappropriate behaviorsbehaviors
2. FiFindnd resourcesresources toto fundfund thesethese projectsprojects
33.. DocDocumentument enrichmentenrichment
4. ComCompanionpanion forfor RitaRita
5. TeTeachach staffstaff toto bebe ableable toto continuecontinue withwith enrichmentenrichment TheThe firstfirst permanentpermanent nestnest PermanentPermanent puzzlepuzzle feederfeeder FoundingFounding resourcesresources-- DonationsDonations
FFromrom JennyJenny andand BarbaraBarbara
TheThe LearningLearning CenterCenter SchoolSchool
TheThe AmericanAmerican SchoolSchool ofof DohaDoha
QaQatartar AcademyAcademy SchoolSchool
AmAmericanerican Woman'sWoman's AssociationAssociation ofof Doha.Doha. DocumentDocument enrichmentenrichment
AmericanAmerican SchoolSchool ofof DohaDoha andand TheThe LearningLearning CenterCenter SchoolSchool studentsstudents observingobserving newnew enrichmentenrichment givengiven toto RitaRita CompanionCompanion forfor RitaRita
We wwereere looking at several ideas for Rita to be able ttoo live with another chimpanzee.
DNDNAA testing of Timmy, Tina and Rita. The following ininstitutestitute has offered guidance:
MgMgr.r. Klara J. Petrzelkova, Ph.D. Department of Mammal Ecology Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Kvetna 8 603 65 BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC phone:+420-543422549 fax:+420-543211346 http://www.ivb.cz
If the DNA matches we were to proceed to introduce the threethree chimps.
If the DNA does not match, we would find another chimpchimpanzeeanzee from another zoo to join Rita or put Rita on birth control. MoreMore fun!fun! RitaRita chimpanzeechimpanzee receivedreceived manymany moremore enrichments:enrichments: PPopsiclesopsicles DaDatete palm branches CaCardboardrdboard tubes with seeds and tissue LaLargerge tire BaBasketballsketball LoLogsgs ClClothoth RiRibbonbbon BBooksooks FroFrozenzen bananas PlPlasticastic tubing MoMortarrtar and pestle NeckNecklacelace ClCleaningeaning brushes ToToothbrushothbrush and toothpaste DuringDuring thethe followingfollowing slideslide showshow pleaseplease enjoyenjoy withwith usus thethe manymany funfun ideasideas thatthat mademade RitaRita chimpschimps lifelife better?better? PopsiclePopsicle CardboardCardboard tubetube withwith dietdiet CardboardCardboard boxesboxes TennisTennis ballball ToothTooth brushbrush PlasticPlastic dishesdishes RiteRite lovesloves themthem dishes!dishes! FruitFruit popsiclepopsicle RitaRita lovesloves themthem papers!papers! SheShe reallyreally lovesloves themthem papers!papers! MirrorMirror HumanHuman companioncompanion BarbBarb andand RitaRita NewNew nestnest OneOne happyhappy Rita!Rita! TwoTwo smiles!!smiles!! "He"He isis notnot aa perfectperfect believer,believer, whowho goesgoes toto bedbed fullfull andand knowsknows thatthat hishis neighborneighbor isis hungry.hungry. [[MishkatMishkat AlAl--MasabihMasabih 2/424]"2/424]"
SpecialSpecial thanksthanks forfor allall thethe goodgood heartedhearted peoplepeople whowho workedworked hardhard toto makemake RitaRita chimpanze’schimpanze’s lifelife better!better!