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In
this series, we share our gorilla research and care activities
with you through the following features:
1)
Caregiver Corner (what
it's like to interact and communicate with gorillas Koko, Ndume
and Michael)
2) Research Revelations
(what we're learning through interspecies communication and
what it means for humanity)
prepared
by our staff under the supervision of Dr. Penny Patterson, Director
of Research. (Journal PhotoBlog
Archive) |
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| Party Animals by Adrienne Mrsny |
December 15, 2006 |
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Dr.
Francine "Penny" Patterson has a Ph.D. in Developmental
Psychology from Stanford. She is President and Research
Director of The Gorilla Foundation, and a Member
of the Board of ApeNet - a consortium of foundations
supporting the welfare of great apes through interspecies
communication. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of
"Gorilla, the journal of The Gorilla Foundation/Koko.org."
"Penny's Journal" provides insight into her facinating
relationship with Koko and a way to share with us
her experiences as Koko lives, learns and communicates
"The
differences between humans and gorillas are greatly
overshadowed by what we have in common — and by
communicating with them, we can learn as much about
our own true nature as theirs." Penny Patterson |
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Ndume enjoys his birthday feast
(left
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Caregiver's
Corner:
In my house, companion animals were always treated as part of
the family. When being reprimanded, they were referred to with
our surname. “Toby Dog Mrsny, get over here!” was
a common response when we would find our Australian Shepard
mix in a pile of the half chewed contents from our recycling
bin. When Christmas came around, each animal had a stocking
hung right next to our own. Their birthdays, though sometimes
arbitrarily designated, were always celebrated. Both birthdays
and holidays brought them presents and an extra treat, even
if it was only an extra dash of fish food or a new chew bone.
That’s why it didn’t seem like an odd request when
Christa asked me to put together Ndume’s Birthday Party.
Our companion animals had always been thought of as sentient
beings, so a party for the gorillas (though much more intelligent
and quite a bit larger than our goldfish, rats, rabbits and
dogs) did not seem like much of a stretch. It was only once
she started describing what would need to be done, that I realized
what was different. This wasn’t a special day for a companion
animal; it was a large party for a child. All the amusements
had to be fun and stimulating, the food nutritious, and each
element had to be industrious and gorilla-proof. Decorations–they
must to be non-toxic because Koko likes to eat tape and glue.
Party games-–enrichment tools that would keep both gorillas
happy and entertained all day. Presents–sent from friends
of the gorillas would need to be wrapped and made gorilla-safe.
Lastly food–a menu that would be fun and new, while keeping
in mind the gorilla’s strict dietary restrictions. I had
quite a bit of work ahead of me. This was to be the first party
I would throw for the pair.
I approached the party as if I was planning one for a young
boy. I wanted balloons, streamers, fun games and a big cake
with candles. Unfortunately, most things turned out not to be
gorilla safe, so I had to make adjustments. Since latex balloons
were out, I made origami balloons out of butcher paper. We put
these balloons around the yard and in the rooms, filled with
popcorn, fruit and nuts. Streamers would certainly be fun new
decorations for the rooms. So as a non-toxic, gorilla-safe,
alternative we made paper chains from newspaper. The daily browse
was hung from the sides of the enclosure in pillowcases. This
new amusement was especially fun for Koko, who seemed to enjoy
climbing along the top of the enclosure to get them. Finally,
a fun attraction for Koko and Ndume was made by filing children’s
wading pools with water and floating in them water bottles full
of tasty treats. Koko was especially interested in this hunt,
and Penny had a hard time getting her to come to her meal station
in the yard for her breakfast.
The biggest challenge by far was the birthday menu. The problem
was not with the delectable southwestern offerings we had planned,
but with the special diet of the guests of honor. Both gorillas
have dietary restrictions and, on top of that, Koko cannot eat
many things Ndume can. For instance, both gorillas got sloppy
Joes. Using tempeh as a substitute for meat, Ndume got the traditional
mix of tomatoes and other ingredients while Koko’s were
made with cannellini beans and mustard. Another restriction
had to do with the cake, as neither gorilla can eat foods containing
gluten, dairy products, or large amounts of sugar. A traditional
cake was out of the question, so our Gorilla Food Prep Manager,
Colleen Champion, took on this task and made amazing gluten-free
and dairy-free chocolate cakes made with raspberry icing. The
cakes were highlighted by wonderful gelatin mold platters created
by our Volunteer Food Prep Coordinator, Susan Lutter. It was
only on the morning of Ndume’s birthday that I saw how
all the weeks of birthday planning were coming together. The
southwest theme we chose was complete-–from the cornbread
and black bean soup, down to the homemade poppy seed chips and
dip. However no birthday would be complete without the special
extra-dark chocolate alligators Penny made. The meals were over-flowing
with novel foods and it was finally time to start the feast.
All the hard work I had put into planning and preparing for
this day was forgotten the second I let Ndume into his room
for lunch. Ndume ran eagerly from pile of presents to pile of
presents, looking briefly, sniffing the wrapping, then feeling
each of the new blankets on the floor in a confused state of
that of a kid in a candy store. Ndume quickly shook his look
of overwhelmed glee when he spotted the mound of food waiting
for him at the far end of the room–now he appeared perfectly
focused. Like a child at any birthday party, Ndume went straight
for the dessert. He took the cake in what looked like a single
bite. I got to sneak into the hallway and take photos of him
as he ate. He loudly purred his contentment as I sat in awe
watching him eat.
Planning Ndume’s birthday was the hardest and most rewarding
challenge that I have faced as a caregiver at the Gorilla Foundation.
Though many of the products of our long labors were extraordinarily
short-lived, I think the party provided the gorillas with a
day that was exceptionally fun and stimulating–a true
success. I am now very excited to see what we will do for the
gorillas’ next holiday celebration.
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Adrienne
Mrsny is a Gorilla Caregiver / Research Assistant
at The Gorilla Foundation. She graduated with a BS in
Biology with a focus in Ecology and Evolution in 2004.
After graduation she worked at a start-up pharmaceutical
company, which carried her to Emory University in Atlanta,
Georgia, and back to the San Francisco Bay Area. Her 3
years as an assistant vet technician gave her, her first
hands-on experience working with a range of domestic animals
and a sense of fulfillment. Through her studies at UC
Santa Cruz, and her earlier experience as an assistant
veterinary technician, she realized it was not veterinary
medicine that would fullfill her fascination with animals,
instead animal behavior and ethology would allow her the
insight into a world that truly fascinated her. Adrienne
is excited for the opportunity to combine her interests
in animal care and ethology as a caregiver and research
assistant. She strongly believes in The Gorilla Foundation's
mission statement and is eager to help make a difference
in gorilla conservation. She hopes to continue her professional
education, but for now is more than happy to be learning
all she can from Koko. |
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Please
email us at research_feedback@koko.org
if you have any questions, or would like to share an observation
or insight about the preceding interspecies conversations.
Your feedback can inform our research and is a vital part
of our mission.
Thank you,
Dr. Francine Penny Patterson
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