White grape juice is not the same as red

By Madelyn Kos

Every chimp living at Project Chimps is unique. They all have different personalities, each has their own particular routines, and they even have various tastes for foods. However, one thing all chimps can agree on; white grape juice is not the same as red grape juice.

The chimps definitely know the difference between white and red grape juice. When the chimps were given white grape juice, it was often spit out or plainly ignored. Not a popular treat among many.

Red grape juice, on the other hand, became highly favorable among all the chimps. Happy faces and enthusiastic behaviors are often seen among the chimps when it is time to receive their red grape juice.

The Morning Routine

Every morning, the chimps are routinely served a cup of red grape juice. The males receive their juice directly from cups, sometimes with medications. These cups get poured directly into the chimps’ mouth.

For the females, they receive their juice from a squeeze bottle, also squirted directly into their mouths. The reason for the squeeze bottle? The females’ birth control is mixed in with the juice. By using a squeeze bottle, it differentiates the females’ grape juice from the males’. 

The chimps are set on their morning grape juice routine, but some chimps receive a little extra. Depending on the chimp, some medications must be spread out during the day. This means more juice for certain chimps. Luckily, the chimps do not get jealous of each other when this happens. They naturally go about their day after their turn.

Juice Can Get Messy

In order to ensure quality health among the chimps, the juice is often diluted (mixed with water). Grape juice is a sweet liquid and by mixing it with water, it helps disperse the sugar while also extending the shelf time. One must be careful, however, when diluting the grape juice. Some of the chimps are very picky when it comes to their juice! If a juice is too diluted, it gets spit out or ignored.

Jill, a caregiver, discussed how LB will notice right away if her juice is too diluted by simply acknowledging the color of the juice through the cup. If the red, grape color is too light, she will simply stare disappointingly, then walk away.

On rare occasions, the chimps will even spit out the diluted juice to show their disgust. One time, Jill ended up in a splash zone when Kareem spit out his juice in her face! The funny incident happened to be a good reminder that the chimps know exactly what kind of juice they like. They will not tolerate anything but the best.

A Yummy Red Reward

The chimps love the red grape juice so much, it also acts as a reward for good behavior. When a chimp needs to be inspected for any injuries (like a cut or scratch), they are given grape juice as a treat for behaving well. The juice helps them understand they are not in danger or in trouble while being looked at.

While it may seem strange when first hearing that chimps have certain grape juice preferences, it can also remind us how similar they are to humans and their specific preferences. Whether someone prefers white wine or red wine, or white grapes or red grapes, we can all agree that white grape juice is not the same as red.

You can help us keep our pantry stocked in red grape juice by sending a gift to the chimps from our Wishlist today!