CHIMPANZEE CARE MANUAL The Chimpanzee Care Manual is a collection of policies relevant to working in the Department of Chimpanzee Care at Save the Chimps, INC. This document is meant to serve as an addendum to other manuals at Save the Chimps (Safety Manual, Employee Manual, Training Manuals, etc.). Outline: I. Save the Chimps Philosophy of Care. II. Code of Conduct III. Overview of the Department of Chimpanzee Care A. Description of Key Positions in Chimpanzee Care B. Other Roles Within the Department of Chimpanzee Care C. Reporting and Communicating Within the Chain of Command IV. Care of the Chimpanzees A. Protective Equipment and Clothing B. Key Usage and Key Integrity C. Entering a Building D. Footbaths E. Locating and Identifying the Chimpanzees F. Interacting with the Chimpanzees and No-Touch Policy G. Responding to Chimpanzee Behavior H. Feeding the Chimps I. Special Foods and “Treats” J. Chimpanzees Who Refuse to Eat K. Chimpanzees Who Refuse to Come Inside L. Maintaining and Checking Water Lixits M. Enrichment N. Medicating the Chimpanzees O. Operating Doors P. Unlocking Doors 1. Unlocking a Chimpanzee Door Inside a Building 2. Unlocking the “Jurassic” gate to the Chimpanzee Island 3. Unlocking an Annex/Primadome 4. Unlocking a Tunnel 5. Unlocking Special Needs Play Yards Q. Allowing Chimpanzees Access to a Room, Tunnel, Annex or Island R. Switching Chimpanzees S. Moving Chimpanzees T. Chimpanzee Access to Rooms Inside the Building U. Monitoring the Chimpanzees for Injuries, Illness, or Changes in Behavior V. Chimpanzee Physicals / Veterinary Procedures W. Daily Logs X. Inclement Weather Y. Chimpanzee Aggression Z. Getting Objects Away from a Chimpanzees AA. Emergencies BB. Deceased Chimpanzees V. Maintaining the Islands and Buildings A. Tools in Chimpanzee Areas B. Entering an Island C. Buildings D. Chimpanzee Bedding E. Guillotine Doors F. Repairs G. Securing the Building for the Night SAVE THE CHIMPS PHILOSOPHY OF CARE Save the Chimps believes that our role in providing lifetime sanctuary to chimpanzees in need is to allow for chimpanzees to be able to live as close to their natural inclinations as possible in a social environment that is safe, clean, comfortable, and enriching. Save the Chimps believes in providing exemplary care through proper veterinary and husbandry methods that are evidencebased and work in concert toward achieving our care goals. Care Goals: ● To provide freedom of choice through freedom of movement, freedom of interactions, and freedom of behavior, for every chimpanzee whenever possible. ● To provide a well-trained care staff following written standards, methods, and protocols. ● To provide a high quality nutritious diet, planned and researched in collaboration with a primate nutritionist. ● To provide a clean living environment through daily regimented daily cleaning and disinfection. ● To provide a safe living environment through regular monitoring of all chimpanzee living spaces and ensuring that all existing structures are safe and living spaces are free from hazardous objects. ● To provide a comfortable living environment through adequate clean bedding, proper habitat furniture and climbing structures, all allowing for the natural movement of chimpanzees. ● To provide a secure living environment where barriers (mesh, waterways, walls) cannot be breached. ● To provide an environment free from the associated boredom of captivity through a wellplanned enrichment program. ● To provide an approved emergency response plan which is both well-thought out and rehearsed regularly . ● To provide the highest quality veterinary care through evidence-based medicine, delivering an individualized plan of health and well-being to each chimpanzee. CODE OF CONDUCT This Code of Conduct is based upon the core values of Save the Chimps and guides the behavior of all individuals working toward the fulfillment of our mission. Honor Our Mission and Origin Our mission is to provide and build support for permanent sanctuary for the lifelong care of chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. Save the Chimps was founded in 1997 by the late Dr. Carole Noon and is committed to continuing her vision of providing excellent lifetime care for chimpanzees, free from exploitation and harm. Our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of the chimpanzees under our care. We strive to act in their best interest at all times. Be Positive and Flexible All staff are expected to conduct themselves professionally and endeavor to be positive and flexible at all times. We strive to work together to face the daily challenges of working on Chimp Time - with a large staff across multiple departments - and consciously maintain a positive and helpful attitude. Demonstrate Personal and Professional Respect Honesty and respect are values that extend to every person and every task across the Sanctuary. To maintain a highly professional and productive work environment we strive to adhere to the following:  Excellent Communication - Respectful and open communication is essential between all departments and staff teams. It is the responsibility of the person communicating to convey the information in a clear and courteous manner, being mindful of their tone and body language. The listener is expected to focus on the person speaking and to avoid interrupting or judging. Every opportunity for positive and constructive communication is an opportunity for honest, open learning.  Dependability and Punctuality - Coworkers need to be able to depend upon one another in order to provide the best care for the chimpanzees. All staff are expected to demonstrate their respect for one another by being on time and by fully accomplishing the duties that are required of them. Attitude – Our attitude and behavior directly affect the chimpanzees and our coworkers. All staff are expected to maintain positive attitudes and demonstrate constructive behaviors, and to strive to be supportive and helpful at all times. It is understood that each staff member has a responsibility to represent Save the Chimps professionally when interacting on-site with volunteers and guests at the Sanctuary, as well as when away from the Sanctuary and/or when communicating on social media. Practice Teamwork and Mutual Support Save the Chimps is one team with a single mission. Although we serve in many different capacities, all staff must work effectively as a team to provide the best quality of care possible for the chimpanzees. It is essential that all employees exhibit an openness and willingness to take on new tasks and responsibilities as needed to fully support the accomplishment of team goals and objectives. Coworkers are expected to be polite, reasonable, and respectful. Disparaging behaviors (such as gossip, negative comments, and belittling actions) are not tolerated. Patience and understanding are required of all staff members at all times, and it is expected that personal differences are resolved in a private and civil manner. New team members are welcomed warmly and supported throughout their training. All staff members are responsible for the growth and development of new employees. Be Accountable and Take Personal Responsibility It is essential that all employees are treated fairly, respectfully and equally. Everyone is responsible for ensuring that this Code of Conduct is adhered to at all times. First and foremost, each employee is expected to act in accordance with the Code and to accept responsibility for their personal behaviors and actions. Also, all staff are expected to respectfully hold others accountable for adhering to the Code of Conduct. When a breach occurs, it is the responsibility of staff members to communicate their concerns. When disciplinary action is necessary, it will be done in a respectful, calm, and private manner. Staff members are expected to accept the consequences graciously and learn from their mistakes. All Staff are accountable for the responsible and respectful use of the tools, property, and facilities at Save the Chimps. If something is damaged, staff are expected to report the occurrence to management and to be honest and open as to the circumstances. Make Save the Chimps a Great Place to Work! Enjoy Save The Chimps! This is a unique and wonderful opportunity to be friends with our closest relatives. This job comes with a great deal of responsibility and stress, but also can be a great place to work as long as we respect one another and work as a team to provide the best possible care for the chimpanzees! Overview of the Department of Chimpanzee Care Services The sanctuary is divided into 5 sections with specific staffing needs. Each section is directly managed by a Section Curator who oversees the building protocols and assigns staff to buildings within the section. Curators also participate in employee evaluations and disciplinary actions that affect their sections. Care Technician 2s (CT2) are assigned to a section and are ideally cross trained to be able to run any building within their section. They are responsible for the direct operation of the building they are assigned to that day. Curators oversee the records in the digital database. CT2s feed the chimpanzees, operate doors, oversee cleaning and other husbandry tasks. CT2s keep daily records, intake sheets (when needed), and medecine dispensing in the digital database (ZIMS). CT2s monitor the chimpanzee diets to ensure that they are inline with the prescribed dietary plan. Care Technician 1s (CT1) are responsible for general husbandry throughout the section (cleaning, laundry, setting up rooms, browsing the island, etc.). Description of Key Positions in Chimpanzee Care  The Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care oversees all operations in the direct care, enrichment, training, and welfare assessments, of the chimpanzees.  The Chimpanzee Care Manager oversees staff training and ensures that established protocols are being followed throughout the sanctuary. The Chimpanzee Care Manager directly assists the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care with the implementation of protocols, policies, and SOPs and participates in corrective actions when they are not followed. The Chimpanzee Care manager directly oversees the Curators and ensures that there is a consistency in care across sections at the sanctuary. The Chimpanzee Care Manager monitors electronic records and adds to the electronic database.  The Overnight Care Technicians (OCT) works an alternating schedule of 4 ten hour shifts per week. OCTs perform regular rounds throughout the night and are ready to call the appropriate staff in the event of an emergency. OCTs may be called upon to perform regular checks on sick or recovering chimpanzees. OCTs are trained in emergency protocols.  The Chimpanzee Care Volunteer Coordinator (CCVC) oversees volunteers who are working within chimpanzee buildings or creating enrichment items for the chimpanzees. The CCVC facilitates training of volunteers and works with the Chimpanzee Care Manager to create benchmarks for each volunteer trainee. The CCVC is a dual role, currently filled by one of the curators.  The Safety Officer is responsible for regular safety training of current staff members and introductory safety training for new staff members. The Safety Officer works collaboratively with the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care to design emergency drills and performs these drills with the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care. The Safety Officer collects safety incident reports and sends these reports to all members of senior leadership. The Safety Officer holds monthly safety meetings with safety representatives from each section and each department, along with the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care. The Safety Officer is a dual role and also works within the section, reporting to the Curator as a CT2.  The Scheduling Coordinator maintains and updates the weekly schedule in Chimpanzee Care. The Scheduling Coordinator approves PTO requests based on staffing needs. The Scheduling Coordinator keeps track of attendance and tardiness and issues automatic warning and disciplinary actions when absences and tardiness exceeds the mandated number. The Scheduling Coordinator is a dual role and also works within the section, reporting to the Curator as a CT2. Other Roles Within the Department of Chimpanzee Care  Response Team Supervisor (RTS): The Response Team Supervisor is responsible for organizing and overseeing emergency response for all emergency codes. The RTS has final say and complete authority during any emergency code. The identity of the RTS is posted on the weekly schedule and each morning on the white board in the kitchen. The RTS should always have access to an enclosed, sanctuary owned vehicle while in the field. The black Nissan truck is designated for the RTS. The RTS should also be aware of the location and availability of the other sanctuary owned vehicles (van, white truck) in case they are needed.  Spotter: The Spotter is a member of the Response Team whose role is to follow an escaped chimpanzee and serve as back-up to the RTS. The Spotter should always have access to an enclosed, sanctuary owned vehicle. If the RTS is incapacitated and unable to designate another member of the response team to take over, the Spotter should assume the duties of the RTS.  STAT Team Supervisor (STS): During emergencies involving unresponsive chimpanzees, the STAT Team Supervisor conducts the emergency response and is the only one who can authorize entering a chimpanzee area to assist an unresponsive chimpanzee. In the presence of a veterinarian, the STS’s duties and responsibilities immediately defer to the veterinarian.  Lead On Duty: In the absence of the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care or the Chimpanzee Care Director, a Curator may be appointed to be the Lead on Duty for the day. This person oversees the general operations of the Chimpanzee Care Department. In this document, “Lead on Duty” refers to both this role (assigned Curator), the Chimpanzee Care Manager, and the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care. Reporting and Communicating Within the Chain of Command All relevant communication regarding issues within the section or sanctuary should be directed upwards through the chain of command. It is essential to voice any complaints or concerns to a direct supervisor. If there are questions concerning anything going on within the sanctuary, one should always go to their supervisor for information. Spreading misinformation to co-workers (whether deliberately or not) is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination, so verify suspicious information from a supervisor before passing it along. Care of the Chimpanzees Protective Equipment and Clothing Eyewear: Protective eyewear is required anytime you are cleaning with chemicals. Additionally, protective eyewear should be worn while pressure washing. Protective eyewear (all of which is provided for you) includes:  Safety Glasses  Safety Goggles  Face Shield Personal eyeglasses or sunglasses do not replace safety glasses. Ear protection: Ear plugs are provided for your use. Chimpanzees are extremely loud and this volume is magnified inside a building. Ear plugs can prevent long term hearing damage. Masks: Masks must be worn anytime you are within 4 feet of a chimpanzee. This protects both you and the chimpanzee from disease transfer. Footwear: All staff working must wear separate footwear while working in a building (meaning you do not wear them off property). This footwear must be closed-toed and closed-heeled. Socks must be worn at all times. Shoes with large openings, such as Crocs are not permissible. Key Usage and Key Integrity All staff have keys to the human areas of chimpanzee buildings. Only CT2s or above (within the Department of Chimpanzee Care) have a key to a chimpanzee area. CT2s receive extensive training before being issued keys to chimpanzee areas. All keys are kept in a locked key box. The key box is opened in the morning by an assigned staff member. All keys are checked in and secured at the end of the day. Failure to return keys at the end of each day is grounds for immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination. Entering a Building Care technicians are responsible for the husbandry of the chimpanzees and the general operations of the buildings they run. In order to allow care staff to be fully aware of what is going on in these buildings, they must be informed of who is entering the buildings. Anyone entering a building in a section where they are not assigned must call the care technician at the building before entering. This policy is effective across departments. Care technicians assigned to a section are not required to call when entering buildings within their sections. However, care technicians must call when going into a building in a section where they are not assigned. Foot Baths To minimize contaminants being tracked into chimpanzee buildings (from outside sources and from other chimpanzee buildings), foot baths are utilized to disinfect footwear. All chimpanzee buildings are equipped with foot baths at each human entrance. Foot baths must be filled with disinfectant at the beginning of every day. Throughout the day, foot bath disinfectant must be changed. Any person entering a chimpanzee building must step into the foot bath upon entering and exiting a building. Locating and Identifying the Chimpanzees Each chimp in your building(s) must be located three times per day, at each meal. This is most easily done by counting all of the chimpanzees you see, both indoors and out. You must be familiar with the number of chimpanzees in your building, the names and identities of each chimp. If your count does not match the building count, then determine which chimp(s) you have not seen. If needed, send another caregiver along the shoreline or to another island to look for particular chimpanzees on the island. If they spot the chimpanzees, ask if it appears that the chimpanzees are conscious and responsive (i.e. is the chimp moving? Sitting up?) If you are not able to identify the location of all the chimpanzees within 15 minutes of arrival at your building, or if a chimp appears to be unconscious or otherwise ill and unable to move, immediately report the situation to the Veterinarian or Lead on Duty. Interacting with the Chimpanzees and No-Touch Policy Always be sure to remain a minimum of two feet away from the mesh. It is easy to become distracted and accidentally find an arm, shirt, or hair within reach of one of the chimpanzees. Save the Chimps adheres to a strict no-touch policy. This includes a chimpanzees that have been sedated as well as chimpanzees that are deceased. There are three main reasons for this policy: - Chimpanzees are dangerous and unpredictable. - Chimpanzees can spread diseases to you - You can spread diseases to chimpanzees During sedations or postmortem events, chimpanzees may only be handled at the discretion of a veterinarian or STAT team supervisor. Any chimpanzee interaction must be inline with the policies outlined in the Save The Chimps Safety Manual. Responding to Chimpanzee Behavior Chimpanzee personalities can be as wide and varied as those of human beings. They may like or dislike certain people or care staff and you should not take it personally. Generally, once they get to know you, they are inquisitive and friendly, but in the beginning they will test you. Some may spit, throw feces or bang excessively to get a reaction from you. These behaviors will stop more quickly if you are able to resist reacting to them. It is important that you remain respectful at all times. Retaliation in any manner, whether physical or verbal, or otherwise mistreating chimpanzees will not be tolerated, and is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. Also, acknowledging the behavior can inadvertently reinforce it so it is best to ignore undesirable behavior altogether. Feeding the Chimpanzees The chimpanzees receive three meals per day consisting of a variety of different types of food. Chimpanzees are fed inline with the prescribed nutrition plan that Save the Chimps operates from. For a breakdown of each meal, see the Traning Manual for Care Technician II. Only a Care Tech II, Care Tech III, the Chimpanzee Care Manager and the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care are permitted to feed the chimpanzees. Gloves and a face mask must be worn when feeding the chimpanzees. Food items are to be given to chimpanzees using the food chute or feeder boxes preferably. If it is not possible to use the box or food chute, items must be given through the mesh. Special Foods and “Treats” Anything consumable that is given to a chimpanzee that is outside of the prescribed diet or part of the logged enrichment for the day, must be (1) approved by either the Director or Chimpanzee Care or a veterinarian and (2) recorded in the daily log. The prescribed diet includes only those food items that are in a building’s assigned diet bins. Food enrichment items must be logged and part of a planned daily enrichment. Food items located in the kitchen that are not part of the prescribed diet or the daily enrichment are not to be given out without the necessary approval and must be logged. Chimpanzees Who Refuse to Eat The veterinarian must be notified for any chimpanzee who refuses to eat more than one meal. The veterinarian or Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care may recommend keeping an intake sheet (logging food/calories consumed). Chimpanzees Who Refuse to Come Inside Chimpanzees who refuse to come in should only be fed staple diet (chow) unless circumstances warrant feeding a full diet on the island (this will be determined by the veterinarian, Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care, or Chimpanzee Care Manager). Chimpanzees who refuse to come in and do not come up for chow should be treated the same as a chimpanzee refusing to eat and the veterinarian should be notified. Maintaining a Checking Water Lixits Water lixits must be checked at least once a day. Water lixits are found both on the island and in each room of the buildings. Enrichment Enrichment is any object, device, food item, or other form of environmental variation that we provide for the chimps to keep them active and mentally stimulated. There is a scheduled enrichment item/device assigned to each building on a daily basis. For chimpanzees that do not have the option to go outside (introductions, illness, sub-group, etc.), they are provided with indoor enrichment at least 3 times per day. Each morning the scheduled enrichment should be brought to the building (frozen items are stored in the building’s freezer until use). When all of the chimpanzees come in from the island or play yard, the assigned enrichment is scattered widely over the habitat. It is imperative that enrichment be widely spread throughout the habitat so that it motivates the chimpanzees to explore their space, while at the same time, ensuring that all chimpanzees have access to the enrichment. A small portion of the enrichment should be scattered on the patio for chimpanzees who prefer not to go far on to the island. Note: The purpose of enrichment is to stimulate the chimpanzees, not to feed the chimpanzees. Medicating the chimpanzees Many of the chimpanzees at Save the Chimps receive medication daily. Each building has an assigned bin, kept at the administration building, where medications are placed out at various times of the day. Medication must only be signed out by the care technician (CT2/Curator) that is dispensing it to the chimpanzees. It is the responsibility of the care technician to ensure that they are only signing out the medication assigned to them and must check to make sure they are taking the correct items. Controlled substances must either be dispensed to chimpanzees or returned to the veterinary staff if they are rejected. Any chimpanzee on medication will have a prescription sheet within the digital records (ZIMS). These must be filled out daily by the dispensing care technician. Once a medication is finished, it is brought to the veterinary staff and filed. Care Technician log daily medication intake into the digital records. Operating Doors Only care technicians that have been trained to operate sliders, guillotines and/or Jurassic gates are allowed to do so. A Care Tech I, once trained, should only operate doors within their section and only when asked to do so by a Care Tech II or curator. Each slider door has a pin that is used to hold the door open or closed. Each door pin has a smaller cotter pin that holds the door pin in place. When operating doors/sliders, the following protocols should always be followed: • Never stand in direct line of a slider door. In other words, always stand to the side of the door so you are never hit by a thrown door. • When removing the pin, your arms are never in direct line of the door. • When operating the guillotine door, the circular hook is always engaged (hooked) and all other functions are properly followed (see Guillotine Doors) • Always stand at a safe distance, away from the mesh, when operating a tunnel slider. • When operating an annex or outdoor tunnel slider, the human door is moved out of the way or closed first. • Never fight a chimpanzee for the door. • When leaving the building, all door pins and cotter pins are properly secured. • When a slider is locked both pins must be secured Unlocking Doors Unlocking a chimpanzee door puts everyone in the sanctuary at a substantial risk. Therefore it is imperative that this action always be done with the utmost care and following each protocol exactly. All actions involving unlocking and opening a chimpanzee door must be done in line with the Care Technician 2 Training Manual. 1. Unlocking a Chimpanzee Door Inside a Building Before unlocking a chimpanzee door:  A CT2/Curator must lock and secure all padlocks on the appropriate doors to ensure that there is no chimpanzee access to the room being entered (sliders, guillotines, etc.). This includes the outside transfer slider connected to room 1.  The care technician must appropriately tag all doors separating chimpanzees from humans with yellow tags. (See Care Technician 2 Training Manual)  Two other care technicians check all appropriate locks to ensure that they are indeed locked.  All care technicians visually and verbally verify that the room is empty of chimpanzees.  Rooms with connecting tunnels must have ledges “cleared” by having one care technician check the ledge, while another care technician checks the rest of the room at the same time.  Before opening the door, the care technician should do another visual on all appropriate locks.  Before opening the door, the care technician must announce that they are opening the room, specifying exactly which room is being opened.  A care technician must respond by saying “okay” before the door is opened.  Either care technician must also be present to observe the care technician unlocking the room, ensuring that the proper room is being unlocked. Note: The care technician doesn’t have to stop working if they are still able to observe the room being unlocked. 2. Unlocking the “Jurassic” gate to the Chimpanzee Island  The care technician must lock and tag all sliders that connect to the island (slider 2,4 and 6).  The care technician along with two other care technicians must count the chimps 3 separate times -- receiving the correct number 3 times. Each time around, all care technicians check the slider locks that connect to the island to ensure they are secure.  The two care technicians counting must give their final count and confirm locks checked/secured to the care technician running the building.  Either care technician must also be present to observe the care technician unlocking the gate, ensuring that the proper locks are being unlocked. 3. Unlocking an Annex/Primadome  The care technician must close, lock and yellow tag the slider that connects the chimpanzee room to the annex/Primadome.  Two other care technicians check the slider locks to ensure they are secure.  All care technicians visually and verbally confirm no chimpanzees are in the enclosure.  The care technician announces (on the radio) that they are opening the annex/Primadome.  A care technician must respond by saying “okay” before the door is opened.  Either care technician must also be present to observe the care technician unlocking the door, ensuring that the proper locks are being unlocked. 4. Unlocking a Tunnel Unlocking a tunnel slider is considered the same as opening a room and the same safety protocols must be followed. Tunnels should be locked and tripled prior to rooms being unlocked.  Before unlocking a tunnel slider 3 care technicians must verbally confirm that the tunnel is empty of chimpanzees  The care technician must announce that they are opening the tunnel  A care technician must respond by saying “okay” before the tunnel is opened  While there is access to humans, both sides of the tunnel should never be opened at the same time.  Either care technician must also be present to observe the care technician unlocking the locks, ensuring that the proper slider is being opened. Note: The care technician doesn’t have to stop working if they are still able to observe the slider being unlocked. 5. Unlocking Special Needs Play Yards  care technician locks and tags the tunnel slider that connects the room to the yard.  Two other care technicians check the tunnel slider locks  All 3 care technicians visually and verbally confirm that no chimpanzees are in the yard and the chimpanzee(s) assigned to the yard is accounted for in the room.  The care technician must announce (on the radio) that that specific yard is being opened.  A care technician must respond by saying “okay” before the yard is opened.  Either care technician must also be present to observe the care technician unlocking the door, ensuring that the proper yard is being unlocked.  Note: The care technician doesn’t have to stop working if they are still able to observe the room being unlocked. Allowing Chimpanzees Access to a Room, Tunnel, Annex or Island Allowing chimpanzees access to areas where humans have been also puts the sanctuary at a substantial risk. These protocols must be followed with the same level of care when rooms are being opened.  The care technician assigned to the building will lock human doors to chimpanzee areas.  The care technician must immediately place 2 (orange metal) tags on the door that was just locked. Each tag represents a check needed on that specific door.  As each care technician checks those locks, a tag is removed by that same person.  Each care technician checking a door and removing a tag must also verbally confirm their check with the care technician assigned to that building.  The care technician must then visually confirm the door is locked and tags were removed before announcing that they are unlocking a slider  A care technician must respond with an “okay” before the care technician proceeds to unlock the slider.  Either care technician must also be present to observe the care technician unlocking the slider locks, ensuring that the proper slider is being opened. Note: The care technician doesn’t have to stop working if they are still able to observe the slider being unlocked.  Any door with direct access to the outdoors must be announced over the radio. Note: This includes the top gate (often opened for mows) on the Jurassic wall. Switching Chimpanzees When switching individuals or groups of chimpanzees who are incompatible but residing in the same building, the following precautions must be taken to avoid an accidental introduction between the incompatible chimpanzees. 1. Identify and locate the chimpanzees who will be confined indoors. If it is an entire large group, triple count the chimpanzees to ensure that everyone is inside. 2. Lock and red tag all of the doors around the room(s) occupied by the chimp or chimpanzees who are remaining inside. This includes any slider door, tunnel door, or guillotine door adjacent to the room(s) occupied by the chimpanzees in question. 3. Have a second person* check the locks around those chimpanzees, and verify that the chimpanzees who must remain indoors are present and secure inside. If it is certain individuals who must remain inside, the second person must visualize and verbally name each chimp as being present. If it is an entire group locked in, the second person must triple count the group to ensure that no chimpanzees are inadvertently left outside. 4. Let the other chimpanzees who are not remaining indoors have access to each other and/or the island as needed. 5. Before transferring the chimpanzees who are staying inside into another room, make sure that all other points of access to that room are locked, tagged, and secure and not occupied by an incompatible chimp. All locks must be double checked by a second person before transferring the chimpanzees to another room (unless the room will be or has been unlocked for cleaning in which case the appropriate locks must be triple checked.) *If there is no caregiver at the building, someone will need to be called over. In terms of time management try to have a second person check around the chimp(s) at the same time as a head count, triple count, or other triple check. If someone doesn't know the chimp(s) who have to be kept in, point them out to the person checking to verify their location. A locked and tagged door or doors must always remain between two or more chimpanzees who are incompatible. Moving Chimpanzees All protocols for moving chimpanzees can be found in the Care Technician 2 Training Manual.  It is not permissible to “bribe” a chimpanzee to enter a room with special foods unless it is an emergency situation.  It is not permissible to get a chimpanzee to move through negative reinforcement (banging, spritzing with a hose, etc.)  It is not permissible to sneak up on a chimpanzee a slam a door shut unless it is an emergency situation. Chimpanzee Access to Rooms Inside the Building For guidelines and policies on how to structure access to building rooms, see the Care Technician 2 training manual. All situations are different. When in doubt, consult with the Curator, Chimpanzee Care Manager, or Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care. Monitoring the Chimpanzees for Injuries, Illness, or Changes in Behavior All Care Technicians are responsible for monitoring the general well-being of the chimpanzees in the buildings they are assigned. Any report of illness, distress, or other problems should be reported to the appropriate person (veterinarian, Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care, etc.). Additionally, the Curator must be informed so that it can be included in the digital records. All reports should be included in the daily log. If the report is severe, the Curator, veterinarian, Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care, or Chimpanzee Care Manager, may decide that it is a “critical concern” – these concerns are reported immediately to all relevant personnel. Chimpanzee Physicals / Veterinary Procedures All care staff are under the exclusive direction of the veterinarian during any veterinary operation. Digital Daily Logs (ZIMS) Daily logs are filled out every day, for each building, and stored in the digital database. The logs record island access (for each group in that building), enrichment given, rooms and tunnels cleaned, maintenance requested issues, and any other building or chimp event that happened that day, that should be noted for records (e.g. a chimp that isn’t feeling well and had a low appetite). Logs are reviewed by the curators, Chimpanzee Care Manager, Veterinarians, and Director of Chimpanzee Behavior & Care. Inclement Weather Chimpanzees may not be locked outdoors during rain or cold weather. The chimpanzees must be given access to the indoors at all times if it is raining or below 50 degrees. (At 50 degrees or higher, chimpanzees may be locked outdoors during cleaning as long as it is not raining.) If it is cold or raining, a group of 8 chimpanzees or fewer may be given access to just one room during cleaning; groups of 9 or more chimpanzees must have access to two rooms during cleaning. Exceptions to this standard must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care and/or the Chimpanzee Care Manager. Chimpanzee Aggression Chimpanzees have extremely complex social relationships. Like humans, chimpanzees rely on their social group for survival. In the wild, chimpanzee groups allow an individual to obtain food, find mates, enjoy protection from outside dangers, and even learn some behaviors that are unique to that particular community. Without a social group, even the strongest chimpanzee faces very little chance of survival. A foundational aspect of a chimpanzee social group is its dominance hierarchy. Without a hierarchy, the group would not function. In fact, the more established a dominance hierarchy, the more functional a social group is. When a hierarchy is threatened, chimpanzees groups act quickly to re-establish order. If a hierarchy cannot be established, the group ceases to function. How does this occur? Chimpanzees establish and maintain their social groups through behaviors that allow social bonding. For example, grooming is one such behavior. Grooming allows chimpanzees to establish alliances and understand their place in a hierarchy. Similarly, non-lethal aggressive encounters are another crucial social bonding behavior. It may seem strange that aggression can actually bond individuals, but that is exactly what it does with chimpanzees. Aggression establishes dominance and sets up a period of reconciliation – something that is critical for a social bond to occur. However, watching aggression in chimpanzees can be very unsettling. To us, it can appear violent. We might think it seems mean spirited. We may even get frustrated with chimpanzee aggressors and wonder why the chimpanzees you work with can’t just get along. However, what we consider aggression is actually an extremely important social tool for chimpanzees. Oftentimes, interfering with this very important behavior can have the opposite of the desired effect and actually create more severe encounters in the future. How should aggression be “managed”? The quick answer to this is it shouldn’t. Captive chimpanzees understand that trusted caretakers are part of the dynamic of their social group. Because of that, they may rely on you to shut doors, hose another chimpanzee, or distract the group if a fight gets too intense. They may act according to this expectation and do things they would not do if you weren’t there. This has the unfortunate effect of altering a hierarchy – and making encounters repeated and more severe. But won’t the chimpanzees hurt each other? Yes. However, they will hurt each other whether you are interfering or not. Remember that we have an “illusion of control”. If a chimpanzee wants to hurt another chimpanzee, your actions outside of the mesh or across the water are not going to prevent it. Also, keep in mind that for 16 hours of any day, chimpanzees are together without a caretaker nearby to manage aggressive encounters. So what should I do when a fight occurs? The first thing you should do is to give as much space as possible to the group that is fighting – and yes, that includes the island. Open up all slide doors and give island access. The ability to climb and run away is the best advantage any chimpanzee has. Once you have given space, stand back. Watch the fight and monitor the chimpanzees for injuries that will need to be dealt with once the fight subsides. What about the water hazard? The water represents an important danger and should be treated as such. A water retreat is rare, but not impossible. If a chimpanzee has a history of retreating to the water during a fight, he/she should not be given island access if possible. When should I use a hose? Almost never. If chimpanzees are locked in an aggressive encounter, a hose is not going to get them separated. In fact, there is a greater possibility that the hose will exacerbate the situation. Only as a last resort, if you think a quick spray of the hose will allow a chimpanzee to get away should you use this. When should I use a “bear banger” or air horn? Never. Like a hose, a loud noise is not going to stop aggression. It will just exacerbate it. When should I separate a chimpanzee? Only as a last resort. If there is a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention, you should obviously separate a chimpanzee and call the vet on staff. Otherwise, the fight needs to resolve itself without your interference. If it doesn’t it will occur again and, likely, occur more severely. Should I distract the chimpanzees with food? No. It will not help to resolve the fight and may actually cause more aggression. What about after the fight? It is vital that chimpanzees be allowed to groom each other. Unless immediate medical attention is required. Let the chimpanzees groom each other until they stop on their own. What if the fight lasts a really long time? Actually, the fight probably just seems to be going on longer than it actually is. It is rare for chimpanzee fights (even the worst ones) to last longer than a few minutes. In all likelihood, within 10 minutes, everyone will be silently grooming each other. Providing more space and an opportunity for the chimpanzees to move away from each other during a fight is the best response. However, you should never just open a door without assessing the situation first, and making sure you are not opening a door that must remain closed for security reasons, or adding chimpanzees who will simply escalate the fight or become victim themselves. Think before you open. IMPORTANT: When you open a slider in response to a chimpanzee fight, make sure that you are not opening a door that leads to an unsecure room, or an unsecure island. Always take the time to think about which door you are opening—do not panic in response to a fight and open any door without making sure that the room you are letting the chimpanzees into is secure. A fight may be bad, but an escape will always be worse. During any fight, avoid adding chimpanzees who have been separated from the group for more than 24 hours because of illness, injury, or behavioral reasons. These chimpanzees may become the target of redirected aggression. Call for help if you are alone or need more people to operate doors. Remember that it is difficult to hear or understand people over the radio when the chimpanzees are screaming in the background, and you may not be able to hear anyone’s response. If you cannot step away to call and you need help immediately, hold the button down on your radio for a few seconds. Everyone will hear the chimpanzees screaming, quickly assess where the fight is coming from and send help. Always report a serious fight to your section’s Curator. Getting Objects Away From chimpanzees Only CT2s or above should attempt to retrieve an object from a chimpanzee. This should be done inline with the methods defined in the Care Technician 2 Training Manual. If a chimpanzee has a dangerous or poisonous object, the Lead on Duty should be notified immediately. Emergencies All emergencies (unresponsive chimpanzees, escapes, serious injuries or illness involving an employee, or any other life and death situation) must be reported immediately to the RTS who will then follow proper response protocol. See the Emergency Response Manual for more information. Deceased Chimpanzees When a chimpanzee passes at Save the Chimps, the following protocols will be observed: The chimpanzee will be moved, under the direction of the Lead on Duty to a hallway where the other chimpanzees in the building can view them. After an allotted period of time, the chimpanzee will be moved to a cooling facility. Once in the cooling facility, each section will be called individually to view the chimpanzee, if they so choose, for a specified period of time. Any inappropriate handling the deceased chimpanzee (hugging, kissing, etc.) will result in immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination. Following the viewing, the chimpanzee will be moved to a necropsy room. It is during this short interval before the necropsy begins, that memorial footprints may be made by an appointed member of the staff. It is important to note that each situation is different and there may be times when these events may preempted or eliminated. In the case of a planned euthanasia, staff are permitted to come to the building in the hours preceding the euthanasia. However, the amount of visitors will be limited so as not to create stress for the other chimpanzees. These visits must be coordinated with the care technicians running the building where the chimpanzee is located, must only occur under the direction of the Curator of each staff member’s section, and must be limited in time. Staff within the building must take steps to ensure that the number of visitors is limited to minimize stress for the chimpanzee. Visitation prior to the euthanasia must not impede the activities of the care technicians assigned to the building. In the absence of the Curator, the Chimpanzee Care Manager or Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care may approve these visitations. As soon as the veterinarian calls for an end to the visits, they will cease immediately. Maintaining the Islands and Buildings Tools in Chimpanzee Areas When using a tool (knives, screwdrivers, hammers, etc.) in a chimpanzee area (chimpanzee rooms, islands), you must announce to your co-worker what you are bringing into the chimpanzee area. When you are done, you must verify that you have the tool with you and announce that you are bringing the tool out. Your co-worker must acknowledge this each time with an affirmative response. Entering an Island Any time you and anyone else enters the island, a blue tag, located on the post right next to every Jurassic gate, must be placed in plain sight on the gate. This tag identifies how many people are on the island and ensures no one is left/locked on the island. When you leave the island, this tag must be taken down. It is the Care Tech 2’s responsibility to check for these blue tags before locking the island. Cleaning an Island During island cleaning, the following must be done:  All water lixits must be checked.  Feces that have been built up on structures must be scrapped.  Trash must be removed from the island  The “patio” must be cleaned and disinfected.  Structures must be checked for maintenance issues.  Water level around the island should be observed.  Pressure washing should occur on a regular basis (in line with the “side-work chart” in each building). Buildings All buildings are cleaned on a daily basis. This includes chimpanzee areas as well as staff areas. Disinfectant (mint quat or bleach) should be used every day. Buildings should be cleaned in line with the methods laid out in the Cleaning Manual. Chimpanzee Bedding Substrate such as hay, straw, or wood wool is required every day. There must be enough substrate to both provide bedding and absorb waste. Bedding must be changed out every day. If bedding is clean and free of waste, it is acceptable to reuse it; however, this should not exceed 2 days. Clean rooms are set up daily with blankets, boxes, shredded and/or rolled paper, hard and soft toys, and large piles of hay per room. There are a few buildings with hay restrictions; these buildings receive wood wool or straw instead. At the end of the day, usually during chimp dinner, extra blankets should be added to each room by means of the food chute. Guillotine Doors Each building has a single guillotine door (aka “up-down door”) between cage 4 & 6. This door’s design and operation is unique to Save the Chimps, and requires special care and operation. Failure to operate the door correctly results in damage, and failure to observe the door for repair needs may result in a chimp escape. There are a number of cables and handles that are used to operate, secure, and check the door.    The handle that is used to open and close the door is a long, flat handle that points down when the door is open, and points up when the door is closed. A lock is inserted into a hole in the handle when the door is closed to prevent operation of the handle. The cable with the small circle handle is connected to the pins that prevent the door from dropping onto a chimp if the primary cable breaks when it is in the open (up) position. The pins must be disengaged when operating the door. You should disengage the pin anytime you operate the door and any time the door is closed (down) position. To disengage the pin, pull down on the circle handle and loop it under the brace provided. When opening the door, if you feel any resistance or it is difficult to open the door, do not force it open. Double check that the pin is properly disengaged. If it appears to be disengaged, but the   door is still difficult to operate, contact the Maintenance Department. Do not continue to operate the door. When you lock up the building and leave the area, and the guillotine door is open (up), engage the pin by releasing the circle handle from the brace. If the door is closed (due to chimpanzees being separated, for example), do not engage the pin. Leave the handle looped on the brace. The only time the pin should be engaged is when the guillotine door is open, and the building is unoccupied by staff. The cable with the T-shaped handle is used to check that the door is secure when in the closed (down) position. Prior to entering cage 4 or cage 6, the door is closed and the handle that operates the door is locked. All individuals who check the security of the guillotine door must check the padlock and firmly tug down on the T-shaped handle. If the door is secure, the door will move slightly but not open. If it is not secure, the door will open. If the door opens, unlock the door, open and close it again, and recheck. If it continues to open when you pull on the T-shaped handle, contact the Maintenance Department. Do not enter the cage. When you open cage 4 or cage 6, immediately enter the cage and insert a padlock into the guillotine door. This serves as an additional preventive measure against the door being opened while employees are working in the cage. Unlock and remove the padlock only when all work in the cage has been completed and you are about to lock the cage door. The clear window of the door is secured by metal plates and screws around the edge of the window. If multiple screws fall out, the door may break open. Check the door for missing screws daily and report any screws that need replacing to the Maintenance Department. The window itself should be cleaned daily with a soft, nonabrasive sponge. The guillotine door mechanism is secured via metal panels that are welded together. Check these panels daily. If you hear rattling during scrubbing, feel unusual movement, or see any cracks or broken welds anywhere around or above the door, report your observations to the Maintenance Department. Repairs to the guillotine door can only be made if both cage 4 and cage 6 are empty. If you are unable to encourage all of the chimpanzees out of the rooms the repair will have to be postponed. Be sure to record guillotine door problems in the daily building logs (in addition to filling out a maintenance work request) so that other CT2s who may work the building are aware of any pending repair needs. Repairs All Maintenance repairs should be made via work order. In the case of safety related repairs (broken mesh, broken lock, etc.). The Lead on Duty should be contacted immediately. Securing the Building for the Night After dinner, it is important that the building is checked and left secure for the night. First, make sure that all chimp doors and sliders that should be open are open, that the chimpanzees have a “circle”, and that no chimpanzees are inadvertently left locked indoors, or locked outdoors. Any chimpanzees that must be kept separate from other chimpanzees are secure, and the doors tagged with yellow/red flagging tape. Make sure all chimpanzees have access to blankets, and that extra blankets were dropped through the feeders at the end of the day. Storeroom and bathroom doors are closed. Lights are turned off. Thermostats on both heaters are set between 65-70 degrees. When you exit the building, both mesh security doors must be locked, and the backup pins dropped down. Other environmental settings vary based on the predicted nighttime low temperature:      Night low temperature 65 degrees or more: Observation bay doors, side chimp windows, and building doors are left open for ventilation. Circular fans are turned on, and are directed towards the chimp cages (check to make sure they are not pointing up, or angled too far down.) Other building windows may be cranked open as needed. Night low temperature between 60-64 degrees: Close bay doors, side chimp windows and turn fans off, but building doors may be left open for ventilation, particularly if you have chimpanzees locked indoors and it is warm outside at the end of the work day. Evening staff will close building doors if necessary. Night low temperature between 50-59 degrees: All observation bay doors, chimp windows, building windows, and building doors are closed. Fans are off. Night low temperatures 49 degrees and below: In addition to closing building doors and windows, chimp doors to the island (island sliders) are pinned using the “winter holes”. This is the hole in the middle of the slider allowing it to only be opened half of the way, reducing the draft into the building. Night low temperatures 32 degrees and below (below freezing): Groups smaller than 20 chimpanzees may be locked indoors for the night.