List of the most popular hashtags for theme #APEINITIATIVE

Mirror, mirror on the wall - Nyota is the most handsome bonobo of them all!! #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #MCM #MisterHandsome

Speaking of handsome Nyota.....#BlueSteel #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos

WELFARE WEDNESDAY During the colder months, our care-staff find creative ways to keep the apes busy!! Here is Kanzi enjoying one of his favorite enrichment items - a peanut butter and banana forage mat. At ACCI the bonobos’ welfare is our top priority!! #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #Welfare #WelfareWednesday

Happy Sunday Funday from Kanzi!! This guy is all smiles after tickling and playing chase with his caregivers. He steals our hearts each and every day!! #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #SundayFunday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NYOTA Nyota turned 21 today!! He celebrated the big day with a triple-layer frozen fruit cake, as well as avocado smears and cups of juice!! The blue layer of the cake is made up of apples and raisins, the red layer contains clementines, limes and lemons, and the whole thing is topped off with Nyota’s favorite - grapes. Nyota had the best time sharing his celebration with Elikya and Teco! #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #21stBirthday

First snowfall in Des Moines and the bonobos are loving it! Frozen fruit in the snow is one of their favorite treats! Enjoy this video of the fun made by @emcain91! #bonobos #apeinitiative #winterfun #snowday #animalsinsnow

THANK YOU Nyota and everyone at ACCI want to say thank you to the incredibly generous @hyvee grocery stores for donating fresh fruits and vegetables to the bonobos!! We are so grateful to the Fluer, Southridge, Urbandale, Johnston, and Windsor Heights stores and our wonderful volunteers and staff that pick up the donations!! #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #MCM

A DAY IN THE LIFE Ever wonder what it is like to be a bonobo living at ACCI Each morning the bonobos wake up in their big, comfy blanket nests. If you’re Nyota and Teco, this usually means combining your nests and spending the early hours tickling one another. Once the fences are secured and the cut up fruits and veggies are spread, the bonobos forage across the expansive yards for their breakfasts (weather permitting)!! After forage, the bonobos have the opportunity to participate in behavioral and cognitive research if they CHOOSE to do so. This is one of many choices the bonobos get to make throughout their day!Whether they participate in research or not, the bonobos still receive 4 different types of enrichment each day! These come in many forms - manipulable items inside the enclosure, extractive forage simulators attached to the mesh, frozen whole food items, etc. Additionally, the bonobos participate in husbandry training such as body part presentation, volunteering for ear temperature and finger blood pressure readings, and injection training. The bonobos will often use their symbol keyboard to request favorite food items as their rewards during training (Yes...Kanzi’s favorite really are bananas)! The late afternoon is often spent napping in the outdoor tunnels, grooming and playing with one another. Before coming inside for bed, the bonobos receive an additional outdoor forage. Lastly, they build new, giant blanket nests....and sleep soundly knowing they had a wonderfully enriched day!! Check out our photos to see what it’s like to be a bonobo living at ACCI! #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #Welfare #Science

MAISHA MONDAY What better way to start the week than with Maisha!! Maisha loves to tickle with carestaff, play water chase, romp around with buddy Teco and groom with his sister, Elikya. This handsome guy steals the hearts of staff, volunteers and visitors alike! A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteer and fantastic photographer Madeline Mitchell for capturing this gorgeous shot of Maisha! #ACCI #ApeInitiative #Bonobos #MCM