Recent studies show that chimpanzees have the intellectual abilities required for cooking. While Garfield is not cooking his “soup”, he is showing the ability to defer the gratification of eating while preparing the food to his preference.
The chimpanzees at Save the Chimps are fed three meals daily. In addition to their fresh fruit and vegetables, they are given primate chow, as seen in the video. Most of the chimpanzees prefer the chow softened so they will put it in their mouths and then drink water, softening it before eating. Garfield however, over time, took this process to the next level.
The chimpanzees are given an assortment of toys for enrichment, including buckets. Without being shown this technique, Garfield started putting his chow, and often times other food, into a bucket, filling it with water, and mixing it up before eating it.
Enjoy seeing the anticipation on his face and hearing his grunts – he can’t wait until his ‘soup’ is done!