For several years, Batdorf & Bronson® Coffee Roasters has donated used burlap coffee bags to Zoo Atlanta's Enrichment Team. Under the supervision of zoo keepers, volunteers stuff the bags with hay, popcorn and peanuts and give them to the zoo’s gorillas. The gorillas spend time searching through the bags for their treats and then use the bags in a variety of ways. Ivan likes to wear his bag on his shoulders or sit on it. One female likes to wear it like a hat. Some young males chase each other for the bag, even after it is empty.
The group of volunteers that coordinates this project is called the Ape Conservation Effort and they work to increase awareness of the extreme threat to all great apes in the wild, including gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. We salute this group for its work and will be contributing coffee for an upcoming fundraiser.