• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

  • Our Family
    • The Chimpanzees
    • The Cattle
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Visiting the Sanctuary
    • Philosophy
      • FAQs
      • Mission, Vision & Goals
      • Privacy Policy
    • The Humans
      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Founder
    • Annual Reports
    • The Future of CSNW
    • CSNW In The News
  • You can help
    • Donate
      • Become a Chimpanzee Pal
      • Sponsor A Day
      • Transfer Stock
      • Crypto Donations and NFTs
      • Be A Produce Patron
      • Become a Bovine Buddy
      • Give from your IRA
      • Personalized Stones
      • Bring Them Home Campaign
    • Leave A Legacy
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer
    • See Our Wish List
    • Events
  • Resources
    • About Chimpanzees
    • Enrichment Database
    • Advocacy
      • Apes in Entertainment
        • Trainers
        • Role of the AHA
        • Greeting Cards
      • Chimpanzees as Pets
      • Roadside Zoos
      • Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research
      • Conservation
        • African Apes
        • Orangutans
  • Shop
    • Merchandise Store
    • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Donate

Nest-making

July 12, 2008 by Sarah

Free living chimpanzees make nests high up in the trees using twigs, branches and leaves. Captive chimpanzees, even those who were born at labs, often make nests too. It’s a natural chimpanzee behavior. Negra and Jody both make massive nests out of piles and piles of blankets and sheets. They carefully arrange the blankets as I imagine their counterparts in Africa carefully arrange their twigs and leaves.

I love taking apart the nests in the morning when we clean.  Sometimes I feel like an archaeologist, carefully unveiling layer upon layer. Not only do they use blankets and sheets, but they also stash other treasures in their nests. Today, one of the nests I came across included a shoe, a belt, a cup, a paintbrush, a scrub-brush, and three sheets:

While we can’t give them forests and trees, it’s great to know that we’re giving them what they need to express natural chimpanzee behaviors, even if that means scrub brushes and belts! -Sarah

Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Sanctuary

Share

Share
Tweet
Share
Pin

Subscribe To Blog Via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shelly Knapp says

    July 12, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    I find it amazing that they stash their treasures in their nests like that! Thanks for sharing the information Sarah.

  2. Kindree says

    July 14, 2008 at 12:33 pm

    And please know that free-living chimpanzees build a new nest every night, and so when Sarah and others go in and disassemble last night’s nests, it’s not a hardship on the chimps. 🙂

  3. Diana says

    July 15, 2008 at 9:43 pm

    Good point, Kindree. Actually, most of the chimps at CSNW (Missy and Jody come to mind) will reassemble their nests several times during the day – sometimes moving them from one place to another, sometimes adding blankets (and treasure), and, yes, sometimes steeling someone else’s bed to make their own.

  4. Dawn Corby says

    July 18, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    You are all such angels to be able to help these amazing animals.

    My heart fills with joy whenever I hear of more chimps being released from labs. Such an honor to be in their company. Such a blessing that they have you to protect them.

    God Bless.

  5. Janine Alfieri says

    July 18, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    It’s such a pleasure to see them at last out of the lab so they will not suffer anymore. Thank you very much for what you do ..

    Janine

Previous Post
Annie & Missy at play photo series
Next Post
Negra’s dinner

Primary Sidebar

Archives

Calendar of Blog Posts

July 2008
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Jun   Aug »

Categories

SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Footer

PO Box 952
Cle Elum, WA 98922
[email protected]
509-699-0728
501c3 registered charity
EIN: 68-0552915

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Nonprofit Overview and Reviews on GreatNonprofits
Official DDAF Grantee

Menu

  • The Chimpanzees
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • You can help
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Donate

Proud Member of

Connect With Us

Search

Copyright © 2023 Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. All Rights Reserved. Site by Vegan Web Design