It’s been a good day. Here’s a brief video diary:
Archives for June 2009
Hanging out with Foxie
People sometimes ask how we interact with the chimpanzees through the fencing. While there are plenty of things to do that don’t involve any physical contact at all (chase!), there are safe methods of physical contact that allow us to tickle or groom — or be tickled or groomed by — the chimps. To make sure everyone stays safe, our fingers never penetrate the plane of the fencing. In this video, Jackie, our newest caregiver, uses a decapitated troll head (!!!) and a piece of bark to groom and tickle Foxie.
Do chimpanzees chew gum?
Yes. Yes, they do. See video below
All of the chimpanzees at CSNW enjoy gum as an occasional treat. Foxie is particularly enthusiastic with her gum chewing.
Our dedicated volunteers
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest could not function without volunteer support. Chimp house volunteers wash produce, prepare meals, do laundry, tend to the garden, clean enclosures…they are part of every aspect of the sanctuary. Yesterday we had a small party to honor the folks that keep this place running. Of course, the humans can’t have a party on their own, so the chimps got to enjoy a picnic dinner, with lots of fresh greens, homemade (and healthy!) potato and pasta salads, and veggie burgers.
To all the volunteers that couldn’t make it, thank you for giving up so much of your time to help the Cle Elum Seven.
Paula Wade’s tribute
Paula Wade of Colorado, a supporter of CSNW and a friend to the Cle Elum Seven, died on June 10th. Paula began following the CSNW blog early on and made comments on some of the posts. She sent in a photo of herself as a child that is now included in the chimps’ photo album. In October, she gathered photos of the chimpanzees from the blog and put them into a video slide show. I had always intended on sharing this video with everyone.
Although I regret that I am only sharing it now that Paula is gone, I am so glad that she created this and was able to connect with the Cle Elum Seven, even at a distance, before she passed away. This was a tribute to the Cle Elum Seven by Paula, and now I see it as a tribute to Paula. We wish all of Paula’s friends and family the best during their time of grieving.
Foxie’s gateway enrichment
For Foxie, trolls were almost like “gateway enrichment” – using trolls seems to have opened her up to using lots of other kinds of objects. Before she had trolls, she wouldn’t touch any of the objects in the enclosure. Now she uses blankets, buckets and other things to amuse herself.
Yesterday, Foxie played with a troll in a bucket for so long, and with so much enthusiasm, that she broke the bucket. But then she picked up the toy drum next to her and started using trolls as drumsticks.
Annie’s taking notes from Jamie
Miss Annie seems to be trying out Jamie’s style today!
