Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for June 2009

Exciting Foxie stories

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On Saturday, the night of the Cle Elum Seven’s one year anniversary, Jackie and I were hanging out with the chimps after dinner and we witnessed two amazing things. I do not have photographic evidence of these events, but I was so glad that Jackie was there to also see them.

First, long after the other chimpanzees had finished eating, Jamie was still hanging onto a bit of cantaloupe. Jamie seemed content to delay finishing her fruit as she carefully inspected Jackie’s boot. After several minutes, Foxie came over. There were probably a dozen troll dolls that were part of the party enrichment, and Foxie had three of them with her, one that still had on a wedding dress. Foxie put this troll doll in Jamie’s free hand, while looking away. Foxie continued to hold onto the troll doll until Jamie’s fingers closed around the doll. Then Foxie pulled her hand away and very slowly and carefully took the cantaloupe that was sitting by Jamie. If you’re a regular blog reader, you know that Jamie is pretty possessive of her food, and she is the highest ranking chimpanzee. This means that other chimps, as a rule, generally do not take food from Jamie. But this really appeared to be a trade. Apparently troll dolls served as a version of currency between these two!

The second equally amazing thing that occurred also involved Foxie. Jackie and I were handing out blankets in the front rooms, and Foxie took one through the fencing. This in itself is a bit unusual, but not unheard of – sometimes she’ll playfully take blankets or clothes, and then drop them. Every once in a while she’ll play a quick game of tug of war. But Foxie took this blanket (a very big fleece one) and eventually climbed up to the bed in Room Four and began to nest!! The blanket was long and hanging off of the bed, and Jamie immediately came into the room and began to pull on the end hanging down. Foxie’s played for a bit, at one point trying to still nest by wrapping the blanket around her, while Jamie continued to pull on the blanket. After a while Foxie dropped the blanket and Jamie left. Then Foxie got up and walked into Room 2, passing several blankets along the way, and picked up a pink one. She carried the pink blanket back to the far room, went back to the bed, laid the blanket down, and laid down on top of it.

It was a beautiful sight to see, and so special that it happened one year to the day after she arrived at the sanctuary. I’m so excited for what year two will bring!!

Back to bed

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This afternoon, Negra was sleeping peacefully outside when all hell broke loose in the playroom. But she seemed to know right away that it was just your typical skirmish…nothing worth getting excited about. So she let out a sympathetic pant hoot and went back to bed.

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Pictures from yesterday’s party

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Annie took a couple of plates to a private spot:

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Negra, Jamie, and Missy enjoyed the banana chocolate chip muffins (Missy had at least five in her mouth and hands at one point):

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Jody ate in her typical eating posture:

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Foxie loved her new cow:

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Thanks so much to all of the chimpanzees’ friends, volunteers, and supporters for making yesterday (and the last year) so wonderful!

One Year Later

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We’ve all been reflecting on how much the chimpanzees have changed over the last year and going through old photos and videos of when they first arrived. Sometimes photos tell the story better than words, so I put together this video.

Happy Birthday Negra and a very happy anniversary to the Cle Elum Seven. I look forward to many more to come!

The celebration begins…

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What an incredible year. I’ve been thinking for a few weeks about how to sum up what an inspiring, life-altering year it’s been. There really are no words! But I will try my best.


For me, the high points have been in the little moments. Of course the chimps’ arrival, the first time they went outside, and the first time they saw snow – those were amazing moments that I felt so honored to be a part of. But the little moments – quietly sharing a stolen minute with one of my chimpanzee friends – those are what hold everything together.


Early on, I remember Foxie seeing herself in a mirror. She was enthralled, of course. She was seeing herself for the first time. She had the sweetest, most curious look in her eyes. I have loved that girl from that day forward!


I remember watching Jamie rediscover her interest in coloring, softly grunting with glee as I gave her more and more crayons to create a masterpiece. Something as simple as crayons gave her such joy!


I remember playing the “blow in my ear” game with Burrito for the first time. He put his ear up to the fence and waited for me to blow. Then he laughed, switched sides, and waited again. He’s not always eager to play with me, so I savor those moments.


Just the other day, I stood and watched as Annie did a full display – swaggering, pant hooting, running, pounding the wall, slapping the floor. Annie is shy and not very dominant, and I was SO proud of her for strutting her stuff!


I remember watching Missy sitting against the wall in the playroom by herself. Just quietly sitting and looking around. She saw a sock next to her, calmly put it on her arm, and then jumped up and took off running toward Annie with the biggest playface EVER!


For Jody, I remember the first time she prepared for and then decided against spitting on me. During a meal, she got a mouth full of water and walked toward me, very slowly, staring me straight in the eyes with a look that must translate to “I.am.going.to.get.you.” As is often her approach, she didn’t spit the water right away. She likes to hold it in her mouth for a while. So I went about serving the meal. And then, when I pulled out the nectarines, all of a sudden she opened her mouth and let the water dribble out the side. I was victorious! And the nectarines were my new best friends.


And lastly, for our birthday girl, I have two moments. First, I remember going through Negra’s file with JB. We had just read about the years that she spent in isolation at the Coulston Foundation because she had some unusual test results. Isolation. It was brutal, thinking about what Negra experienced on “our” behalf. We tore ourselves away and went out to the chimp area to take our minds off things, and there waited beautiful Negra. I think we must have spent fifteen or twenty minutes just dancing and clapping with her, and she was so joyful. Afterwards, and ever since then, I thought about how much she gives to all of us. She gave up so much during all those years in research, and somehow she still has it in her to cheer me up when I’m down. It’s bittersweet.


Second Negra moment: just the other day, Negra gave a caregiver-in-training her first kisses. It’s marvelous when Negra pouts her lips through the fence to offer us kisses on our wrists. This time, Negra gave her kiss and then proceeded to demand about 8 or 10 more.  If there’s one thing I know for sure – what Negra wants, Negra gets! I hope someday we’ll make up to Negra just a little tiny fraction of what we owe her.


Thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic support of the CSNW family. We couldn’t do it without you and we look forward to many more years together! Stay tunes for more posts and recollections throughout the day!

Negra’s new life

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Tomorrow we are celebrating Negra’s honorary birthday and the Cle Elum Seven’s anniversary of their arrival to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

Negra is about 36 years old. She was captured in Africa as an infant and brought to the U.S. to be used in biomedical research. She had four babies during her decades in research.  She had over sixty liver biopsies while being used as a test subject for hepatitis vaccines. She has spent the vast majority of her life in small cages in various laboratories. She lived without access to the outside. Without windows. Without the chance to feel the sun on her face.

I think this photo, taken a couple of weeks ago, illustrates what sanctuary means to Negra:

Negra worshipping the sun

You can support Negra today and wish her a happy birthday by giving a donation on her fundraising page. CSNW couldn’t exist without the support of so many. You provide the chimpanzees with a new life.