The weather has been so wonderful today! After breakfast, I caught nearly everyone out in the greenhouse either grooming or resting. We have some pretty cute chimps here at CSNW. 🙂
Missy and Foxie grooming:
Foxie:
Annie:
Sleeping Negra:
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
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To all the laboratories out there who use chimpanzees for experimentation, these 7 chimps show you what sanctuary can do for your chimpanzees. There coats are beautiful, their eyes sparkle, they’re coming out of the shells, which shows everyone what a life away from labs can do.
I love these pictures because they show chimps taking naps outside and in the sun, makes me sleepy. But my favorite picture is Annie, with her eyes half closed and just about to dose off.
They get more beautiful each day!
I love to see my chimpanzee friends soaking up the sun. I am so glad summer finally arriving for them. Enjoy your summer my dears.
I am surprised to see Negra with out a blanket over herself.
Those are great pictures. Touching to see them be so happy and content after what they have been through.
On this 4th of July I think about the chimps’ independence. They certainly aren’t free…but they have way more personal choice than they ever did before. I’ve been watching Escape from Chimp Eden on Animal Planet lately and I feel so much gratitude that our Cle Elum Seven have found such a nurturing place where they can have interesting things to explore every day and make choices about what they want to eat and play with and how to spend their days. They have loving caretakers, multiple large rooms to move around in, a stable social unit, all kinds of enrichment every day.
There is power in personal freedom to choose. I toast our chimp people on this day. (And I applaud Keith and all of the caretakers and volunteers for your love made visible.)
Sorry….I meant to say that I was watching Escape TO Chimp Eden. Many episodes on hulu.com also.
From all I have learned, I think restoring an individual’s ability to make choices is one of the most important factors of sanctuary, be it for chimpanzees, elephants, etc.