Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.
It’s a birthday celebration. It’s a holiday. It’s….Jamieween!
Our thanks go to Jayne, Sherry, and Lisa for sending such amazing party supplies, and to Stephanie for continuing her annual tradition of carving a special pumpkin in Jamie’s honor. These chimps are lucky to have such incredible supporters.
Happy Jamieween!
I spend more time with the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees than I do with most people in my life. I know them as the curious, playful, independent, opinionated individuals that sanctuary has allowed them to become.
I did not know Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra in their former lives as lab subjects, when they were mere shadows of their current selves. I often wonder how the vibrant personalities I know so well survived decades of trauma, boredom, fear, and loss.
There’s little doubt that life in a research lab is nearly unbearable for any chimpanzee (or, one could argue, for any living, feeling creature). It’s not surprising that many of them give up. But many others make it out the other side, and are able to rediscover their sense of joy and wonder, and their fighting spirit.
Here at the sanctuary, Jamie epitomizes “fighting spirit.” Despite being one of the youngest chimps in the group, she has appointed herself leader, and she runs the show. She demands the utmost respect from both her chimp and human family, and she gets it. If she wants something, she doesn’t wait and hope – she makes it happen. She is brilliant, difficult, fierce, and exacting, and we could not love or admire her more.
Due to incomplete lab records, we don’t know Jamie’s date of birth, so we celebrate her each year on Halloween (in loving tribute to her endearingly wicked nature). Our Jamie-ween party is always completely over the top (as it should be). This year’s party promises to be no different. Be sure to check back tomorrow for photos and/or video from Jamie’s birthday party, and in the meantime, here are some of my favorite photos of Jamie from birthdays past:
The day started out cold, foggy and damp. Missy chose to spend the morning inside trying out a variety of nests, some her own and some belonging to other people. By mid afternoon the fog had lifted and Missy was contemplating whether or not to take a run on Young’s Hill. She sat in the doorway to the raceway watching Jamie (who had gone on several walks by this time, undeterred by the weather). Should I?
Shouldn’t I?
Should I?
Shouldn’t I?
She finally launched out of the raceway and ran up to the treat rock where she seemed to resume her debate.
After climbing the structures for a few minutes she decided to run back and continue her contemplations from the comfort of the greenhouse, grooming with her best friend, Annie, and getting back to the business of building nests.
I cannot express how grateful I am that Missy, and all the chimpanzees, get to have so many choices that they sometimes cannot decide what to do from moment to moment.
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Vicki Brabandt! Today also happens to be Vicki’s birthday and she has generously chosen to celebrate her special day by enriching the lives of the chimpanzees! Vicki has a passion for all great apes and wants to express her gratitude to everyone providing care for them. We are always amazed at the wonderful people the chimpanzees bring into our lives and are thrilled the chimps are supported by so many with such care and compassion.
Vicki, thank you so much for sharing your day with the chimpanzees! From all of the primates here at CSNW we wish you the happiest of birthdays!
We have another birthday girl this week! On Halloween Jamie (or as we like to refer to it, “Jamie-ween”) turns 37! It’s one of the biggest parties of the year here at the sanctuary so be sure to check back for the festivities.
We have been very fortunate lately to receive some awesome food donations—Darwin pet food company has donated cases and cases of fresh produce the last few months which has certainly reduced our food bill every month! We are so appreciative, and so are the chimpanzees. Just check out one of the hauls:
And here’s some of the celery they donated being enjoyed by Annie and Negra:
And Missy snacking on a beet:
Part of our food philosophy is that the chimps have a primarily plant-based diet, which is why we’re so thankful for the Darwin’s donations! Recently we thought about seeing if the chimps like eggs, which would be a great source of protein for them in addition to the nuts they already eat and protein powder in their morning smoothie. It just so happens that I’m the proud caretaker of a few happy chickens who roam around my house (which is seated on a large family farm just outside Ellensburg).
I’ve always been thrilled to share the ladies’ eggs with friends and family, giving them the opportunity to have eggs from free-roaming chickens. So I decided to bring in some hard-boiled eggs for the chimps to see if they would like them! It turns out that they were no stranger to having eggs before. Though we expected that they would be weary of eating such a strange item, and it might take a few tastes to decide if they liked them or not, we were surprised to see their reaction—they definitely know what eggs are and they definitely like them. Negra was absolutely beside herself when she saw me walking out with the eggs, food squeaking with delight. The other chimpanzees quickly came over to get the exciting snack.
Foxie, however, is not so sure about eggs. She’s always been more hesitant to try new things (even if she ends up loving those things eventually). The first time we served the eggs, Foxie sniffed it and tossed it to the ground. She then went around and watched everyone eating their egg to see what was so exciting about it. The second time we served them, I peeled one for Foxie (while everyone else was happy to receive their with the shell and peel them on their own) and she took a quick bite before dropping the other half on the ground. Annie was very pleased to pick up Foxie’s leftovers, and Foxie very intensely food peered while Annie ate her eggs. This very uncomfortable looking behavior is a common act in chimpanzee culture, and Foxie especially likes to food-peer. Perhaps after watching the other chimps happily eat their eggs twice now, the third time will be the charm for Foxie!
I’m often told how great it must be to have a job caring for chimpanzees and I have to agree. There are so many highlights of working at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Of course, there are the chimpanzees, each with their own unique and inspiring qualities. And there are the incredibly compassionate and dedicated staff members, volunteers and donors that work on behalf of the Cle Elum Seven. Add in a beautiful setting and its the perfect job.
The truth is, I love my job, but I really wish it didn’t exist. The reality is there has to be chimpanzees in captivity for me to be a chimpanzee caretaker. But, chimpanzees do not belong in captivity. Period.
A past teacher of mine used to say “With knowledge comes responsibility”. I didn’t realize just how much those four words would mean until I started learning more about the fate of chimpanzees in the entertainment and biomedical industries and those kept as pets. Once I learned the fates of those chimpanzees, I stopped buying cards with pictures of chimpanzees “smiling” and I stopped watching movies with chimpanzees in them. But, I wanted to do more; I felt I had a responsibility to do more.
So, I am trying to do that, by helping to make captivity the best that it can possibly be for the chimpanzees of CSNW. This means respecting them as individuals, giving them choices, providing daily enrichment, sharing their stories and advocating for them and all apes.
These are the seven chimpanzees that I work for.
The chimpanzees were excited to make the most of the sunshine this morning by spending time on Young’s Hill. Jody was the first to venture outside, followed by Burrito, Jamie, Foxie, Missy and then Annie. Negra was close; she made it to the raceway that leads out to the hill, then sat down and looked outside.
Missy and Annie shared a few quiet minutes sitting together on top of the shaky bridge.
As soon as Missy spotted Jamie, she jumped down from the bridge and ran after her. And then Jamie took turns running after Missy.
And then Foxie joined Annie on the shaky bridge. (Annie is facing away from the camera)
In the mean time, Negra sat quietly in the Greenhouse, near the raceway, alternating between looking outside and inspecting her hand.
Jody gathered some bamboo before heading back to the greenhouse to relax and groom herself.
Meanwhile, volunteers Erin and Jake set up a tea party for the chimpanzees in the Playroom for today’s “Tea Party” theme. Jamie was all about it. After drinking the tea, she inspected the inside of each cup; turning it upside down, sticking her fingers in the cup and then licking them. She gives meaning to the saying “Good to the last drop”
And Burrito spent the better part of the rainy afternoon grooming his good friend Foxie.
