Negra spends a lot of time in front of windows. She has a few spots that she seems to have claimed as her own, all with great vantage points for watching the goings-on of the sanctuary property.
Her usual spot is in the catwalk in the playroom—from that window she can watch the cows, horses, goats, and elk wander about, the humans walking around the hill with Jamie, the cars drive along the highway, and the train go through the river canyon below. It’s a pretty great view so I understand why she spends a big chunk of time watching from there. Another spot she has claimed is in the corner of the greenhouse by the Young’s Hill raceway, which is actually the same view as her catwalk spot.
To get a look at the other side of the property she has a spot in front of the highest window in the loft area, and the same view can be seen from the window immediately below the loft, in one of the front rooms. This is the first place the chimpanzees had a chance to look outside when they first arrived at the sanctuary.
When I found these photos below on our computer from a couple weeks ago, the look in Negra’s eyes as she gazes out the window is all I could think about. And it made me think about the day the chimps first arrived. Though I wasn’t here that day, I anxiously waited for this very special blog post announcing that the chimps were in their new home (with a picture of Negra at the same window) and one from the next day including a video of Negra leaving her transfer cage, entering her new home, and greeting Sarah.
We can’t ever know what must go through Negra’s mind as she’s gazing out at the valley below, or watching staff, volunteers, visitors, or delivery people come and go from the other side of the building. Whatever it is she’s pondering, I would imagine it’s much different than when the chimps first arrived. Those first few days I’m sure it was thoughts of wonderment, curiosity, and even fear of the unknown. I hope now that her thoughts are more about what she might see Ellie up to today, or who’s walking up the driveway to visit, or how long the train will be this time.
