Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for April 2017

Outdoor fun with Foxie

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Today as Jamie, Katelyn, and I headed out for an afternoon perimeter walk around Young’s Hill, we were joined by the rest of the chimpanzees (minus Negra). Foxie quickly became the life of the party at the top of the hill as she wrestled and chased with both Jamie and Missy.

When chimpanzees play, there is a lot of foot grabbing that goes on. Foxie is particularly adept at dancing out of these playful grabs.

Slapping is also a popular play move:

And don’t forget about chasing!

Somewhere in all this activity, Foxie dropped her Dora Doll. Jody put it in her right hip “pocket” for safe keeping and took it back to the greenhouse. I know it’s a bit blurry, but can you spot Dora’s wild brown hair peeking out?

A few more of today’s mischief maker:

HOOT! Sponsor Tracy Headley

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This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting sponsors of the HOOT! 2017 Spring Fling gala. You can see the first in the series here.

We are sharing HOOT! 2017 sponsors so everyone can get to know the people behind the generosity.

So, today is all about Tracy!

Tracy Headley is a Happy Hour Sponsor, which is fitting, because she brings happiness to us at the sanctuary.

She first became involved with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest when her friend Shawn (on the left in the photo above) invited Tracy and her partner Bruce (on the right in the photo) to the sanctuary. Shawn had won a visit to CSNW at another auction and thought Tracy and Bruce would be interested in joining him. In Tracy’s words, “That day started my love affair with seven unique and wonderful chimps.”

In more of her words, Tracy shares what that love affair has been all about:

The blog posts have allowed me to watch the chimps grow to live a life closer to what they should have lived all along.  This past year I have delighted in watching Annie, at 42 years old, discover her moxie. To see the look on her beautiful & serene face as she explores Young’s Hill-joy!  I have learned so much about chimps, and these seven in particular, from the wonderful blog posts.

Tracy is generous throughout the year, always giving donations for chimpanzee birthdays and other fundraising drives, but here is why Tracy specifically chooses to support sanctuary events with her donations:

This is our 5th year attending, and 4th year as a sponsor.  I try to budget for HOOT!, and my sponsorship is part of my budget.  It allows me to give some of my donation early, hoping that it can help with some of the party planning costs.  Plus, it is the best party of the year.

I asked Tracy who her favorite chimpanzee is, and I just love her answer:

I want to be more like Foxie.  She is fun, silly, intuitive, and a loyal friend.  I LOVE Foxie. Really there is something to love and admire about all seven.  I think I am more like Jody.  I like things orderly, and I care deeply about the well being of my family and friends. 

Here’s a photo of Foxie and Jody out exploring together.

We agree, Tracy does care deeply about the well being of her friends, and that shows in the support that she has given to the sanctuary over the years.

Thank you, Tracy, for being such a great friend to all of the chimpanzees and the humans at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest!

Spring, storms, this and that.

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Springs storms are rolling through the area today and in typical fashion we go from sun, to cold wind, to rain, to hail and back to sun.

But spring hail (if you live in Cle Elum :)) brings the first tiniest of spring flowers:

No matter the weather, Missy asks to have the barn doors at the end of the playroom open and checks the garden every day!

And every time we open them up for the chimps to have a peek, it creates quite a ruckus and Missy is thrilled. She and Missy immediately began chasing each other around the playroom, laughing:

Jamie was keeping a close eye on the approaching storms from the chimp house windows after an aborted attempt at walking around the hill. She left me standing half way up on the windy hillside calling after her as she high-tailed it back to the greenhouse. Maybe she’s becoming a fair weather chimp?

It’s been a quiet afternoon with the unpredictable weather and the chimps have mostly congregated together in the toasty greenhouse to groom. If you are new to chimpanzee behavior, grooming is extremely important in chimp society. It’s a way to clean themselves and one another as well as to attend to any wounds, but it’s primary importance is that of building and maintaining their bonds with one another. Chimps use grooming to build relationships in the hierarchy and “get in good” with the more dominant chimps, it’s how they maintain bonds with friends, it’s how they soothe and calm each other and it’s how they make up after a fight. And here at CSNW, sometimes the chimps will choose to include their caregivers in their grooming. The chimpanzees relationships with one another are always the priority, but it’s always special when they include us.

Missy likes to groom herself with a small stick (seen here grooming her own arm) and invited me to do the same. For safety reasons we never allow our fingers to pass through the caging and the chimps know that if they want us to groom them or give them a knuckle rub, they have to press their body against the caging. You can’t see it here, but I am only using my forefinger and thumb to hold the tool – we keep as many fingers as we can tucked back for safety…That leg!

Here Annie (using her lips on her arm) and Jody are self-grooming:

Burrito was resting in the corner while Foxie groomed him, but he eventually moved down to groom with Jody:

The chimps have been loving the greenhouse today and even after an exciting dinner forage of roasted onions, pears, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes, they all took their evening enrichment of peanut butter in containers out to the greenhouse to enjoy. This is pretty unusual because they are typically building their night nests about this time. Keri and I said goodnight and received “crickets” in response. 🙂 Goodnight chimps! Goodnight friends of chimps!

Foxie and Pinky’s Adventures

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From the moment I walked into the chimp house this morning, Foxie had a companion – a bright, pink- haired troll doll, whom I named “Pinky”.

I decided to follow Foxie and Pinky around throughout the day to see what sorts of adventures they would go on. They spent quite a bit of time this morning relaxing in the Greenhouse, where Foxie alternated between holding Pinky and hiding her in the ceiling.

Afterwards, Foxie took Pinky for an adventure on Young’s Hill.

They climbed on the treat rock (a representation of a termite mound found in wild chimpanzee habitat)…

And then made their way back toward the Greenhouse…

..for more rest and relaxation.

But then, somehow, Pinky “transformed” herself…

…okay, maybe not. Looks like Foxie found another friend to keep Pinky company.

What a day!

Curling up with a good book

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Humans aren’t the only ones that like to curl up with a good book on a rainy morning.

The chimps spent the early part of the day on Young’s Hill, but before long the rain had them retreating back inside to the cozy greenhouse and playroom. Jamie returned to find a new book, one of many sent in recently by a generous supporter, and she immediately gathered all of her favorite things so that she could flip through her book from the comfort of a good nest.

The only problem – the nest was too comfortable.

Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she couldn’t fight it anymore, and she drifted off to sleep.

Her new book would have to wait.

You Can’t Please Everyone

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Burrito is more popular in some circles than in others. As a rule, humans adore him while his chimp family merely tolerates him. On a daily basis, Burrito terrorizes the six female chimps he lives with by charging through the chimp house in loud and intimidating dominance displays. Burrito’s just doing what male chimps do, but that argument doesn’t hold much water with the ladies who have to live with him.

Despite all that, there’s something endearingly innocent about him. He feels his emotions deeply. While not the most socially savvy person, he tries hard to fit in, and he doesn’t always understand why the other chimps are upset with him. He loves and trusts his caregivers without reservation, even though humans have not been kind to him in the past. He loves a gentle game of tug of war with his human friends, and he greets every meal like a kid on Christmas morning.