Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

Chimps: 7 – Humans: 0

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Last night, while the chimpanzees were all inside enjoying their sparkling cider for New Year’s Eve, I ran out to close the hill for the evening. With well below freezing temperatures, the sky growing dark, and Jamie inside, I assumed everyone was in for the evening. And then I saw movement out of the corner of my eye that took my brain a minute to compute. Low and behold Foxie had declined the New Year’s Eve festivities and chose to ring in the new year by having an adventure and foraging for snow treats!

Much to Jody’s horror…

Jody is such a good friend and patiently waited for Foxie, even venturing up the icy path to collect her at one point. Foxie wasn’t ready to come inside yet and sweet Jody headed back to wait for her at the entry to the greenhouse, slipping and sliding her way back down the path. Foxie stayed out quite awhile, seemingly watching the surrounding skies light up with the sunset and enjoying her time. Much to Jo’s relief, Foxie eventually made her way back, collecting several snow treats along the way and then she and Jody raced into the warm chimp house together. We all celebrate in our own way.

 

Earlier in the day, I was showing Jamie my winter boots with the YakTrax on. As one might imagine, winter shoewear is pretty exciting for Jamie. As we sat together Jamie kept gesturing, unsatisfied with the usual winter boots and Yakthax grooming, or even with me wearing her boots. It took me several minutes to realize she wanted to see the YakTrax on HER boots. Of course she did! She was so excited! Once she had a good visual of them she asked for her boots (thankfully understanding she couldn’t have the Yaktrax with them) and happily retreated to her nest with them.

Here she is sound asleep, her foot in one of her favorite new Christmas boots.

As for today, Kelsi and I arrived bright and early this first morning of 2018, arms full of goods for the chimps’ New Year’s Day celebration. But the chimps made it very clear from the start that today, we were doing things differently. Specifically, we were doing things Missy-style! All. Day. Long. During the winter, Missy is a bit infamous for choosing not to shift during the daily routine, meaning that she will sometimes choose not to leave an area so that we can go in and clean. So the humans adjust their routine or just wait it out.

In order to set up the party we needed access to the playroom, but it’s cozy, light and spacious in there and no one else was particularly interested in leaving that area either. And that’s great, it’s an example of the chimps getting to choose how their day goes. But what is a little more unique is that they’ve been choosing not to shift out of any area today! Bribes of gum, nuts, and even tiny tomatoes for Missy haven’t even swayed them! We were finally able to begin cleaning at precisely the time we normally finish the entire chimp house. So the human party plans were put out in increments or not at all. But the chimps seemed perfectly content with doing things their way and that’s what’s most important.

Jamie enjoying sparkling cider:

The chimps still weren’t interested in shifting out of the playroom for dinner in our last attempt to set up the party forage so instead enjoyed a full service dinner of black-eyed peas with cherry tomatoes, kale, baked onions and baked pears for dinner. To heck with spot cleaning. Maybe they thought since we had JUST cleaned, that was good enough. So we doled out extra blankets in the food chutes and switched up evening enrichment so we could pass it out.

As I write this, the chimps are hooting and hollering (led by ringleader, Missy) seemingly just for the heck of it. I like to think they are celebrating another year of freedom of having choices and freedom to make those choices as they deem fit. Freedom to call the shots in their own home. Freedom to change their minds. Freedom to be chimps. And really, freedom just to be. I think that’s what we all want to be able to celebrate.

Happy New Year everyone!

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  1. This is a great post, you didn’t leave out a minute. I smiled from ear to ear thinking of Foxie braving the cold to enjoy the very last sunset of 2017. That’s ending the year on a high note. Great choice!

    What a special New Year day you had. Your last paragraph really got to me. Like you, I believe with whole hearted certainty that the chimps were celebrating another year of freedom and comfort. I believe they know there is now joy in the passing of time — better days always lie ahead! Thank you for giving them this beautiful life, this freedom to be. And I hope those black eyed peas bring CSNW prosperity in 2018!!

    Much love and Happy New Year to all.

    • Happiest of New Years to you, Kathleen! Foxie’s choice would have been my kind of choice for New Year’s Eve as well. It’s thrilling to see her adventurous soul growing more and more courageous. And I agree, it feels like the chimps demonstrate more and more their trust in a future of comfort and freedom. What an amazing thing so many humans have come together to create and maintain for them.

  2. What A great post! Wishing all the chimps and their human friends a New Year filled with good health, peace, joy, and love!

  3. Thank you so much for this wonderful glimpse into their lives. So much love from me to you all!! Happy New Year to you all and love and hugs to all…

  4. You caretakers have such patience, self-sacrificing, generous with your time and love. A very special breed of people. Loved this minute-to-minute description with words and pictures of what the New Years Celebration was like. Such lucky chimps to have you all

    • great photos…so fun to see the chimps explore. such a wonferful and great job you do with enriching their lives and keeping them active…

  5. Auguri da Roma . GRAZIE per tutto ciò che fate per queste creature meravigliose , il vostro amore è tanto grande da arrivare fino a qui ! ❤🌹 Auguri !

    • Bravo and standing ovation to you all for your enrichment abilities ~ you excel! TY so much!! Hugs and love to you all….

  7. Silly Burrito slipping that Slinky on his foot as if were a sock. What a funny guy! Negra looks so engrossed as she builds her straw nest, great photo since we usually see Negra covered in cozy fleece. You are all so amazingly creative and putting your ideas into an easy access data base is such a wonderful gift for all sanctuaries and zoos. You do not miss a trick!

    • Happy New Year to you, Francoise! Our highs have been reaching right at or below freezing, but so far we are having a pretty mild winter – especially compared to last year! You have us well beat in the cold department. :/ Yes, it’s easy to sometimes get caught up in the human “time schedule” for a minute given all we need to accomplish each day, but it really is an incredible joy to see the chimps truly making choices about their day and being able to provide that space for them to do so. That’s really what sanctuary is about afterall. And I think it helps us humans to stay present in the moment and embrace things as they come, just as the chimps do. A gift from them to us.