These warm summer days have generally been keeping the chimps in reclined positions. Jody and Foxie were calmly grooming and relaxing before lunch, but suddenly Foxie’s toes went rogue and started a mini-play session.
Archives for July 2018
Ahhh, summertime…
Jamie has been a happy chimp woman today as indicated by her lying upside down on her favorite barrel watching the happenings of the chimp house, occasionally kicking and flailing about when she’s feeling silly. I thought she might enjoy a drink from the mister on this warm summer day and she responded with a definite “YES!”
Though the chimpanzees really enjoy drink buckets and frozen treats, they don’t really like to get wet and while Jamie enjoys the mister, she typically only likes to catch it in her mouth. But today she was thoroughly delighted with a steady misting by her staff. And we were thoroughly delighted by her joy. Ahhh, summertime…
Beat the Heat
The chimps were proactive this morning to beat the heat! First they got all their strenuous tasks out of the way. For example, today was a whopping 96 degrees and tomorrow is only going to get hotter. So Jamie decided to get her walks in right away in the morning:
Second we kept everything closed off to keep it cool all day, but before we crawled into our dark den (we have all been there on a hot day) we got some grooming done:
Missy, Annie, and Jody thought they should groom in the Greenhouse early:
Annie grooming Jody:
Missy:
And Burrito decided to have a lazy day and just watch the volunteers clean:
In the playroom we set out water in buckets (the chimps always have access to water but sometimes drinking water out of buckets is fun!) and in between cleaning areas I would serve water out of the hose or spray our handled mister/fan (really only Jamie like that…).
However, as our third way to stay cool we had a vote and the chimps decided to have watermelon shaved ice boats. So that’s what we did!
Staff caregiver Katelyn was kind enough to help me with this task (Foxie observing closely):
Jamie:
The watermelon was so juicy:
Burrito:
Burrito was so excited you can see how pilo his hair is:
Annie:
I don’t think anything is more refreshing than watermelon shaved ice!
The Beauty of Jody
I have been periodically looking at these photos of Jody on the computer in the chimp house throughout the day today. They just fill my heart with love for her.
All of the chimpanzees are so different from one another in so many ways and each one has qualities that pull you into their personalities.
I admire the way that Jody approaches life in a self-assured way and knows what she wants out of any given situation. She often does her own thing with her confident flair, but at the same time she’s the watchful den-mother of the group.
She has the greatest vocalizations – her happy chimpanzee low-moan we refer to as her “dinosaur noises” because they are so drawn out, and she is the most likely to give a good-night grunt from her nest at the end of the day.
Her big round eyes seem capable of taking in more than anyone’s, and there’s almost always a glimmer of hope or anticipation in them.
Happy Birthday, Rachel!
We have another gracious gift from Rachel Ruggeri this week of a day of sanctuary. Rachel shared this lovely message of celebration:
“I am dedicating my 49th birthday to the Gang of Seven and all the great lessons they teach me about living! My year of “wellness” starts with remembering that true happiness comes from enjoying the small things in life…similar to the way the Gang of Seven embrace each new day and experience. Their exuberance for life teaches me how best to just be…”
Happy Birthday, Rachel! We hope this is the best one yet! We’re so happy to celebrate such a special a special day with you and hope your year and life ahead are filled with chimpanzee style inspiration and joy.
Jamie:
Jody:
:
Annie and Missy:
Playful grooming
Missy and Annie were having a quiet grooming session this morning but they just could help themselves and before long Annie was playfully biting Missy’s toes.
Today is for Negra
Kim Williams sponsored a special day of sanctuary for the Queen herself, Negra. Kim sent this sweet message about her gift:
“I wish to dedicate this sponsorship to the beautiful Negra. She’s such a gorgeous old soul.”
Kim, thank you so much for honoring Negra! We have been marveling daily over the fact that even after ten years in sanctuary, Negra seems to be showing us new sides of herself almost daily this summer. A little extra adventurous, more playful with her chimp and human friends alike, a little more silly, a little less serious…as most of us tend to be with summertime. It is indeed the summer of Neggie. And we couldn’t be more thrilled.
