Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

The Rescue

by

Foxie likes to place her dolls in precarious situations and then rescue them. Typically this has looked something like placing them in really high places and knocking them off and catching them, or tossing them in pokey bushes and reaching in to quickly pull them out. Of course she has to feel comfortable venturing to where they are and she doesn’t want any help from the humans. I remember watching her a few years ago when she discovered a couple troll dolls had been placed in a cardboard tube by the humans who thought she might enjoy it. She absolutely did not and was rather incensed that her dolls were in there because she wasn’t comfortable enough to reach in and get them out. Point taken, Foxie! Humans mind your own business!

But all of a sudden, for the first time we’ve seen, Foxie has been repeatedly sticking her dolls in a large cardboard tube the chimps currently have and then seemingly “saving” them. I watched her for some time in the greenhouse this afternoon as she repeatedly shoved the dolls in, gave the tube a good chomping (notice the end) and then pulled her dolls back out, hugging them close to her before inspecting to make sure they survived their ordeal. Whatever the reason Foxie chooses these activities, it’s another big step in comfort and courage for her after all years in her sanctuary home. And as she grows more and more courageous, I guess her dolls do as well.

Everyone was exhausted after that:

A bonus Jody photo! I’m not sure how this is exactly comfortable, but it’s classic Jody style:

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Comments

    • Foxie was also used as a breeder and had several babies during her years in captivity. All of them were taken from her. The caretakers at CSNW think that this may be one of the reasons that she nurtures her dolls.

    • Hi Gail, yes, as Julie mentioned, Foxie is a mother. She has four children, two daughters (residing in other sanctuaries) and a rare set of twin sons (no longer living). With the exception of Jamie, all of the ladies had numerous babies while in the labs, all of whom were taken from them at birth or shortly after. While we cannot say for certain what any of the chimps are thinking, it’s pretty clear that she engages in mothering behavior with her dolls occasionally, but she also bites them, beats them, etc. Regardless of what we cannot answer, they clearly provide her with comfort and joy.

      • Hi Katelyn, how did ya’ll discover her love of dolls?I’m sure it was memorable ?

        • Hi Leslie,
          Good question. You know, shortly after the chimps arrived to the sanctuary in 2008 staff happened upon a troll doll with hot pink hair at Goodwill and thought to put it out with the chimps’ enrichment thinking someone might be interested in it. Foxie was (and still is) very leery of new things and doesn’t like to engage with much enrichment wise. But one look at the troll, “Trixie”, and it was love at first sight for Foxie. And the rest is history. But not just any ol’ doll will do. For years she was only interested in troll dolls, but in the past few years she’s expanded her interests to include Dora the Explorer and more recently Strawberry Shortcake dolls. đŸ™‚

  2. What an interesting development. It would be so interesting to be able to read her chimp mind. What a grand mother she is.

  3. Is it possible Foxie is acting out how she would have liked to have rescued her babies who were taken away from her?

    • Hi Eileen, good question. I think it’s possible, but of course we can’t know for sure what’s going on in that amazing mind of hers.

    • That’s exactly what I’ve always wondered each time they posted a blog post about it.

      Since they’re so much like humans, and it seems exactly like a PTSD response we might have to severe trauma at losing a child, or coming from a situation of abuse, I don’t think it’s that much of a leap to think that’s exactly what she’s thinking.

      I just wonder if there’s a psychiatric way of approaching a treatment to ease some of her anxiety. PTSD is driven by anxiety. Have you guys considered that in the sanctuary staff?

      Cheers.

      • Speaking from experience I can tell you that psychiatrists can do as much damage as help. The chimps are all well and content; that should be good enough for all.

        • Wow.

          Francoise, I mean absolutely no disrespect with this, but this isn’t the first time you’ve obliquely implied that my innocent questions are something other than what they are. I don’t know why you seem to have such a problem. They weren’t disrespectful to anyone, didn’t insult anyone, and didn’t hurt anyone. I’m adding a primatology minor to my studies, and I will eventually study this exact topic at some point. The staff have been absolutely wonderful at answering all types of questions (although I do see mine was ignored this time), and I’ve expressed the appropriate gratitude.

          If your last statement wasn’t meant to simply shut me down as it seems, then I apologise.

          Otherwise, please, tell me when the blog guidelines changed to exclude me from asking questions and I’ll happily comply.

      • We do think a lot about maintaining an environment that encourages healing – giving the chimps choice and autonomy, making them feel safe and secure, etc. And obviously medication can be a component of psychiatric treatment for humans. Those same drugs are available for use with chimpanzees. However, we have always felt that we should proceed conservatively with pharmaceutical intervention and reserve it for cases of severe anxiety, self-injury, etc. where the potential benefits outweigh the risks.

        Beyond those examples, I really just don’t know enough about the different forms of psychiatric treatment to know what they would entail, in practical terms, for chimpanzees.

        • Hi, Jeeb,

          Well, thank-you for that very candid, very honest response. I love it when people are secure enough to admit when they don’t know, instead of tap dancing and doing info dumps meant to save face.

          Yeah, I was guessing it might not be a widely-known field when asking the question, but I really honestly do appreciate your comment, and I hope you know that I NEVER, EVER mean any disrespect or malicious intent in any of my questions. Sometimes they may seem like difficult questions to ask, or that I might seem like a hideous person for even thinking the things I do, but I’m hoping that since you guys have been through the training already, then you know what it’s like and what I mean.

          I’m trying to learn as much of this as I can while cramming in my astrophysics and applied mathematics work, and all while on strong medication for two pinched cervical nerves that now need surgery, and continuing my art bidness. It’s a lot, but I also genuinely love it, so it means more to me than I can express that y’all are so kind to me.

          Cheers.

  4. Clearly I have no idea what Foxie is thinking when partaking in her doll rescues, but I do know one thing, Foxie knows what it feels like to be rescued. She’s been saved from her dark tube of a past and she has been embraced (figuratively) and loved by her caregivers just like she embraces (literally) and loves her dolls. I am so happy Foxie continues to find comfort and courage in her dolls.

    • Thank You to all the staff there,what a successful journey ya’ll have walked! And thank you for writing the blog & interesting photos, so we can peek into the chimps world! Leslie

  6. Thank you for explaining more about Foxies life. I just love watching her she’s one of my favorites . Love watching her play with her dolls