Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Changes

by Anthony

I am introducing myself, Anthony, as the newest caregiver at CSNW. I first came to central Washington as an incoming graduate student back in September of 2015. It was the first time I had ever been west of the Mississippi River. I had just spent the better part of four years exploring the field of primatology, both as a volunteer field assistant and as an apprentice caregiver. I was entirely focused on New World primates, especially spider monkeys, and had already committed to writing my thesis about their behavior. All I knew about chimpanzees was from scientific articles, Jane Goodall’s books, and BBC documentaries. I had never seen one in real life (real-life Foxie, pictured below).

The partnership between Central Washington University and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest was still fresh news back then. J.B. (“Professor Mulcahy”) was teaching a course on primate welfare for the first time and his lectures convinced me to get involved with the sanctuary. I began to volunteer out here as an escape from the offices and teaching labs of the university and became proficient as a Level II volunteer. By the time that I had defended my thesis and finished my course work, I was fascinated by chimpanzees and committed to helping more nonhuman primates reach sanctuary. I was fortunate enough to be hired by Project Chimps, a growing sanctuary in Georgia, and I worked there as an aide and caregiver for almost two years. It was a great experience and I got to know many amazing chimpanzee and human individuals, but I missed the Pacific Northwest and the unique little sanctuary here in central Washington.

Last month, two years after my last visit, I returned to CSNW as a caregiver. Many things look and feel the same. The scenery is just as I had remembered, with views of distant mountains framed by Ponderosa pines (above). Hawks still soar on the warm breeze, which smells like evergreens and neighboring pastures. The chimps still enjoy morning walks on Young’s Hill and copious amounts of nutritious foods and enriching activities throughout the day. Jamie still runs a tight ship in the Chimp House, demanding continuous excellence (below). Annie’s kind face is still here, as are Burrito’s appetite, Foxie’s dolls, Jody’s foraging skills, Missy’s athleticism, and Negra’s attitude. All of the humans are still as friendly, colorful, and easygoing as ever. The dedicated team of staff, volunteers and interns still complete the daily tasks with unparalleled attention to detail, vigor and purpose. There are still baskets of cowboy boots and troll dolls out drying in the sun and volunteers out picking raspberries for the chimps. Even the brown dairy boots that I once used as a volunteer are still hanging on the rack in the shed. In short, CSNW is still CSNW.

Despite these consistencies, there has been noticeable growth. Some of the new developments are superficially obvious, such as the addition of four bovines (including Honey, pictured above). The cattle reside on one of the two expansion properties and now have the opportunity to graze on the green hillside adjacent to Young’s Hill, within view of the chimpanzees. Seeing three cows and a gigantic steer near the chimps is a bit odd at first, but they’ve been a great addition to the sanctuary.

The most eye-catching change, however, is the shiny new expansion to the Chimp House. In addition to the completed veterinary clinic and related service areas, the new wing of chimpanzee enclosures is almost finished. J.B. and the team are making the final touches to the area (pictured above, with J.B. shown for scale) so that it can be functional housing for three incoming chimpanzees. Honey B, Mave and Willy B will be here shortly and the entire team is making preparations for their arrival. Back in 2015, the prospect of new chimpanzees seemed distant. Now, with new arrivals on the way, the atmosphere here is thick with anticipation and excitement. As my training continues and I settle into my new role as a staff member, my love for this place and its residents grows stronger each day, and I look forward to helping the sanctuary grow from within.

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Comments

  4. Judy says

    Welcome back Anthony… I thoroughly enjoyed your blog post…. very informative, interesting and well said… I look forward to your posts and I am sure the staff and chimpanzees are happy to have you there!

    • Anthony says

      I’ll try my best to keep putting out interesting content! Thank you for the kind welcome!

  6. Jo Lathrop says

    I’m happy you made such a good decision to come back!! Truly an inspirational place and the people who inhabit it!! Both human and non human!! Love and hugs to you all….

  7. Kathleen says

    So nice to finally officially ‘meet’ you Anthony. I have had the pleasure of visiting the Pacific Northwest on two occasions and I think it’s paradise so I understand your desire to return. I would happily make it my home if I could. How lucky you are to have been involved with Project Chimps and their residents and CSNW too. How I envy your education and experience. What an exciting time to be witness to the arrival of the new Cle Elum Threesome. Looking forward to reading your perspective as the day becomes reality!

  8. Karen and Don Young says

    Greetings Anthony, Thank you for your introduction and welcome back to CSNW. We understand the incredible pull of the area and the sanctuary. We discovered it online shortly after the 7 chimps had arrived. They only had a night house and an open wired enclosed outdoor space which is now the green house. We watched them reach out of the night house in the winter to get snow on their fingers. We made a trip from the east coast for a visit and the rest is history. We fell in love with the chimps and the staff. You will be a fine addition and very helpful in acclimating the Cle Elum 3 to the Cle Elum 7 . Look forward to meeting you! Again Andrew, a big welcome and lots of pant boots!
    Karen and Don

  10. Jordan Bower says

    Thank you for your introduction post and welcome back Anthony. You seem to be a wonderful addition to the CSNW environment. 🙂

  11. Tobin says

    From Professor Mulcahy to Professor Jamie! That latter instructor is quite exacting in her pedagogy. Good luck to you, Anthony!

  12. Hilary says

    Whaat!? This is fantastic news! Congratulations to you on the new job and the sanctuary for scoring such a dedicated and passionate individual into their care team.

  14. Chris says

    Ditto…what everyone else said! How the stars aligned for you to be in this special place on Earth right now. 🙂 Enjoy every moment!

  15. Carla René says

    Hi, Anthony,

    So nice to read of your history with the sanctuary and that you decided to return to the place of your heart.

    I found these guys a few years ago, and while I’m pursuing double doctorates in Astrophysics and Applied Mathematics, thanks to these folks and their wonderfully-open nature and love for the chimpanzee peoples, I added Primatology as one of my minors (I have two other minors with my first undergraduate degree in music performance from Belmont U in Nashville).

    But I also do coloured pencil paintings of the chimps and donate those for some of the auctions. It’s about the only thing I can do currently to help out, since we all know just how po’ grad students are. 😀

    I just praised you up and down on today’s posting, so I look forward to reading more of your writing. You’ve got talent where writing is concerned. I’m a published author in historical fiction and comedy and have done editing work for other authors, so I know talent when I see it.

    Anyway, it’s a very exciting time and I think I could boist just waiting for those new guys to arrive. But folks, we’re going to have to stop segregating the groups. Soon, it will no longer be the “Cle Elum 7”, but the “Cle Elum TEN!”

    Again, welcome, and I hope your new adventure lives up to your desires. I had to laugh at your comment that “Jamie doesn’t hand out many As.” I can totally see that. But what’s funnier is seeing her in front of a class of hoomans, standing at the blackboard in muck boots, handing out lectures to everyone that the perimetre watch wasn’t done right. HA!

    Are you working toward a PhD, or just have a Terminal Masters’ degree?

    Cheers.