Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for August 2019

The chimp days of summer

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Even though the days are warm, autumn’s in the air earlier this year than we’ve been accustomed to. Shadows are lengthening, nights grow chilly and homes are just that little bit darker, that little bit sooner. But for now, everyone is soaking in these late summer days of ease. The days are buzzing with bees and nights humming with frogs and crickets.

I realize some folks may not appreciate seeing this lovely, harmless orb weaver, but I’m always thrilled at the first sighting as they are a sure sign of autumn. We don’t usually see them here until October. And this one is perfectly camouflaged in the tomato patch:

Foxie:

The pollinators are finally out in swarms:

When I went to check on the seven this afternoon I was so delighted to see them all melted together in a big group grooming session. Jamie isn’t always one to groom with her chimp friends and when she does she will often disengage upon sight of the humans. When she saw me she started to head my way and then she paused, ultimately choosing to stick with her friend Foxie. As much as we love spending time with the chimps, it fills our hearts to see them bonding with one another.

Foxie and Jody:

Foxie and Jamie:

Annie:

Burrito and Missy:

Negra:

I didn’t get a chance to get photos of Honey B, Mave and Willy B’s summer happenings today, but they’ve been busy enjoying sun-filled views and lots of play with their caregivers today.

Meet Honey B!

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We are still getting to know Honey B, but so far she has been silly, curious, and sweet; though there is some underlying sass coming out! We can tell/have been warned that Honey is extremely intelligent! Right now she is just having fun and getting to know her environment and these new people around her. Honey B really seems to enjoy spending her time in the Mezzanine and looking out the windows. She is a grooming aficionado! Honey B makes these amazing noises while she grooms you and is very enthusiastic to do so! Honey B is a diligent cleaner, loves to play in big sheets of paper and roll around in them. She also likes bedding sheets and will cover herself with one and kick and roll underneath it (ghost Honey B anyone?)! Honey B seems to really enjoy onions of any form, but especially green onions! Here she is today enjoying a snow cone made with some fresh watermelon juice.

P.S. Don’t forget to go to check out the online auction! There is a beautiful metal photo of Foxie that has caught my eye!

 

 

Meet Willy B!

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We are still getting to know the slightly reserved Willy B, but these last few days he has really started to loosen up and show us his silly side. In case you don’t follow us on Facebook/Instagram, you might have missed this pretty amazing video of him and a slinky.

Before the new chimpanzees moved in, we installed closed circuit video cameras in the Phase 1 Building so we could spy on the chimps’ activities. This morning we were watching Willy B’s wild slinky antics on the television in the foyer. Willy B was upstairs in the mezzanine whipping the slinky back and forth between his legs and JB was working close by with his back turned to the caging. Every time JB turned around to see the what the noise was about, Willy B played it cool and stopped his game. We see you Mr. Willy B and we can’t get enough!

A Journey to the Sanctuary

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If you are signed up to our e-newsletter, you received a link to this video of the journey that Mave, Honey B and Willy B took to get to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, but we know you want to watch it again and again.

Help welcome them home by participating in the Summer Biddin’ Online Auction!! It lasts just a few days, ending on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Meet Mave!

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We are just basking in Mave right now! Mave is the most pleasant surprise! We didn’t know much about her going into this process. We had learned a bit about Willy B and of course we knew a lot of about Honey B, because you know, being Missy’s daughter. But when J.B. and Diana went to visit at Wildlife Waystation Honey B and Willy B were way more interactive, so we weren’t sure what to expect with Mave. So far, in our “honeymoon” phase, she is silly, easy going, and a good friend. She can play rough with Willy B, lay back and relax, or be caught grooming with either one of her friends. Mave seems to really enjoy slinkys! She also does this silly play bounce where she almost looks like she is doing a pushup and than explodes up in the air and claps her hands and feet together, and then she likes to play chase with her caregiver outside the windows! You could say we are smitten.

On the hunt for wild greens

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The chimpanzees made a group dash for Young’s Hill this morning after breakfast, everyone filing up the hill along the perimeter together. Then to our delight, they all decided to hang on the upper structures, Jamie’s Tower and Carlene’s Tower together. But Ms. Jody was on the lookout for something exciting to eat. And being “Farmer Jo,” as we endearingly call her, naturally, she came back with a prize.

Jody and Burrito:

This technique 🙂

And two bonus Negra and troll photos:

Our newest family members, Honey B, Willy B, and Mave continue to loosen up and settle in more with each passing day. I arrived this morning to find Honey B racing and ripping and flailing around playfully, much like Foxie does, instigating a game of chase. I wasn’t able to capture any photos today, but they all enjoyed an afternoon of selfies and checking out some recent videos. I showed the video from Missy’s birthday bash last Friday which they all wanted to watch a few times. They seemed to really enjoy the jazzy music so I also showed this older one of Foxie and her belly button and troll doll which appeared to be a personal favorite of Willy B’s. Every time it ended he’d bounce up and down frantically which I took for “Play it again!” So of course, I did. I even noticed him rubbing his toes together while he watched it. 😉

Door Drama

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The seven resident chimps have something new to occupy their time: neighbors.

With Willy B, Mave and Honey B settling in next door, Burrito and the gang were busy trying to peer through the cracks above and below the Howdy Door. Last week, we locked a metal insert into place so that the door is a solid barrier while the new arrivals are quarantined. This additional surface restricts their ability to interact and see each other, but chimpanzees from the two groups can still hear each other. This is especially noticeable whenever a chimp displays or hoots and the individuals in the adjacent area react accordingly.

As seen in the above video, Foxie was particularly nervous about the door today. She kept returning to it and listening until something happened to make her retreat. Burrito was also inspecting it periodically, usually with his hair piloerect.

On the other side, Willy B seemed interested in the door and occasionally drummed a response. Mave has a habit of politely knocking on the door with her knuckles. So far, only Honey B seems more invested in watching the human caregivers and exploring her new surroundings.

As the days go by and the quarantine period progresses, the prospect of beginning the introduction process grows closer. It’s difficult to determine how each individual will fare when allowed to meet a complete stranger. The Howdy Door and adjacent enclosures will help the integration of the two groups to be a gradual and controlled procedure, enabling us to cater the environment to each chimpanzee’s needs and preferences. This way, when the doors finally open and the groups merge, none of them will be strangers anymore.