Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for August 2019

Missy’s 44th Birthday

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Missy had a tomato-filled birthday yesterday! Watch the video (with Jody pop-ups) to see Missy enjoying her day.

The three new chimpanzees continue to charm us all. We’ll be sharing more stories about them in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. We’re so very grateful to have had this opportunity to get to know them and to have cared for Missy and her six friends for the last eleven years. Each of these chimpanzees is so very unique and special, and it’s a joy to see them discover themselves at the sanctuary.

Lending a Hand

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It’s amazing how much Honey B, Willy B, and Mave have changed since they arrived on Sunday. No matter how much it benefits a chimpanzee to be relocated to a sanctuary like CSNW, it is still a stressful and bewildering experience. A certain amount of anxiety or even fear is understandable until they become familiar with the new environment, a new routine, and new caregivers. But we’re happy to see these three adapting quickly. This morning, as I was donning quarantine gear just outside the door, I could hear playful foot slaps on the floor. When I opened the door, Honey B was jumping up and down with a huge play face and Mave and Willy B were engaged in a pretty exuberant game of chase (who knew Mave could move so fast?). I have no doubt they miss their former caregivers, who love them very much, but for the first time it seemed like they were starting to feel at home here at CSNW. Little do they know there will be a lot more to become familiar with once their quarantine period is complete…

On the other side of the building, the one-and-only Missy was celebrating her 44th birthday! It was a day filled with running around the hill, playing with her best friend Annie, and tomatoes for every meal. A busy day and poor internet connection conspired to prevent me from putting together a second video, but we should be able to share that with you in the days to come.

Business (almost) as usual

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The original Cle Elum 7 have had a relatively typical summer day in Central Washington. They’ve spent the day playing, napping and taking periodic “recess” breaks on Young’s Hill.
Foxie:

Jody and a fresh picked snack:

But despite the seemingly average day at the sanctuary, there has still been something that keeps drawing them back into the playroom for a quick and necessary investigation.

Jody doing her best to get a peek beyond the howdy door:

Willy B, Mave and Honey B are just out of sight (for now), but as soon as they get access to their new outdoor chute, the 2 groups will get a better view of each other from a little distance. In the meantime, the new 3 can get glimpses of the 7 from their view upstairs if the other chimps are on Young’s Hill. So far, it’s been a relatively quiet and peaceful transition for the newest sanctuary residents. Staff members are taking turns getting to know everyone and vice versa. We are all just so thrilled to welcome them to their new home and we can’t wait for what’s to come.

Here’s Mave today as she watched the driveway below the sanctuary:

And Honey B:

The New Three

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You guessed it – Willy B, Mave, and Honey B are incredible, and we are all newly in love with them with each passing hour. It’s hard to believe they’ve only been here a few days from Wildlife Waystation.

Click on the video above for some recent clips of the three, and stay tuned for a video of their journey to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, which we will be showing as part of the Summer Biddin’ online auction that beings August 28th!

Willy B is starting to relax enough to play games of chase and was seen playing with a plastic slinky today. He loves watching videos and looking at photos on our phones. He seems to particularly like photos of Jody. Despite his grand entrance seen in the video he hasn’t been displaying very much. We suspect his displays will increase when he is able to see the other chimpanzees through the howdy door.

Mave, at least on the outside, appears to be most relaxed chimpanzee I’ve ever met. She was even making a nest and lying on her back during the transport! Today, she discovered troll dolls and carried one around with her this morning, tucking it into her pelvic pocket before greeting J.B. She has a way of casually shuffling across the new floors that makes it seem like she’s wearing slippers.

We’ve been told that Honey B is uber smart, and we’re definitely seeing glimpses of that. She has a way of looking right into your soul. She is a very enthusiastic groomer with her new human friends and is very excited when she finds a scab. She’s decided the mezzanine is the place to be and has been nesting up there at night using everything available.

There’s so much more for us to learn about these three chimpanzees, and we’re so glad to have all of you following along so you can get to know them too.

The One With Jamie & Foxie

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Let’s just ignore the fact that summer is almost over, because I am in pure denial and enjoy the weather. I mean take a look at Foxie and Jamie!

Foxie was enjoying the warm breezy morning lounging with a tiny troll doll:




Jamie had work to do before she could relax this morning. She beat the heat and did some patrolling on the Hill:



Bonus photos…

Willy B, he makes my heart feel so full:

Willy B also likes his photo taken!

Honey B, seriously she is so amazing:

Honey B (right) being groomed by Mave (left):

Happiest day to you, Arlene!

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Our dear supporters, Michael and Arlene, are celebrating Arlene’s birthday today and Michael sponsored a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in her honor. These two humans have the biggest hearts and we’re so grateful to have them as part of our chimp (growing!) family.

Michael and Arlene, thank you so very much for always holding the chimps in your thoughts and your hearts and for the lasting difference you’ve made in their lives.

Arlene, we hope you’ve had the best of birthdays and that your heart is full. Happiest of days from all of us here!

Negra:

Annie and Missy:

Foxie and Burrito:

And hoots from Mave, Willy B and Honey B, too!

Taking it all in

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It’s been an extra busy day in the chimp house as chimpanzees and humans alike adjust to new surroundings, new people and new routines. The chimps are very aware of one another on opposite sides of the “howdy” door and doing the seven are doing their best to try to catch glimpses of their new neighbors through the door. But for the most part everyone spent the relaxing in the summertime glory.

Beautiful Annie in her breezy greenhouse nest:

Snoozy Burrito:

Foxie and Kate:

I could not love this photo of Jamie (or Jamie) more! She donned her troll scarf while gazing at the tomato plants in the chimps’ mini garden while her wild bedhead blew in the breeze.

Handsome B:

Mave, Honey B, and Willy B continue to adjust well to their new surroundings and home. It’s a lot to take in, as one can imagine, and being surrounded by new sights and sounds, new humans and a new home can take time. So we’re all just taking cues from them as we all get to know one another. We are so incredibly happy they are here and so grateful to their former caregivers for helping to make their transition as easeful as we can.

Honey B, who so looks like a long, tall version of her mama, Missy, seems to enjoy spending time in the mezzanine taking in the view of the valley and the sunshine:

Willy B is an incredibly handsome guy and he’s often on the move right now. We found he seems to enjoy having the doorways to all the human areas and outside open so he can watch the comings and goings and passings by. He did find some time after a selfie or two with Mave and I to stop for a bit to enjoy some grooming from Honey B:

And Mave, well, she’s just settled right in and spent most of her day in her various nests, legs in the air, breathy panting and hooting quietly with her new caregivers. She is a delight:

She loves to see images on the iPhone, taking “selfies” and watching her image in the camera. We’ve spent some time the past couple of days showing both Mave and Willy B photos of their seven next door neighbors and they’ve seemed quite intrigued.

We are so incredibly happy and honored to have these three beautiful, intelligent chimp people here with us and we are so grateful to their former caregivers for helping to make their transition as easeful as they could. And we’re so grateful to you for making this possible for them. We can’t wait to share everything ahead with you all.