Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for August 2019

Big Welcome to Honey B, Willy B, and Mave!

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Honey B, Willy B, and Mave arrived at the sanctuary this morning and are getting to know their brand new facility right now as you read this post!

These three chimpanzees came from Wildlife Waystation in California which recently announced that it is closing and, with the help of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, is transferring the animals living there to other organizations.

Honey B is the adult daughter of Missy, who has lived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest since 2008. Missy gave birth to Honey B at a laboratory and they were separated when Honey B was less than 24 hours old.

The three are settling in quite well after their journey and are very curious about the new friendly faces and interesting views at their new home.

Honey B:

Willy B:

Mave:

They will be in quarantine for 30 days before they have any contact with the seven, but the two groups will be able to see each other at a bit of a distance once the above ground tunnel is complete.

We’ve had quite a few additional expenses lately with the construction of the archway tunnel that will connect the new space to the outdoor habitat and all the costs we just incurred transporting the chimpanzees to the sanctuary this weekend. So please consider making a “Welcome to your new home” donation in honor of Honey B, Willy B, and Mave!

We will update you all soon with videos and more, but we didn’t want to wait any longer before sharing this good news.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest over the years, enabling the sanctuary to be in a position to help these three chimpanzees (and more in the future)! And thanks to those who have directly cared for and advocated for the chimpanzees at Wildlife Waystation.

Structural Enrichment

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I have occasionally heard the word “enrichment” defined as items that are given to animals once their basic needs have been met.

In contrast, I think of enrichment as an entire philosophy, not just something extra that we do when our other work is done. For these chimpanzees and all other captive animals, enrichment is a basic need. Although survival would be possible without enrichment, thriving would not. Here at the sanctuary, every aspect of our daily routine, from meal preparation to cleaning, is done with the ultimate goal of keeping the chimpanzees happy and healthy. There is no easy way to group items or activities into “enrichment” or “not enrichment.” We just enrich everything.

In addition to distributing troll dolls, cowboy boots and slinkies, our team designs and builds new structures for the chimpanzees. The way in which we design and furnish the facility is considerate of the chimpanzee’s physical and emotional needs, and we often add or change components of the enclosures to keep the surroundings interesting and functional for the chimps. A great example is the network of firehose “vines” that transects the Playroom, Greenhouse, Hill, and new wing of enclosures. The video posted above shows how Jamie gets to use the firehose however she wants, giving her a greater degree of choice in addition to the obvious security and stability that such additions provide.

We’re also excited to share a photo of a new firehose hammock, modeled by Level III volunteer and CWU graduate student Chad. Several volunteers and interns helped staff and contractors to furnish the chimpanzee areas of the Phase 1 expansion with benches, firehose, hammocks, and ladders. The new hammock is hanging in the upstairs mezzanine enclosure, and will hopefully be enjoyed by the sanctuary’s newest residents once they arrive!

Foxie is Here to Play!

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Happy Friday! Finally, you’ve made it to the weekend! I thought I would help us all slide into this weekend with a fun video of Foxie playing. Foxie loves to interact with her chimp & human friends! She knows how to loosen individuals up and get them to relax and be silly. Foxie can even get Jamie to stop monitoring the humans and play! Foxie really does enjoy seeking out her human caregivers. As you will see in the video Foxie’s play style allows her to be perfectly happy playing with chimps, humans, or even just enjoying alone time with her dolls!

Photos from the vault

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There are a lot of lovely moments we capture on the camera that might not fit with the day’s blog or are too close to a photo we have just used.  We each keep a set of moments we haven’t had a chance to share in a file on the Chimp House computer’s desktop.  Here’s an assortment of some unseen moments of sanctuary!

This photo was taken just a few weeks ago. We love all these sightings of our tiny wild neighbors:

Foxie and a quiet moment with a troll doll last spring:

A portrait of Jamie:

Jamie using a chopstick as a tool to get some peanut butter out of an enrichment tube:

Missy enjoying last winter’s snow bounty:

And lastly Negra enjoying the green bounty on Young’s Hill (two? years ago).

In honor of Odd Man Inn

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Today is also sponsored by good chimp friend, Meg Lunnum, in honor of Odd Man Inn. Meg is a wonderful supporter of, and advocate for, so many animals and shared this lovely message about her gift:

“I would like to recognize another vegan animal rescue, Odd Man Inn. Until I met the chimps, I never knew that animal rescues favored vegan environments. Now that I know this, I am way more aware of vegan and vegetarian facilities for animals. Wendy and Josh rescue various domestic animals from all kinds of situations. The day I visited they were on their way to rescue a single Muscovy duck that was on the Columbia River. Rescue was successful and Paco has been adopted! They have a three-legged pig, Melvin and a pair of rock doves/pigeons named “the Mister McGillicuddy’s”, who sit on a nest! Odd Man Inn reminds me of the enthusiasm and love that all those who care for and about the Cle Elum Seven have for the chimpanzees. As another note: I can’t wait for the new chimps to arrive…”

Thanks so much, Meg, for sharing Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge and the wonderful work they do! And for always including the chimpanzees as you help make a difference in the lives of so many animals. We all so appreciate you!

Miss Jody:

Negra:

Missy:

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Ben!

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Laura Bradshaw sponsored a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in honor of her son, Ben Bradshaw! Laura shared this message about her gift:

“August 15th is my son’s birthday and he’s a huge fan of CSNW. He is an animal lover who is partial to primates. When Ben found the Sanctuary online and saw your approach to the seven (soon to be ten) chimpanzees he was intrigued. When he followed the blogs and got to know each of the seven individually, he was smitten. Now Chimp Blogs are a regular part of our day. When I asked Ben which chimpanzee he liked best, he really had a hard time because there is so much to admire about each one. He finally said Negra but that is most likely because she was so adorable enjoying her peanut butter laced birthday waffles this year. It’s heart-warming to see these lovely animals thriving and exhibiting their own special personalities in a place where they are valued and respected. Thank you staff, volunteers, supporters and Missy, Annie, Jody, Foxie, Jamie, Burrito, and Negra for sharing your celebrations, ordinary days, and adventures with all of us.”

Laura, what a wonderful gift for the chimpanzees and Ben! Thank you so much for including the chimps in your celebration!

Happy Birthday, Ben! All of us at the sanctuary wish you the best of days! We love hearing how much you enjoy following the chimps and we’re so grateful for the difference you’ve helped make in their lives. I am pretty sure Negra would say she hopes you get waffles. 🙂

Missy’s Rippin’ Around

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Well, as promised I have a fun video of Missy being goofy! Recently Missy has been letting loose with her caregivers. She has been seeking people out, asking to be groomed, and wanting to play! It’s fun when you see the chimps feel relaxed and comfortable, I mean that is the point of sanctuary. There are many moments throughout the days of work where I have these realizations. This isn’t their natural habitat, they should be in the wild. But if they have to be in confinement, I am happy they are here, getting the best care possible.

In the video you all will see little Miss ripping up a boot with very minimal effort. Chimps are so strong, it is a good reminder that although there are 1,000 other reasons chimps do not belong as pets, one good one is they can do a lot of damage with out trying and in a matter of seconds. Though the chimps can be sweet there is a side that can be unpredictable and in those moments a lot of destruction or harm can happen. **Disclaimer**  Jamie was not not mad about that specific boot being torn up!

Missy:

Here are a few photos I snapped from this morning.

Annie still rockin’ 2 sweatbands:

And Jamie about to walk out of the raceway for her morning patrol: