As I’m writing this, the chimp house is very, very quiet. The most noticeable sound is the hum from the printer on the desk next to me – a sound that is downed out during the day when there is a bustle of activity on the part of the humans and often loud chimpanzee vocalizations coming from both wings of the building.
In this moment, all ten chimpanzees are deep asleep after a full day of exploration, eating, socializing, playing, and displaying.
Chimpanzees are masters at sleeping. Seeing a chimp either casually day-napping or deep into a night’s sleep makes me want to close my own eyes and drift into that other world of unconsciousness.
Burrito, Annie, Jody, Jamie, Negra, Foxie, and Missy have had (if I did the math correctly) 4,122 sleepful nights at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.
Willy B, Mave, and Honey B have only been here 41 days. I think this photo that Katelyn took recently is the only close-up we have of any of those three sleeping. Hopefully we will have many, many more days to capture and share images of their unique faces in peaceful slumber.
Goodnight from everyone at the sanctuary. Sleep well.
Please! They’ve been in quarantine 41 days, which is 11 past the original day.
When are the introductions to take place?! We can’t take it anymore! 🙂
Cheers.
I don’t believe we promised to begin introductions the day quarantine ended. If we did, we shouldn’t have made that promise. Everything in good time :).
Ha! No, you didn’t promise a definitive date. But with quarantine being over, we are anxious for the introductions, and with me being me, I decided I’d ask. 😀
Cheers.
Glorious photos. Sleep is a lovely thing.
This was an absolutely beautiful post. Thank you, Diana.
How absolutely precious of all of them! So peaceful and calm. And, of course, gorgeous!
Sweet pics! I like how Jody fell asleep reading!
They look so beautiful and peaceful. All the posts are excellent but this one makes my heart happy?? Thank you ??
They look so beautiful and peaceful. All the posts are excellent but this one makes my heart happy?? Thank you ??
Good night, you princes and princesses of Washington, you kings and queens of Sanctuary.
Sweet dreams to all…..
What adorable pictures–my favorite being the one of Missy all wrapped up from head to toe in the soft cuddly blanket. And I loved Kathleen’s quote from a movie the name of which I can’t remember. It was very appropriate.
I haven’t seen it, but I think it’s Desd Poets Society;)
The original line comes from the book and then movie “Dead Poet’s Society”. The book was written by John Irving and that line always touched me. He has written so many heart fluttering quotes that I still repeat to this day! I often say this line when I am the last person leaving the kennel at the shelter where I volunteer. It can brings a tear to my eye when I think of it. The quiet, safe, peaceful sleeping of the animals is precious beyond words — and the reality is they are all kings and queens deserving only the finest the earth has to offer them. (Sigh.) I can only imagine what it would feel like to witness the chimps in their sanctuary home sleeping soundly in their soft blankety nests.
I think the quote came from
The Cider House Rules.
Thank you for giving them the safe, comforting and peaceful home that is reflected in their beautiful faces tonight.
I love this so much! Sweet dreams…..
This is so sweet. I love this post so much. Thank you for sharing. Sleep well beauties and sweet dreams.
Diana…Thank you so much for this particularly endearing post…I can’t seem to stop smiling & my heart’s beating with such happy emotion tonight, seeing these beloved Chimps so relaxed & lost in their own quiet worlds after such a busy day…All the photos are really dear, & the photo of Willy B. is very sweet as it looks like he’s grinning so peacefully in his blissful sleep……
Diana…Thank you so much for this particularly endearing post…I can’t seem to stop smiling & my heart’s beating with such happy emotion tonight, seeing these beloved Chimps so relaxed & lost in their own quiet worlds after having such a busy day…All the photos are really dear, & the photo of Willy B. is very sweet as it looks like he’s grinning so peacefully in his blissful sleep……
What an absolutely fantastic focus for a post… The relaxation that their sleep reflects is beyond dreams and wonder.. Thank you Diana and all… A time to be cherished.
Perhaps my favorite post of all! Beautiful prose, photos, and ponderings!
Absolutely adorable! And that very top photograph…ah, how I hope that Negra is dreaming of visiting a peanut warehouse.
Carla Rene Yes, we’re all eager but trust that Diana and J.B. are waiting because they want to be more than 100%+ confident that it is the appropriate time. Chimps at the best of times can be unpredictable and the hope is as much as is possible to avoid unpredictability that may include violence, either chimp against chimp (e.g. worse than a chomped ear) or chimp against human, or just simple natural chimpanzee behaviour that can have tragic consequences (read https://www.amazon.ca/Chimps-Fauna-Sanctuary-Canadian-Resilience-ebook/dp/B00563LC8U) wherein a finger was lost to a chimp’s unpredictability. This is why there is never chimp-human contact and why the staff use closed fists when grooming or playing with the chimps. Diana worked at Fauna I believe and she well knows what can happen. And it’s not at all a function of ill intent or malice on the part of chimps. No doubt they are very fond of all the staff and were it possible would hug them all like they hug each other. It’s just who and how they are. So while we are all eager, know that the 3 have waited a long time to get to CSNW, it will not be terrible for them to wait longer if it means a better chance that all 10 will have many, many more years there. Together.
Do read the Fauna book. It’s very good.
This isn’t the first time you’ve over-read something I’ve said and given me a lecture about it, which I absolutely do NOT understand.
Please, let me be me on this blog.
Nevertheless, trust that I’m an intelligent woman, minoring in primatology, and have watched over a thousand gorilla and chimpanzee videos of ALL kinds in my endeavour to paint them as perfectly and photorealistically as possible. That nice side-effect also made me aware of just how they behave.
Funny. It seems to be people I don’t understand.
The sleep of the innocent! And all because of you, JB, Sarah and others. You can also sleep well knowing the wonderful things you have done and are doing for these Chimps who will not have to have nightmares any longer. Namaste to you.
LW