First, the photos that go along with the story in today’s blog are not going to win any awards. But the story is good, so I hope you’ll forgive my quick cell phone pics.
Second, if you are new to the sanctuary and the photos make you wonder why the chimps are in cages, please read this blog post that answers that very question!
Speaking of questions, I know there are SO MANY questions about how we are going to go about doing the introductions between the seven and the three. We still have a lot of questions ourselves that we have been mulling over. It’s daunting and scary and incredibly exciting all at the same time.
We’ve talked to a few different people who each have experience with hundreds (hundreds!) of introductions of chimpanzees, and each of them has a different general system they use and a philosophy behind it. On Tuesday, one of these very knowledgeable people, Amy Fultz from Chimp Haven, came out in person to talk to us about introductions. It worked out perfectly that she was here when the groups got the first good look at each other.
We are taking in all of this information and combining it with the data that Jake Funkouser recorded and analyzed of the social networks of the seven chimpanzees, and combining that with what we are observing of the new three and their interactions with the seven at a distance.
We also will let the chimpanzees dictate the process once we start. All that is to explain that we cannot share with you the step by step details before they happen because it’s not that kind of process and we are not there yet. We do plan to share details with you after the fact, though!
So, that brings me to today’s story about a connection/attraction between Willy B and Jody that is continuing to develop. It actually started before the three arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. When J.B. and I were at Wildlife Waystation, we showed some videos of Jody to Willy B on my cell phone, and he immediately moved in to get a closer look, paying more attention to the Jody videos than videos of any of the other chimpanzees.
Now they get to see each other in person every day, and Willy B continues to show an interest in Jody. And now we can say that the interest is mutual.
This morning, Jody made a special foray onto the hill and stood up just to get a glimpse of Willy B who was at the end of the chute:
Willy B returned the glance:
When Jody was heading back into the greenhouse, Willy B climbed to the highest spot in the new chute to have the best view:
Jody noticed his new position, and climbed up high on the caging in the greenhouse and made a low moan vocalization. Jody is famous for her various low-moans, most of them associated with food, and all of them indicating that she is happy.
With Jody’s cute hand wave/reaching out that J.B. included in the video yesterday and today’s friendly overtures to Willy B, our predictions about Jody being inviting towards the newcomers seems spot-on, unlike our inaccurate predictions of how Burrito would react to the sight of unfamiliar chimpanzee people.
Burrito, by the way, continues to be obsessed with the new three and spends most his day hanging out by the windows just waiting for them to appear.
Can you imagine how strange and exciting it must be to see new chimpanzee strangers for the first time after over a dozen years?!
Today’s blog is so chock full of information, especially with all the links to other posts and blogs. I’m not eloquent enough to say how it affected me, but it made me love the chimpanzees even more, and to have a newer and greater appreciation for the Sanctuary and the staff and volunteers. Thank you for being there, and for sharing with us. Such a gift!
Thank you for that comment, Maureen! Your support is meaningful and I appreciate you taking the time to click on all of those links.
The pics couldn’t be any better, Diana!
I was expecting exactly this today…after all of that waiting, now they’ve SEEN the other chimps, and life won’t be the same again…If anyone besides Neggie had gone back to their normal routine, I would have been floored!
How encouraging that the sanctuary “Den Mother” is showing signs that there’s room for more ducklings under her wings!
It’s true – life won’t be the same again! Den mother and chair of the welcome committee too. 🙂
This is so exciting and encouraging! It’s like reading a novel and you can’t wait to turn the next page to see what happens! These posts add such enjoyment to my day. Thanks for sharing all these kids with us every day.
Sandra, you nailed it!: This is like reading a novel, and we can’t wait to turn the page to discover what happens next!!
Possibly a budding romance between Willy B and beautiful Jody?? Whatever the case, what an exciting time! And let’s not forget the Missy and Honey B reunion. I have been wondering how Jamie and Negra will react to the introduction. Jamie, because she is basically the group leader and Negra, who seems a little more reserved and frail.
It is so exciting and intriguing and a privilege to be able to watch this story unfold. The suspense, I have to say, is part of the fun. And I’m so happy for all 10 of these Chimps – 7 of whom I’ve grown to truly love and I look forward to getting to know the new residents.
How many chimps will you have when it is full? like are you planning on taking anymore later?
Hi Sandy! We hope to get started on the next phases of construction this fall or next spring. With those phases complete, we could take two more groups of up to eight each, so 16 more total, if the upcoming introductions are successful.
Shared glances between Willy an and Jody, it’s heartwarming and so exciting to think a friendship is taking root here already. I personally think these phots are perfect to illustrate your story.
On top of all the information in this post, I find the shared experience and friendship between CSNW and Chimp Haven to be impressive and heartening (but not surprising!). Chimps well being shared, placed first, and new experiences made all the better because both amazing sanctuaries joined together to make it happen.
And no, I can’t begin to think how strange it is for our seven to see new chimps in their home! But my head is spinning with endless possibilities. Fingers crossed.
Possibly a budding romance between Willy B and Jody? And let’s not forget the Missy and Honey B reunion. What an exciting time! I am also curious how Jamie and Negra will react when the full introduction takes place. Jamie because she is the group leader and Negra because she seems reserved.
These pictures are perfect! Thank you for sharing them and making the rest of us part of the process. The work you all do is amazing as is the incredible environment you have created for the chimps. Is there any possibility Willy B was a past chimp boyfriend from Jodie’s lab days? If not they certainly seem to be connecting now! Maybe Jodie picking up on the vibe he is scared and is there to reassure him? Whatever the case may be I love following their lives. Thanks again for your hard work.
It is an interesting question. It’s very unlikely that Jody and Willy B have ever met before coming to the sanctuary. Jamie and Missy are the only two chimpanzees of the seven who we know from their records spent time at LEMSIP, the laboratory where Honey B, Willy B, and Mave were born before they were moved to Wildlife Waystation around five years of age. Missy and Jamie likely did not spend time with the three at the lab because the they would have been housed in different areas due to the difference in their ages. At LEMSIP, they segregated the chimpanzees into age groups and the adults lived in a separate area from the young chimpanzees.
Is it possible that Willy B. and Jody use to know each other from a past facility? I don’t know their whole history.
Good question. Not, it’s not likely. Jody, as far as we know, was never at LEMSIP, where Willy B spent the first five of years of his life, and he’s been at Wildlife Waystation ever since until his move last month to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.
Whether my beloved Jody is merely being her den motherly self in conveying to Willy her friendliness, or whether there exists a mutual attraction between the two (which is understandable: they are both so lovable and good-looking), it is so exciting to read and observe the initial encounters between the two groups of chimpanzees. If the CNSW caregivers haven’t done so already, I recommend that they show Willy the video from April 1, 2018 of Jody’s Easter egg forage. And, assuming that Jody is interested, let her take a gander at the video of Willy displaying his mastery of the slinky.
Oh, and I look forward to more about Mave and Burrito…
Oh, that’s a good Jody video to share. I haven’t shown the Willy B slinky video to Jody, but I actually was sharing that with Jamie yesterday. She was definitely attentive, though it was hard to tell what her assessment was of Willy B. 🙂
Ok… now I need a video of Jamie watching a video of Willy B ! 🙂
You read my mind, CeeCee! 😉