Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for March 2020

Taking temperatures

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In recent weeks, we’ve implemented a number of precautionary measures to prevent the chimpanzees from being exposed to the coronavirus. At the same time, we’re ramping up routine health monitoring to aid in early detection should a chimpanzee become ill. Thanks to years of positive reinforcement training, body temperatures can be collected quickly and easily at mealtimes. Chimps, like humans, exhibit individual variation in baseline temperatures and temperature readings vary depending on how they are obtained (no-contact, oral, rectal, armpit, etc.). But by collecting temperatures routinely and consistently we can notice trends that could indicate infection before other clinical symptoms appear.

Mave, Honey B, and Willy B, our newest residents, learned quickly and are also enjoying this daily routine!

Video update on the state of things…

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…and how you can help!

Here’s a link to that list of suggested businesses from our auction committee mentioned in the video: https://bit.ly/390Ui8x

And here’s a link to the 2020 Goals document: https://chimpsnw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2020-Individual-Donor-Needs-ChimpsNW.pdf

And here’s a photo of Honey B getting ready for bed, really just wondering what YOU’RE doing:

Why Not Play!

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The blog originally was going to be about the chimps playing outside in the Green House, Chute, and Young’s Hill all day. Until, I walked into Phase 1 of the building and found Honey B and Mave playing like CRAZY! The all caps is important, because they were wild. Today’s enrichment theme was paper day. Which, if you asked me, I would put a lot of money on that being Honey B’s favorite day. Before I even walked through the door I could hear them playing. They were breathy panting, paper rustling, and I could hear them running. Not just running, but what sounded like they were running and throwing things around! What I wasn’t expecting was for them to be chasing each other on the enclosure caging and hanging on fire hose to get to each other. This was a play session to see!

This photo makes me smile. Willy B was admiring himself in the camera and Honey B popped up to be in the photo.

Bonus photo!

Jamie lounging in the warm Green House this afternoon:

 

Corned Beets and Cabbage

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“May the roof above you never fall in and those gathered beneath it never fall out.” ~Irish Proverb

Though things have been a little tight here in terms of staffing, we still try our best to bring some excitement to the chimpanzees’ lives. With today being St. Patrick’s Day, we decided to throw them a little party. On today’s menu: “corned beets” and cabbage. We roasted some beets and boiled some cabbage and potatoes.

After we cleaned the Greenhouse, we set up the party for the Seven. Burrito was really into the cabbage and potatoes and went around picking up any the others may have dropped.

Missy on the other hand grabbed a plate for her own to enjoy at her leisure.

And she made sure not to spill any of her plate even while climbing up the structures. (Now that’s talent!)

Like Burrito, Negra had her own preferences. She really was enthusiastic for the beets and potatoes. She fit as many as she could in her mouth before returning to the Playroom.

While Jody seemed to really enjoy the cabbage Negra left behind.

At first Mave was really unsure of the beets. But after she gave them a try, they became her prized item for today.

When the parties began to wind down, everybody thought it was a good time for a nap.

Even Foxie and her doll.

So from us to you and your loved ones, have a safe and joyous St. Patrick’s Day!

Is That For Here Or To Go?

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The Group of Seven have always intrigued me with each of their individual ways of eating. Some like to be upfront and center of every meal service. Others will grab their food and go.

This morning Negra wanted to take her banana to go onto Young’s Hill.

Almost immediately upon going onto Young’s Hill, she was instantly distracted by a passing train.

This is usually Negra’s M.O. She will almost always take her food to go. She will collect all her food and hold off on eating until she gets everything. Then she will use her hands, feet, mouth, you name it. Anything she can use to carry food to a location that is quiet and away from the majority of the crowd.  As evident with this photo I took a few weeks ago during lunch time.

Missy, Foxie, and Jody will grab one item from the meal service, take it away to a quiet location to eat, then return for the next item being served.

Depending on the food, Annie varies her method almost every meal. Sometimes she stays near where the meal is being served to ensure she gets her share of the meal. Other times she will find a quiet location as well, as she did during lunch today to eat her beets.

Jamie and Burrito, on the other hand, are usually upfront and center most of the time. They usually won’t leave until they are served their chow or nighttime bags.

Jamie, at times, might follow Negra’s lead and save some of her meal to enjoy later. In this case, she needed a proper dining table to finish her sweet potatoes and nighttime bag of seeds, popcorn, and dried fruit.

Sometimes after a meal, Jamie will invite a caregiver to go for a walk around the hill. Today, after lunch, Jamie wanted to go for a walk around the hill. I obliged and joined her. However, instead of a walk, it was a sprint around the hill. I somehow was able to capture a photo mid-sprint.

This went on for some time. Up the hill. Down the hill. Then back up again. Then back down. Usually I can keep up with her. But with our extra preventive measures to ensure both the chimpanzees and humans safe from the current pandemic, I have slowed down considerably. I going to have to start running sprints on my own with a mask on to ensure I don’t get that “I’m disappointed in you” look like she gave me as we returned to the Chimp House again.

A Tale of Two Barrels

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Yesterday, Diana wrote the blog about a routine only Jamie would have. As a dominant and strong-willed chimp who is usually an active participant in social drama, Jamie has a tendency to express herself by displaying in the Playroom.

The chute and Playroom are within sight of each other, allowing the chimps to interact with their neighbors (at a distance).

Today, Jamie kept up her steady pace by unleashing yet another raucous display on the residents of the sanctuary. She certainly had everyone’s attention.

To complement yesterday’s video, I tried my best to capture some still images of Jamie in action.

The Jamie Method:

Step 1: Acquire a noise-making object. A dirty barrels is perfect.
Step 2: Drum on the barrel and throw it across the room with force.
Step 3: Use the barrel as a pedestal to watch the neighbors react. Always have a Missy for backup.

Immediately afterwards, Burrito used the same barrel to observe the neighboring chimps. He had a much more friendly demeanor.

The Bubba Method:

Step 1: Greet the neighbors by bobbing your head and panting
Step 2: Sway back and forth to show off your muscles and all your super cool wooden toys
Step 3: Calmly go to a window that lets you quizzically stare at Mave and Willy B until they go back inside
Step 4: Always have a group of vigilant female chimps for backup

In the following hours, the seven original residents in Jamie and Burrito’s group sprawled out on the upper deck of the wooden structure in the Greenhouse.

Jamie groomed Jody while everyone else took a nap.

Perhaps they had forgotten that their neighbors had an identical barrel on the other side of the building, but they were soon reminded. The seven chimps were suddenly awoken by a chorus of hooting and drumming. The source of all this noise was Willy B. As a large and dominant male, Willy is tactful in his use of displays. He doesn’t overdo it like some brasher males I have met, but he certainly makes sure that his performances are explosive, timely and poignant. Mave and Honey B have a knack for getting out of his way whenever he begins to drum. Willy B may have won this battle of displays.

The Willy B Method:

Step 1: Drag the barrel to a doorway that is just a few inches smaller than that barrel
Step 2: Slam the barrel against the window
Step 3: Keep drumming.
Step 4: Drum some more.
Step 5: Top it all off with a loud scream.
Step 6: finish the day with a blanket nest on your favorite indoor bench

Willy’s display drew Jamie out onto Young’s Hill. From her vantage near the Greenhouse, Jamie could watch the chute for further activity.

 

a routine only Jamie would have

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I had the first clips on my phone from Tuesday and was going to post them alone today, and then Jamie went through the exact same routine that she did on Tuesday.

You have to love boss Jamie!

If you are wondering how things are going with the reduced number of humans, it’s going well so far! We are trying to approach this situation as an opportunity to reset as well as think about routines and plans. I have a couple of thoughts about some ways people can help us during this time that I will share with you all next week.

In the meantime, I wish you all good health and the opportunity for you too to reset.