Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Marcus Andrews sponsored a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees and cattle today in honor of “My other half.”
Marcus, thank you for celebrating your special person by making a difference in the lives of fourteen more special individuals! We truly appreciate you thinking of them all in this way.
Missy and Annie:
I was listening to a podcast yesterday about negativity bias. The idea, put simply, is that negative information has a greater effect on our emotional state and perception of the world than neutral or positive information. There are good evolutionary reasons for this asymmetry. Learning how to pick the ripest, sweetest fruit is certainly helpful, as anyone who has bitten into a mealy apple can attest, but you may not get a second chance to learn what a venomous snake looks like. The salience of negative experiences means they are more easily seared into our brains and resonate longer. Though it may be adaptive, this bias is often ill-suited to modern life. These days we are awash in information and there’s no shortage of negative experiences to choose from, a fact made clear whenever I am foolish enough to read comments on the sanctuary’s YouTube channel before going to bed.
Which is why we all need Willy B right now.
Granted, watching adult chimpanzees overcome their fear of the outdoors is a painful reminder of their tragic pasts. My heart aches as I watch Willy B make false start after false start while he works up the courage to venture out under open skies. Or when he clings desperately to familiar objects, stretching as far as he can to reach into the grass without taking his foot off of the boardwalk that is his lifeline. Or when he climbs clumsily up the ladder, searching for his footing, in a way that is completely uncharacteristic of a species so powerful and agile and for whom climbing should be as natural as breathing.
But we are so fortunate to witness his determination. To feel his courage. To share in his wonderment as he discovers the world around him and beneath his feet.
There could very well be setbacks to come, but Willy B’s efforts this past week have been deeply inspiring. To be honest, I have had trouble doing anything other than sitting quietly by the fence to watch it all unfold. There are so many other things to do and so much going on in the world deserving of attention. But Willy B is the story I need right now. And it’s been amazing to share it in real time with you, knowing that we are all cheering him on together.
Today was the day, we could all feel it this morning. Yesterday was rainy and blustery, but today… Today we have beautiful weather. We made careful preparations this morning, getting things set up just right for the big moment.
Ladies and gentlemen….I present to you..the sanctuary’s “moon shot.”
Willy B climbed on the platform in the courtyard!!!
But he wasn’t finished, there…
Not only did he climb, he climbed all the way to the TOP!
We’ve got some video footage for you tomorrow, but for now, let’s just drink this special moment in. Together!
Before I get to the blog. I just have to say WOW! Thank you to everyone who has donated to Giving Tuesday and Give Big. Our original goal was $25,000 and you all have helped us exceed our goal!! We have raised over $36,720 so far as I write this. Give Big is still going until the end of today, if anyone is looking to help just click on Give Big! This has been a scary time and a lot of unknown for us and we just want to give you the biggest thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
This blog may seem to have no theme today. With a video about walking and wonderfully random chimp photos. But, there are a lot of fun and different interactions that happened today. The chimps have a different enrichment theme everyday, today’s theme was soapy buckets. You all can already assume Honey B partook, and you would be right! However, Foxie had a bucket to herself and Jody and Burrito shared a bucket together. Honey B was wearing a great 70s style sweatband. Negra and Burrito had a huge play session. Missy put her foot in a sweater while Jody playfully tugged on it. Annie had the sweater in her mouth and Missy played tug-of-war. Though the weather wasn’t great and there were 20 mile an hour winds, Willy B still managed to run out onto the boardwalk a few times! And the list goes on and on!
Sadly, I did not get photos or videos of all of those things! But, I hope you enjoy these photos.
Foxie:
Honey B:
Honey B was washing her buckets and transferring water from one bucket to the other.
Willy B snagging some apples and braving the wind:
Tomorrow he will go on that platform. I can feel it!
Also Honey B’s sweet toes:
If you look closely you can see the sweatband. I love the way she is sitting on the railing.
Honey B:
Jamie grooming her favorite XTRATUF boots:
Today is absolutely a terrific day for many reasons. The weather is bright and sunny with temperatures near the 70s. Many of the seasonal birds are back and gleefully darting back and forth, grabbing what they can to make their perfect little nests for the Spring. The cattle are out grazing in their new pasture. And Willy B hit another milestone in his adventures outside.
You’re eyes are not deceiving you. Willy B made a couple of attempts to climb the outdoor structure. He is capable of climbing the structure in the Courtyard, however, it is still really new to him. He first would poke his head up to scan the platform for any food. When he noticed there wasn’t any up there, he would come back down and just sit. After the first initial scan for food, it seemed like his curiosity wasn’t about food anymore.
It seemed like he was determined to conquer any fear he may have had and want to be on the platform. However, today was not that day. After several attempts, he decided it was best to just sit in the open air Courtyard, and take in the scenery. This in itself was another big milestone. Willy B ventured out further than before, and stayed out longer with out constantly darting back to the safety of the Chute.
He also made attempts to walk on the grass multiple times today.
But his excursions onto the grass weren’t long.
He even performed a mini-display. We’re still not sure if he was hyping himself up for another attempt to climb, or to show his neighbors who is in charge of the Courtyard now.
To think of the places he has been in life, to now experience grass, open air, dirt, cattle neighbors, can be somewhat over stimulating and frightening for someone with a past like his. I truly admire Willy B’s spirit.
Willy B just has that kind of spirit. The spirit to take on new adventures and try new things in new surroundings.
And the determination to come out on top in the end at his own speed.
Hopefully, his confidence and sense of adventure will spread to Mave and Honey B soon so they can enjoy the wonders of their Washington home. Mave, just like yesterday, seemed like she’s hyping herself up to take that first step. It may be tomorrow. It may be next week. It may be a year from now. But that isn’t our call. There is no way to tell when either her or Honey B will be ready. The only thing we can do is try to show them it is safe and wonderful to be outside.
You can help us continue to provide care and a safe home for the 10 chimpanzees and four cattle by participating in Washington’s Give Big Fundraiser Drive. This is the first year we are eligible to participate in this annual drive, and we hope to make a big impact. The smallest donation can have the biggest impact for the 14 residents of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. So we hope you are able and willing to participate today or tomorrow.
This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Lynn Williamson, long-time volunteer and friend of the sanctuary and it’s residents, in memory of two very special women in her life, Susie and Epin. Lynn’s lovely tribute:
“Today, May 5th, was my mother, Susie Williamson’s birthday. Tomorrow, May 6th, was her sister Epin Lewis’s birthday. Susie was born just one day shy of exactly 18 years after my Auntie Epin. Not only was Epin like a mother to Susie, she also took me on as a newborn and cared for me most of my childhood, and sheltered me into my early adulthood. These women were very different from each other. But one thing they had in common was their deep love of animals. I was well supported with all of the critters I brought into the household from pollywogs all the way up to a pony – well for one year anyway. Epin and Susie would have loved the chimps. When I see Negra clap her hands during mealtime I am reminded of my Auntie Epin in her later years – seriously the exact same clap! It makes me so happy every time. Thank you CSNW for letting me honor the memory of these two important women.”
Thank you for sharing part of your story with us, Lynn, and for making a difference in the chimps’ lives through your family memories. We’re grateful for your kind heart your mom and Auntie Epin helped nurture in their own ways and we’re hoping your memories of them bring them back to you in all their good today. Take good care, Lynn, and we hope to see you back in the chimp house before long!
Foxie and Jody:
It got down to freezing last night, but by the time the chimpanzees were ready for breakfast it was warm and dazzlingly sunny outside. My neighbor and her incredible grandmother of a lilac tree graciously allow me to bring blossoms galore for the chimps to enjoy each year, so today was their first taste of the brief lilac season with a breakfast forage on the hill.
Jamie:
Negra’s food squeaks could be heard across the land, though she was all about the chow:
Missy joined her, but she was all about the lilacs:
Then Jody joined in, but she was all about the fruit. So it worked out well for everyone:
Jody:
No one seems to outdo Missy’s love of lilacs, but each year it seems someone new is suddenly interested in them and much to my surprise, this year Foxie was really enjoying them. Her face!! Guh, my heart!:
After the seven returned to the chimp house later in the morning, it was time for the three to have access to their courtyard! And of course to wait with bated breath as to what Willy B (or Mave or Honey B) might decide to do today. We put the forage a little bit further out on the platform, with some high value items (a bunch of grapes and a whole apple) the furthest out to encourage Willy B’s continued courage at venturing into the great outdoors. And it worked! It took him a little bit to drum up his courage, but he went the furthest he’s been today!
We are careful not to overwhelm them with our presence and want to decrease their worry that something unexpected will happen, so right now we try to have 1-2 staff stay nearby, but in a bit of stealth mode. J.B. managed to get these photos and look at this guy! Willy B! Outside!:
Getting a little more comfortable:
We really cannot impress the level of courage this involves. Imagine leaving the comforting familiarity of the only thing you’ve known, enclosures with caging, and then stepping onto a strange platform, under open sky, surrounded by strange feeling wood chips. Every single sensation something new and strange and potentially very frightening and unpredicatable. Some chimpanzees, understandably so, are never comfortable enough to leave their enclosures. We’re just so proud of this guy our hearts are ready to burst!
And while we weren’t able to capture any photos, Mave decided to venture down to the doorway to the platform today! She saw Willy B enjoying all that forage and while she wasn’t ready to go out, she did reach out at one point on her own and touch the platform. She spent quite awhile at the doorway sitting with Willy B (and probably admiring his food) and we have high hopes she will be next to take a step outside. I know that may not seem like much, but for someone who’s first time touching the earth under open sky to have been a bit rocky (after touching the electric fencing), it’s taking an incredible amount of bravery for these guys to give it another go. Honey B is not yet showing any interest, but she has all the time she needs to choose what feels best for her.
Once the chimps came back inside later in the afternoon Willy B was the craziest, most playful guy. We always say we can’t know what they are thinking, but honestly, it really felt as though he was just elated with himself at the adventure he’d conquered. As well he should be.
And last, but not least, our bovine family continue to revel in their newfound summer pastures. Here’s Nutmeg with Honey licking Betsy in the background:
