Archives for July 2020

The wonderfulness of Mave

July 13, 2020 by Katelyn

Mave can be hot or cold when it comes to playing with the humans. Of course as much as we love to play with the chimps, we love it most when they play with one another as their relationships are the most important to their well-being. But when Mave does choose to play with the humans, like most of us, she has people she seems to prefer (of which I am not usually one), but she’s dignified you know, so at least with me she doesn’t usually let on that she’s really invested in whatever game we might be playing. 😉 But yesterday she bestowed me with a sudden game of chase.

Now Mave also has a very endearing one-size-fits-all habit when she’s excited about something. It might be in greeting Willy B, displaying, or just having fun and playing, but she will repeatedly leap up and down on all fours and kick her legs straight down when she’s in the air. Even when she’s being serious, it’s pretty cute. So as we were playing, she would run to the windows to get me to run outside and chase her from the other side of the windows and when I’d run back inside I could see her shadow going boingity, boing, boing boing, in anticipation of me running back inside, but the second I’d turn the corner to see her she’d just be sitting there as though nothing were going on.

Despite doing her best to pretend she didn’t have the time of day for my shenanigans, at one point she could no longer contain herself and went flying through the front rooms, grabbing a slinky on the way, and just flailed about in a blur of joy:

As a side note, we’ve been marveling at how dark Mave’s face has become after all the sunbathing she’s been doing in the chute lately. Here’s a pre-summertime Mave portrait that J.B. took:

In other news, the original playroom for the seven is getting a facelift and as the humans work over the next few days to update things, the chimpanzees will be spending more time in the other areas of their home (Young’s Hill, the greenhouse and the front rooms). Routine is important for captive chimpanzees, particularly those who have been in biomedical research, so when we have no alternative but to disrupt the norm a bit, we try to think of extra enrichment and exciting things for them to enjoy to help distract them from the temporary changes in their day.

Today began with a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill and as the afternoon warmed up, we served ice cubes (I have no idea why they love these simple things so much, but they sure do) and buckets of Gatorade. Burrito felt the best approach was to just lie next to the buckets and go for the triple straw method:

Foxie joined in:

Raspberry Days

July 12, 2020 by Anthony

There are many reasons to love summers in the Pacific Northwest. One of my favorites is something that the chimpanzees also enjoy: an abundance of native berries to snack on.

The raspberry bushes that flank the Chimp House are not new. They were planted many moons ago and have been maintained by dedicated staff and volunteers in the years since. Each summer, the chimps (and humans) seem to get more excited about them. It’s justified, because they’re the most delicious raspberries that I have ever had the privilege of tasting. I’d bet that the chimpanzees feel the same way.

Today, Jamie was especially insistent that humans should be harvesting raspberries and giving her the bounty. If you’re curious how Jamie communicates her demands, I recommend looking at Anna’s post from last summer. Today, Level III volunteer Lisa filled a stainless bowl with the prized berries and then served a handful to the chimps, including the moderately-patient Jamie. They were all thrilled, and we had plenty left over to make raspberry smoothies tomorrow morning. As Diana wrote a few years ago, we make sure that the chimpanzees are provisioned with healthy, unprocessed, species-appropriate foods like fruit, greens and legumes. As we grow larger and need to buy most of our produce in bulk for the chimps, it’s nice to know that there are seasonal treats nearby that the chimps can enjoy for nutrition and novelty.

Lisa, following our health and hygiene protocols, sported gloves, scrubs, and a mask while handling food and enrichment today. All personnel who work around the chimps have to do so with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to prevent the exchange of viral pathogens between us and them. With COVID-19 potentially affecting captive and free-ranging apes, we have elevated our standard hygiene practices and dramatically reduced the amount of personnel present at the sanctuary each day. Normally, the raspberry patch would be a flurry of activity throughout the day as chatty groups of volunteers and interns lazily harvest in the sunshine. Because of our restrictions, however, we must find other ways to complete all the essential tasks with just a handful of personnel.

One permanently-essential task, of course, is play. This afternoon, after Lisa finished handing out fresh raspberries to all the chimps, Foxie coyly suggested that they should vigorously chase each other down the hallway. Foxie kept running from the Playroom into the front rooms and back again, pausing only to pass Lisa a doll, do a twirl, and zoom away again. Foxie, of course, relished a raspberry all the while.

The chimps don’t seem to have any sympathy for us caregivers who have to sprint around the building wearing cloth masks, scrubs and heavy boots, but it’s okay. I don’t think any of us mind breaking from our chores to pick raspberries and hang out with playful chimps.

Foxie’s Twin Dolls

July 11, 2020 by Diana

If you watched The Queen’s Brunch virtual event last month, you saw a short clip from this video of Foxie getting two new Orange Blossom dolls.

I’ve been wanting to share more of the video since then, and I’m finally doing it today.

We’ll be holding our annual gala, HOOT!, as a virtual event this year. Mark your calendars now for Saturday September 12th so you can join the fun!

The Perfect Nest

July 10, 2020 by J.B.

Each chimpanzee makes a nest in their own unique way. In fact, I bet most chimpanzee caregivers could name the chimp if someone simply described how they make a nest at night. Here at CSNW, we’ve got Jody, who gathers up as many blankets as possible, throws them over her shoulder and drops half of them in a doorway as she searches for the right bench to sleep on. And Burrito, who throws a single blanket over his shoulder on his way to bed like he is carrying a towel to the swimming pool. And Honey B, who wraps herself up like a to-go burrito. All ten of of the chimps here have a particular style and a ritual when it comes to nest-making. As do most humans, I would assume.

Here are a few bonus photos of Foxie from this morning.

Produce Day

July 9, 2020 by Anna

A common question we get from curious supporters is “how much do the chimps eat?” While we don’t actually weigh their daily portions out or count calories, we use a rough estimate and a little bit of trial and error to adjust the chimps’ diets accordingly. Lately we’ve been serving Burrito and Foxie an extra portion of primate chow since they are two of our more slender residents.

Burrito loves emptying bags of primate chow into his mouth and is a big fan of this “Burrito gets more” plan. This is an older photo, but you get the idea!

In general, the chimps each eat 3 servings of fruit for breakfast (one of which is a fruit smoothie), 3 servings of vegetables at lunch, and 3 servings of veggies/fruit for dinner. What makes up a serving is a little open to interpretation, but you could think of a standard sized apple being considered 1 serving. Oh and I almost forgot! We serve Willy B extra produce each day because he’s a big guy and needs to maintain his muscular physique. All in all, our fridges empty at a considerable rate.

In the age of COVID-19 we’ve had to reorganize a lot of the ways we provide care for the chimpanzees including how we get the chimps their weekly shipment of fresh produce. Thursdays have become the sanctuary’s “produce day.” JB drives to a neighboring city and does our shopping at a wholesale store, then staff member Anthony and volunteer caregiver Lisa do a mass washing and reorganizing of our 2 fridges.

If you would like to help keep the chimps’ fridges stocked full of fresh fruits and veggies, you can become a Produce Patron on our website. The chimps and those that love them thank you! Here’s today’s well-stocked veggie fridge:

Portraits of the Day

July 8, 2020 by Anthony

Anna and I are wrapping things up in the Chimp House and reflecting on what a long day it has been. Sadly, my initial plans for composing a video to attach to today’s blog deteriorated as the day went on. Instead, you’re all getting these portraits of three of my favorite chimps. (Note: I have many, many “favorite” chimps.)

First, Willy B wanted to look into the camera lens and then see the resulting images.

Then, Honey B sat in the same spot while she was eating lunch. She grasped a roll of craft paper, one of her favorite enrichment materials, in her right hand while she nibbled on carrots with her left.

Jamie, per usual, did laps around the Hill during the morning and afternoon. As always, she was vigilant and perceptive.

We hope everyone is staying safe (and staying sane). Don’t forget to wear a mask!

Dinner Is Served

July 7, 2020 by Chad de Bree

As the day is winding down, the chimpanzees are about to be served dinner. On tonight’s menu is watermelon, sweet potatoes, celery, and their daily night bags filled with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, popcorn, and dried fruit.