Today is International Primate Day! The day was created in 2005 as a way to educate and raise awareness about various issues primates all around the world face, both in the wild and in captivity. As you know, all of our residents have come from the biomedical industry. Seven have called Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest home for 12 years now, while three have called it home for a year. Though we as staff consider ourselves very fortunate and lucky to be able to try to provide the best possible life for these 10 remarkable individuals, there are more who are in need of a new home.
Currently, there are chimpanzees at the Wildlife Waystation in Southern California who are awaiting new homes. For years, staff and volunteers there have provided care for all the animals who called Wildlife Waystation home. Unfortunately, the decision was made to close their doors last year. This left hundreds of animals in need of a new home. The only residents who remain are their chimpanzee residents. If you have been following our blog and/or the news, then you know we are one of the sanctuaries trying to expand in order to provide homes for some of these individuals as soon as possible.
You can read more about how you can help maintain those chimpanzees’ current care until they find new homes at The Chimpanzees in Need webpage.
You can also support us as we expand to bring some of these chimpanzees home to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. We are currently preparing for our first ever online gala! Due to the current pandemic, the decision was made to hold Hoot! online this year. Be sure to visit the Hoot! 2020 site to browse some of the amazing things that will be up to bid on September 12th with more to come!
Now for the happenings of today (and yesterday)!
If you watched the video, then you know there was a lot of playing going on between Mave, Honey B, and Willy B! There were scarce moments where we couldn’t hear laughter coming from that side of the building.
Yesterday, we gave them a food puzzle that seems to becoming one of their new favorites: Firehose Cubes! We put small things into the cube for them to fish out. Some things have food in them, some don’t. One item that did have nuts in them were fanny packs. Honey B was very delicate with hers and would carefully unzip the pouches to retrieve the food inside. Willy B, on the other hand, used his canines to rip it open. We could only guess what Honey B was thinking as she watched this all unfold to one of her fanny packs.
The Seven received a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill.
Beautiful Jody was seen all over the place, picking up as many orange slices and apple slices as she could.
She had to take a break and eat some of her haul, as Jamie casually ate as she went.
Missy’s first place to forage for food was in Negra’s Cabin.
Negra was actually on a platform a little bit away.
Burrito had both hands and mouthful as he grabbed whatever was in sight.
Later in the afternoon, we decided to treat everybody with a round of paper braids!
Jody enjoying hers.
Annie seemingly inhaled hers!
Note: As I was taking these photos of everybody enjoying their paper braids, I felt this presence. Like the feeling a shark circling it’s prey. With one loud stomp of the foot, my eyes shifted a little to the right. There was a flash of fur and paper braids through a child’s slide in the Greenhouse.
The presence was getting nearer and nearer. I could almost hear the theme song to Jaws being played but in a rendition of raspberries/Bronx cheers.
Who could it be!?
Burrito!!!
He was very enthused to play, but also very occupied with his paper braids. Not knowing what he wanted to do, he decided to play toe tickle. This version was with him on his back while poking his toes through the mesh. This allowed him to play and eat his paper braids.
We also gave Willy B, Honey B, and Mave paper braids.
Honey B decided to help Mave by picking up the seeds she missed as she tore into the braids.
At lunch, Foxie decided to enjoy her beets, bell peppers and (Orange) Blossom dolls inside, while the others ate outside.
We all hope you had an amazing day and have a great evening!
Marcia says
Looks like a glorious day was had by all. I adore those photos at the end of the video. They may be the best I’ve seen yet of any of the chimps playing. What a fortunate mistake it was that the video was not turned on.
Linda C says
I love the angle on the photo of Farmer Jo and Annie! It almost looks like Jo is giving her a piggyback ride!
Lol, Chad, that’s not Orange Blossom! Must be her day off! Thanks for the pics of my Foxie friend!
Happy primate day, from our primate to all 10? 12? of you there, and all 10 chimpy people (and all pf the readers, while I’m at it!)
Linda C says
whoops! I see Orange Blossom did not have the day off, after all! I can see her legs peeking out!
Kathleen says
Happy International Primate Day! Chad, you outdid yourself with this post, thanks for the video and all the photos. I agree with Marcia, the still photos of those two clowns playing together at the end of the video made for an excellent ending — a fortunate mistake indeed!
I want to point out that Ms. Honey B is a style influencer. I keep seeing fanny packs everywhere, from Patagonia to Sundance. And I was excited to see the chimps with the paper braids. Recently when a blog post linked to your Enrichment Database I had fun checking everything out. I didn’t remember ever seeing the chimps use the braids and thought they looked like fun (they remind me of sweetgrass braids). Glad to see the paper braids were a big hit with everyone.
Stacey says
I wonder if the 3 have relationships with the chimps from the Waystation that need homes?
Linda C says
I have often wondered the same thing, Stacey!