Much like the entire west coast, the air at the sanctuary has continued to range between very unhealthy to hazardous the last few days.
So we did our best to find some extra enrichment activities to keep everyone busy with their extra indoor time. For Mave, Honey B, and Willy B, this turned out to be peanut butter filled hanging frisbee puzzles. These are still relatively new to the three and they love them!
Mave:
Willy B:
Honey B (apologies for these pixelated photos, but she’s cute!):
Like everything Honey B does, she does it with passion. Her face and cheeks are covered in peanut butter. 🙂
In between hanging frisbees, the three made their own enrichment by supervising the construction workers, as demonstrated by Willy B:
The construction crew continues to amaze us with their hard work and progress. They’re incredible – pandemic, brutal heatwaves, wildfire smoke, it doesn’t matter, they are out there! And it looks entirely different every day. Things are moving right along:
Over on the other side, Burrito (left) enjoyed a lunch date with sweet Jody (right), who ended up spending the entire afternoon with him. Granted, she was also enjoying her “alone time” by building a huge nest and resting peacefully while Burrito played with his human caregivers. But believe me, no one provides better care to a chimpanzee, than another chimpanzee. And caregiver Jody is about the best you could hope for:
As the day ended we caught a few brief glimpses of blue sky with birds circling high again. It felt like a deep breath, mentally and emotionally at least. We can see the neighbors’ homes on the hills above us again. We are hoping these are signs that the smoke is beginning to break up and lessen a bit. That said, we are currently some of the fortunate few who aren’t currently threatened by wildfires. And while there are no words adequate for such experiences, please know our thoughts are constantly with all of you who are navigating the profound worry, fear and devastating loss they are bringing. From our hearts, we wish for your safety, well-being and recovery.
John Joseph O'Brien says
It’s nice that Burrito has a friend in Jody to keep him company.
Tobin says
I hope that the sight of birds flying and a blue sky above them is a portent of better days to come for those who live and work at the sanctuary. Burrito is so lucky to have such a good and caring friend like Jody.
CarolR says
I can fully sympathise with the worry and horrible conditions there as we had the same here in Sydney for months last summer in the worst bushfires ever. No sunlight, just smoke haze day after day. It only cleared when we had days of rain and the wind changed direction.
Can you protect the facility if needed and do you have plans to evacuate? It must be almost impossible with the ten….where on earth would you go to? Everyone is praying that you’ll all stay safe. Your forecast says a bit of rain is coming on Thursday and Friday…..let’s hope it’s right. What a year it’s been!
Katelyn says
Carol, thanks for your questions! These days definitely bring to mind the profound devastation that people and animals went through in Australia last summer. It will most likely be wintry weather before these stop as well. We’ve experienced two wildfires that put the sanctuary property at risk, one that actually went through the property several years ago. J.B. wrote here about the logistics behind why we need to shelter in place in such an event. And you might enjoy this story, about Jamie spotting a nearby wildfire which resulted in her being made an honorary wildland firefighter (including the boots, of course!) by the Southwest Incident Management Team #3, who were in the area to assist with a huge fire just north of the sanctuary a few years ago. With the help of many phenomenal professionals, throughout all of these experiences we’ve honed and continued to improve upon our defensible space, to include receiving a grant to install a wildfire sprinkler system (connected to one of our ponds) which surrounds the chimp house. Wildfires have clearly become a way of life for so many. We’ve been so fortunate for the incredible assistance we’ve received in the past when we needed it, and while we’ve been lucky for a few years, like so many, we are fully aware that the potential for fire is always looming this time of year. We do everything we can to make sure we remain as prepared as possible.
Carol Sceniak says
Makes my day to see jodie,jamie,and Mr.B.Love all the chimps much.
Kathleen says
The frisbee puzzles are a hit! Honey B, too funny with PB all over her cheeks. She did that on purpose, saving it for later! The bond between Burrito and Jody is so sweet. I hope your air clears soon, don’t know how your amazing contractors work in it. Please tell them people all over the globe appreciate their efforts and we are grateful they are a part of your team.
Katelyn says
I don’t know how they manage either, Kathleen! But we found out Honey B was trying to “help” by spitting water on them. 😉 I even found one of the chimps’ plastic tubes in the construction pit which probably means Ms. Honey hurled over the protective fencing. As you can see, they face many challenges. 🙂
Patti Wudi says
As always Katelyn, beautiful photographs with a loving story. Thankd
Katelyn says
Thank you, Patti, that’s kind of you. Especially since I was fading. 😉
Louise Manson says
We, out here in Ontario are highly aware of the danger that people are facing there on the west coast. You are daily in our thoughts and prayers. Sr. Louise
Katelyn says
So nice to hear from you, Sr. Louise. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts.