Hey everyone! It’s been a long week so far.
For one thing, the scorching heat is r e l e n t l e s s .
Today brought record-setting temperatures to Oregon and Washington. Tomorrow will have more of the same. For comparison, it’s hotter than Guy Fieri’s wardrobe over here.
For actual quantitative reference, tomorrow’s forecast shows Cle Elum being 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than it’s ever been in the state of Florida (109F).
That’s correct. Our town nestled among the snow-capped Central Cascades will have higher temperatures than they’ve EVER HAD on ANY DATE in FLORIDA. It will also be hotter than it’s ever been in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and at least fifteen other U.S. states and territories. Tomorrow would be the hottest day ever in Washington… if we hadn’t already broken that record today.
To cope, our staff has been closely monitoring the doors and windows, cranking all the electric fans, and consuming a steady stream of popsicles, sports drinks, and good ol’ fashioned water. As all the smart people say, hydrate to dominate, baby!
Despite the sweltering heat, we’re excited to report that all SIXTEEN chimpanzee residents are doing well, staying hydrated, and keeping cool. Of course, those sixteen residents include the six newest arrivals: Cy, Dora, Gordo, Lucky, Rayne and Terry.
This group of adult chimps has been called “The Lucky Six” during the campaign to send them to sanctuary, but we’ll also likely refer to them as “Cy’s Group” since he seems to be their undisputed chief. While our own medical and caregiving records have less mutable designations for each group (e.g., Group C), it will be nice to have an informal and familiar way to specify which group we’re talking about.
We’re still getting to know the six chimps in Cy’s group, but it’s already evident that they all have unique personalities and complex social dynamics. As is tradition, we’ll be shining a virtual spotlight on each individual over the next few months so that you can all get to know them as well. In case you missed it, Kelsi announced their arrival and posted a few portraits on Saturday, and Katelyn followed up with more photographs in yesterday’s post (which was dedicated to those who cared and advocated for the six newcomers at their previous home). For now, we’ll continue to share what we can on the blog when we’re not busy taking care of chimps!
For today’s blog, I threw together a video using clips that our staff have recorded over the past few days. We look forward to sharing more in the near future, so please stay tuned and be patient! The new guys are amazing and we can’t wait to tell you more about them!
Linda C says
Sno cones all around!
Try to stay cool, Anthony!
We are all dying of impatience to see their arrival and see them in action, but I have to say that, from this side, they seem to have adapted faster than the other groups. Maybe the numbers make everyone feel safer.
Try to find quiet ways to play with Mr B….we don’t want anyone keeling over from heat exhaustion!
Regards from the breezy coast
Anthony says
We joke that there’s a “honeymoon” period when chimps arrive at a new location and are a bit more reserved, which may make it seem like they’ve adjusted already when they’re actually still taking everything in. It seems logical that having a rich and stable social group would help the transition, though.
We’re being cautious and the chimps are really good at regulating their own activity according to the outdoor temperatures. B has been playful but not too crazy lately 🙂
Paulette Wrisley says
It’s a fabulous 84 in Florida this week. Sorry…. I was actually raised in Bakersfield California where 110 and higher in the summer was common. You open your front door and it feels like you opened your oven and your eyelashes burn off. So I feel ya. So sorry that on top of everything going on you have to also deal with heat like never before. Thank you so much Anthony for the blog and pictures. Though we out here in the ether are waiting for our fix, we know the chimps come first and wouldn’t have it any other way. We love them, and you. Take good care. You mean a lot to a lot of people. Good night…
Anthony says
Thanks, Paulette! Stay cool and take care!
Paulette Wrisley says
So it’s going to be Cy’s group, Willy’s group, and Burrito’s group? I like it! I mean Burrito is sooooo Alpha!!! LOL. 😛
Linda C says
Shhhh…..don’t let The Boss hear you talkin’ like that!
marianne says
I would strongly protest to name all the groups after the men……
just because they are men???
Jamie is the boss, and I would suggest that maybe Mave is the glue that holds that little group together…
Anthony says
Sorry if we made it seem like we’re re-naming all the groups after the males! That’s not the case. We’ve been discussing some ways to casually refer to the groups and we’re leaning towards “Cy’s group” for this one, although something better may come up.
All our records and observations indicate that Cy is the highest-ranking individual in his group and a capable leader, and they’ve often been referred to as Cy’s group in the past so there is already a precedent for it.
Paulette Wrisley says
I was just being funny… thus the 😛
Paulette Wrisley says
Ha! I knew I would raise eyebrows LOL
BUT In chimp Society, the man’s the man. Just saying…
I personally have no preference at all.
Anthony says
No problem! I think it’s important to talk about issues of social dominance in chimps because it’s so often exaggerated and misconstrued in the media and even in academic circles. It’s much more complex than males being from Mars and women from Venus, but there are also distinct patterns that are shared by most groups of captive and wild chimps.
Anthony says
thanks for sparking the debate, Paulette! 😉
Kathleen says
It is an interesting debate. Like us, the chimpanzee woman/women also hold key power in a group. Like Jane Goodall’s beloved Dorthy. Some women have quiet control in the background of their group, right? 😉 Cy looks like a leader, he’s a handsome fellow too!
Marya says
It’s SO thrilling to see them adapting slowly to the new surroundings. When I saw Gordo splayed out on the floor I just burst into laughter since that’s exactly how I’ve felt all day…112 degrees in Redmond at one point today, per my car — aarrgh. Almost can’t breathe. I wonder about the person who is spending time out in the new greenhouse — didn’t she (?) have to walk on the grass to get to the window seating? If so, does that mean some of the new folks are more adapted to such things as grass than some of the “10”?? It’s wonderful to get to know them and see their exciting new lives unfold. Thanks to all volunteers and staff who are spending this precious early time with them!
Anthony says
Thanks, Marya! Gordo is so relatable right now. I wouldn’t say the new arrivals are “adapted” to grass as much as they simply didn’t have an aversive reaction to it and seem relatively comfortable walking on it. As far as we know, they have no more experience with it than Honey B, Mave and Willy B (except for Willy’s excursions into the Courtyard). It’s also important to note that the new enclosures have fresh carpets of sod which is very different from the tough, prickly prairie grasses that covers the Hill and surrounding pastures. It’s much more comfortable to walk on.
Linda C says
That makes sense, Anthony! Yet, Willy is still avoiding it….so funny…in any case, glad that Cy’s group seem more intrepid than the Californians!
Tobin says
I love the very end of the video! It sounds as if, in his breathy panting, Cy is managing to say “Hi.” Dreadfully hot as it is there, I am glad that the Cy, his sister, and their four friends have arrived to make a home at the sanctuary.
During the Queen’s Brunch, there was a video which stated that Dora has a tendency to be wary of her human caregivers. Thus, it is heartening to see her apparently trusting the humans on the other side of the glass and metal, who, after all, are great caregivers. The Six — and Twenty-four — non-humans who live on and around Young’s Hill couldn’t have better human companions.
And, oh, let’s hear it for Cy’s great grooming technique: diligence combined with lip-smacking finesse.
Anthony says
Cy was absolutely overwhelmed on his first day. He couldn’t stop greeting his new human caregivers, even to the point that he carried his banana around for an hour because he wouldn’t stop panting long enough to eat it.
As for Dora, she’s quite independent and stoic but hasn’t expressed any obvious fear of us. She comes forward eagerly if we have food/drink/enrichment that she really wants, and she sometimes sits in the window and watches us as we clean. It’s also been fun to watch her make nests in creative locations, all around the new enclosures. Katelyn and I were also just admiring how she elbows her way between the big guys at meals and we respect her priorities! 🙂
Linda C says
Oh, the video is attached now! (Just saw it on YT, and came back). It did indeed make me laugh, seeing Gordo splayed out on the floor like that! And I noticed that Dora didn’t seem to be in a place where you could catch her. In time….
Cy’s displays are indeed impressive, though I think Willy B does a pretty good job, too.
Any noise from the hill?
Thanks to Project Chimps for all of the help!
Anthony says
Yup, the video is embedded in the blog! Apologies for any delay/trouble!
It’s been a challenge to get clear photos and videos of everyone except Terry since he follows humans around and sits by the caging. The three females also seem to prefer the upper levels of the new playrooms and greenhouses where it’s difficult to reach with the camera lens.
Marcie says
I’m in love, I’m in love all over again. But how could I fall so fast, like a crazy teenage girl? When I first saw pictures of them, Lucky caught my eye but unlike with the original Californians, I learned to love them after getting to know and seeing their adjustment into the sanctuary. But these beautiful additions just captured my heart at their arrival and initial introduction to us. We’re going to need a lot more produce now and cold drinks for chimps and caregivers during this hot spell. Many thanks to their former caregivers who provided for these healthy looking and beautiful chimps.
Anthony says
Thanks, Marcie! We’re already in love with the six newcomers as well.
luniz says
thanks for sharing, really looking forward to hearing about the individual personalities and the group dynamics, as well as seeing who can bang stuff the loudest 😀
Deanna says
The California 9 should all be accustomed to the high temps, although 110-115 is still high for Los Angeles and her surrounding areas! I’m grateful that they have actual air conditioned spaces they can retreat to as this is not a choice they previously had. It’s so nice to see everyone and that grooming session with Cy and Terry had me smiling from ear to ear!!! Such exuberance from Cy!!! Try to stay cool as best you can as these chimp people need you and I’m sure you also need them!
Caroline says
My heart swelled and so did my eyes when I saw the truck carrying that precious cargo drive up to the sanctuary! It is so wonderful to see them enter into their new forever home and into the hands of such stellar caregivers. Stay cool everyone, it’s pretty hot up here in Canada too; 40* here in Edmonton yesterday! I wish I could afford to send you a snow cone machine for icy treats! Take care and thank you all for caring for these beautiful animals!
C
Linda C says
I think they have one, Caroline! If so, it’ll be runni g constantly, like the washer/dryer!
Lisa says
I live in north Texas and the hottest temperature we have ever had was 113. Our weather this week is rainy and in the upper eighties which is unusual for us. We are normally in the upper nineties or low 100’s.
Kathleen says
Enormous shoutout to Project Chimps! Much love for all of you guys!!
It is all too incredible for me to digest! Oh to be able to bear witness to the acclimation of Cy’s group! Such a privilege to slowly watch them unfold into the chimpanzee people we will eventually come know. Can’t say it enough, I envy you hardworking big hearted heat enduring caregivers. You are sanctuary.
We often focus on all the differences between humans and other animals we share this world with. Being able to sit in my home and have a wee peek at Cy’s group figuring out their surroundings makes me think of how similar we all are. Like dogs being moved into a new shelter, it takes days, weeks, or months before we get to see and know the real individual. Some enter full of attitude, all loud and jumpy, others seek our attention and some are anxious, uncomfortable, or just prefer to be left alone to sleep and lay low. But they continue to change each day and they can behave differently with different people sometimes. Just like our first day of school or first day on the job, once we feel comfortable in our new surroundings we begin to blossom, make new friends and discover we are capable of accomplishing things we never imagined we could do. Like Negra, after years of venturing out onto Young’s Hill she decides to climb up to the tippy TOP of a climbing structure! All the way to the top as if she did this everyday!! Sure. There was a pineapple top up there to serve as her reward and yes, Negra did finagle the pineapple away from Missy, but it all proves what a brave and amazing action this was for our Queen.
It honestly takes my breath away to see each individual bravely facing their new surroundings. I mean think about it. I wonder if they even understand this is their home now. This is forever. Forever safe, loved, and cared for. Understanding takes time. Thank you for being there, guiding them along the way, as time works it’s magic.
Amyrg says
I have to say that I also burst into laughter, when I saw Gordo spread out like that! Cy and Gordo both made giggle several times. The six are all beautiful! Thank you so much to Project Chimps. Thank you Antthony and much love to all the caregivers and volunteers. Of course special love to my Butritoman, Queen Neggie and the now tutu-less Jamie xo ?
Amyrg says
I have to say that I also burst into laughter, when I saw Gordo spread out like that! Cy and Gordo both made giggle several times. The six are all beautiful! Thank you so much to Project Chimps. Thank you Antthony and much love to all the caregivers and volunteers. Of course special love to my Butritoman, Queen Neggie and the now tutu-less Jamie xo ?