Archives for September 2021

HOOT! is tonight!

September 18, 2021 by Diana

Here we are, skipping another in-person event due to the pandemic. In-person events are a lot of work, but there’s an unmistakable energy that happens when you get a group of people together in one space with a common mission and a drive to give.

The crucial funds raised are of course the main focus, but that sense of a shared purpose–the hope and the love–is what is the most encouraging aspect of an event.

The sanctuary is incredibly fortunate to have you, supporters and champions of the chimpanzees. With this blog, we are exposed to that energy, albeit in an online context, every day.

Preparing for tonight’s second virtual HOOT! gala has been filled with moments of nostalgia. Some of the people who you will see and hear from tonight during the event are from the early days of the sanctuary. Even some of the auction items have been unearthed from years ago (like the Troll Mania book created for our 2011 event).

The staff went way back to our childhoods for some of the auction items, with each of us choosing a favorite children’s book (see auction items #10-20).

The pandemic has often been described as a collective pause. Of course the sanctuary doesn’t have the option to pause, and the last year has been one of the busiest times in our history. There hasn’t been a lot of time to reflect.

Tonight, though, as we watch the virtual event in our respective homes, together in spirit, we have the chance to reflect on what we have accomplished as a group, each with our individualized efforts, to provide a home for chimpanzees who had no where else to go.

Humans failed these chimpanzees, but now our collective humanity has saved them. It’s a giving back that will always be incomplete, but that doesn’t make it any less worth the effort.

To all of the staff, board members, volunteers, donors, followers, and supporters, thank you for being here for them. Let’s celebrate together all that we’ve accomplished and the continued hope for the future.

Bid on auction items through Sunday on the auction site and watch the event on Facebook and YouTube live streaming starting at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. Eastern. We’ll be with you!

Grassy Gordo and the Honey B Holdout

September 17, 2021 by J.B.

One of the ways that captive chimps entertain themselves is by attempting to thwart their caregivers’ plans. Oh, you’d like to clean this area now? That’s unfortunate for you, ’cause I just decided that I’m going to live here forever. Honey B is the master of this. If you try to sweeten the deal by putting food in a different area, she’ll run out, grab the food, then high tail it back and barrel roll through the door as it closes, Indiana Jones-style. It’s rarely wise to engage in a battle of wills with a chimpanzee, even less so once they are fully stocked with provisions.

There are days when I could swear that she arranges for Willy B and Mave to run interference while she makes a mad dash for treats.

Today we cleaned on Honey B’s schedule while Willy B soaked up some afternoon sun. He still won’t touch the grass in the courtyard if he can help it and he rarely ventures further than ten or fifteen feet from the chute.

But that seems to be enough for him for now.

As we start to consider how the other group of Waystation chimps will feel about venturing out into larger, more naturalistic enclosures, I’ve been heartened to see Gordo’s comfort level increasing.

On Wednesday I caught him napping on the grass in the greenhouse.

From the look on his face, I think he’ll really appreciate the privacy that the larger enclosures will provide.

Let’s all just stop here for a second and appreciate Rayne. She is without a doubt the best chimpanzee that I’ve ever known, just like every other chimpanzee that I’ve ever known.

The forecast is calling for showers and cooler temperatures this weekend, both of which are long overdue. We’ve had enough anxiety about fires, smoke, and rattlesnakes for one summer. Still, I can’t help wanting to hold on a little longer to these al fresco breakfasts on the hill.

Missy, Burrito, and Jody:

Negra:

Foxie:

Jamie:

Foxie, Burrito, and Missy:

Jody:

The bidding has already begun at our Hoot! For the Holidays virtual event and the live event takes place tomorrow at 6pm Pacific. Tune in to hear stories from the past and learn about our plans for the future, and bid and donate to help support the 16 chimpanzees and 4 bovines that call Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest home. Don’t miss it!

Building friendships

September 16, 2021 by Anna

If you’ve been following along with our latest round of introductions, we’ve had some ups and downs in the process. Despite a few setbacks, the chimpanzees and their caregivers have bravely forged ahead, trying and retrying different small configurations of the groups so they can continue to build (or rebuild) relationships.

We continue the intro process so the chimps can share moments together like today’s lengthy play session between Rayne and Honey B. The two of them had another raucous play date in the front rooms this afternoon. It’s our hope that this is just one of many joy filled moments that the two get to share together.

Be sure to bid on the note card sets featuring photos of Rayne, Honey B and the rest of their group mates. You can check them out on our Hoot! online auction, happening right now!

Cy and Honey B Meet Again

September 15, 2021 by Kelsi

As Chad mentioned yesterday, it was a busy day and today was no different. Introductions continue, today we were able to have Cy and Honey B meet again! We can almost guarantee when we try to separate chimps to do introductions that Cy is the first to offer his help. While this is helpful, we also want Mave, Willy B, and Honey B to meet other individuals. However, it is important for everyone to establish strong relationships with each other, so meeting multiple times is good. So far Honey B is kicking butt at making friends! As you will see in the video, Cy and Honey B have a lot of fun together, it is rough play, but the both of them have a good time!

Do not forget to bid on our amazing auction items. If you haven’t looked at the art pieces yet, they will take your breath away! I personally have my eye on the Nutmeg watercolor. Join us on Saturday at 6pm for virtual HOOT!

Cy greeting us good morning in the Green House.

Lucky wrapped in a LOT of paper.

What A Day

September 14, 2021 by Chad de Bree

Whew! What a day! When we arrive in the morning, we never know what kind of day it will be. This is why we expect most scenarios that can arise and try to be prepared for them.

After we got done cleaning all the enclosures, we were prepared to start the introduction process for today. As we are continuing planning and preparing for each introduction, we decided it was time to try a two-on-two introduction. One thing to keep in mind is that just because certain combinations of one-on-ones go well doesn’t necessarily mean things will automatically fall into place when you combine certain dyads together. So today Cy and Lucky met with Willy B and Mave. When they first met through the mesh caging, there was the expected displaying and screaming. When things calmed down and they were showing signs of wanting to be together, we let them into the same areas with each other. When the doors opened, they greeted each other with some grooming. But it was short lived. Similar to humans, when you are starting to get to know another person, you’re also getting to know their body language and how to translate their intentions. There was some miscommunication between Cy and Mave. Cy seemed like he wanted to play, and Mave misinterpreted it wrong. There was a lot of screaming from all parties and a non-injurious scuffle. We were able to separate everybody from being in the same area, though they still could have contact through the mesh. After an event like this, it’s also important that amends can be made. As we were discussing our plans to reunite them with their respective groups, we found all four of them grooming and playing with each other through the mesh. We allowed them to continue their interactions to ensure there were no hurt feelings between them until dinner time.

(Front to back) Mave and Willy B (left side) groom with Cy and Lucky (right side).

Though this meeting wasn’t the best outcome, it also wasn’t the worst. There were glimmers of hope mixed within the chaos. And amends were seemingly made as it took a little bit of convincing at dinner to have Mave and Willy B leave Cy and Lucky at the mesh caging. Most of this is what we expected might happen and were prepared for it.

So with the kind of day it was, I wasn’t able to get very many photos. But thankfully, Kelsi and Sam allowed me to use some of the photos they were able to get from throughout the day to share.

Kelsi was able to get this photo of Lucky lounging on the firehose after her meeting with Mave and Willy B today.

Sam was able to get this photo of Burrito today during a break between one of their play sessions.

And one I was able to take of Cy eating a sweet potato yesterday during lunch.

We want to thank you all for the support you have given us throughout this process and throughout the years.

For those you have followed for a while, then you know that our annual gala is upon us! Similar to last year, Hoot! will be held as an online auction! There are some amazing items up for bid, with bidding live now! Be sure to check out some of these items and don’t forget to tune in this Saturday at 6PM PST for the live event! We hope to see you there!

Twinkle, Twinkle (Lots of Stars)

September 13, 2021 by Anthony

Although the sanctuary is located in a moderately-populated valley, the skies here are still dark enough for stargazing on moonless nights.

I get excited about this lack of light pollution because of my newest hobby: astrophotography. This genre of photography encompasses any imaging of objects and phenomena in space. Those celestial subjects can include the moon, the sun, the other planets, meteors, auroras, Imperial battle stations, neighboring galaxies and stars, and anything else that emits or reflects detectable electromagnetic waves.

Like many who dabble in this art form, I began by taking long exposures of the night sky with terrestrial landscapes in the foreground. It might sound expensive and difficult, but taking these wide shots only requires a hobby camera, a sturdy tripod, and relatively dark skies.

While the techniques do require some patience and persistence to master, you can learn the basics by watching tutorials on YouTube. The most tricky step in the process is tinkering with the camera’s exposure settings. Most importantly, the shutter needs to be open for the right duration to let the perfect amount of starlight reach the sensor. I typically leave the shutter open for 10-20 seconds. Then, I manually focus the lens on the stars (which is practically focusing “to infinity”), set a delayed shutter timer, and make sure the white balance is capturing the scene’s colors with the appropriate warmth or coolness. From there, photographers can create more artistic, difficult or unique shots (e.g., by blending multiple captures into composite images), but this certainly isn’t required.

For months, I’ve dreamed of photographing the chimpanzees’ home under the Milky Way, capturing their little world in the same frame as countless others. The proverbial stars aligned around Labor Day; I volunteered to watch the sanctuary at night in place of Diana and J.B. (who took a much-deserved weekend vacation) and was lucky enough to have a clear, moonless night during my tenure as the overnight watchman.

I set out just after sunset and admired the silhouettes of the forested hills against the rose-colored sky. Eventually, the scene darkened and rendered the Milky Way visible with the naked eye. I trekked around the perimeter of Young’s Hill, trying not to annoy the nearby cattle with my headlamp or step on any nocturnal critters that might be lurking in the prairie grass. Eventually, I picked a good location where the Ponderosa pines made a natural frame around my window into the cosmos.

I wondered if any of the chimps were still awake or if all sixteen were blissfully curled up on piles of fleece blankets in the heated playrooms. From what we’ve seen, they’re mostly heavy sleepers. (Burrito, for example, picks his sleeping spot right after dinner is served.) Still, it’s possible they occasionally venture out into the greenhouses long after the humans have left and watch the Milky Way turn overhead as the coyotes yip in the distance.

We humans know what the stars are but that doesn’t make them any less wonderful. I like to think the chimps are awestruck by them, too.

The following are my favorite images from my nocturnal hike around the sanctuary. I hope you all enjoy them!