These autumn days are a breathtaking mix of fire-colored foliage and bluebird skies, all in a swirl of incredibly chilly temperatures and wind. As we’ve been mentioning on the blog recently, the chimpanzees have been spending a good part of their days in the warmer, sunlight-filled indoor areas to start their days, but once the sun gets high enough in the afternoon, they typically move out to the greenhouses where they can bask in sun puddles before it quickly cools off again.
I found Jamie in the sunbeams at the top of the greenhouse in all her glory, half dozing and half making plans for her afternoon. I’m not sure there’s ever a time that Jamie is *not* in all her glory, or is *not* making plans, but it is the Season of Jamieween after all. She heard caregiver Sofia heading back to the barn in the Gator after doing cattle care and decided we needed to go up and assess the situation. Surprisingly, she didn’t ask me to fetch the Gator and was happy to do a slow meander up the hill.
Off we went:
At the top of the hill we found the cattle enjoying their lunch in the warmth of the sun. Honey and her daughter, Meredith:
Betsy soaking up the sun:
Meredith, Honey, Nutmeg, and Betsy. Their winter floof is coming in!
Jamie watched the cattle for a few minutes, then decided we should carry on:
Once we returned, I popped my head into the new greenhouse areas to see if I could catch any photo opportunities of the nine (nope!), but was met with a brief glimpse of sun-warmed and snoozy Dora and Rayne, and a blurry upside down Cy popping his head down from his napping spot on the tree platform to see who was there:
Lulled by the warm sun and a river view from the new greenhouses, Dora’s group and Honey B’s group can usually be found here on these autumn afternoons and appear to be soaking in every moment they can. Wherever we may find our human selves, I hope we are all able to do the same during this mystical and magical time of year. Jamie, nor any of her fifteen friends and neighbors, would want it any other way.
Also! Tomorrow, October 12th, is the official start of Giving Day for Apes, a global day of giving in support of qualified sanctuaries and rescue centers caring for apes throughout Africa, Asia and North America and provides incredible important, life-saving funding for so many individuals. Whether you’re able to support by giving, sharing the info far and wide, or cheering on the sanctuaries you feel connected to, you will make a lasting difference in the lives of so many unique and deserving beings who depend on all of us for not only a second chance, but a lifetime of care and well-being. You can find each participating organization’s page through the Giving Day for Apes link above. And click here for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest’s!
