Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for December 2021

Happy Birthday, Linda!

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Today’s day of sanctuary is in honor of Linda Webber, for her birthday. Many thanks to her children, Adam Webber and Aimee and Mike Kaufman for sponsoring the day for Linda, the chimpanzees and the bovines!

“For the woman who asks for nothing, wants nothing, but who always gives of herself without limits. Today is a day to honor you! Love you Mom! Love, Adam, Aimee, and Mike”

Happy Birthday, Linda! All of us hope you have a beautiful day of celebration. Thank you for sharing your day with the chimpanzee and bovine families!

Lucky, Dora and Rayne:

Annie, Jody and Negra:

Willy B:

Jamie, Foxie and Burrito:

Betsy and her son, Nutmeg:

Negra:

Christmas in sight

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It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a little over a week away! This morning, Caregiver Kelsi moved one of the fresh Christmas trees into the mechanical room for the chimps’ viewing pleasure. Each chimpanzee group will get a decorated tree complete with presents underneath for their holiday party next week. If you are interested in contributing to the chimps’ seasonal joy, check out our Amazon Wish List!

Cy and caregiver Sam

 

Cy peruses a magazine with Dora snuggled in next to him.
Gordo with his foot up on a box.
Lucky with background lights
Rayne

Bonus! Negra and her breakfast pomegranate.

 

 

 

CSI: Chimp House

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One of the many reasons why chimpanzees should never be pets is their natural destructive behavior. On the daily basis we enter enclosures for cleaning and find destroyed toys, ripped blankets, broken night time enrichment, and on many occasions stuffed animals with severed limbs and stuffing coming out. This is why we follow rigorous rules that dictate the type enrichment and toys that each group is allowed to have. Ranging from choking hazards, to possible obstructions if ingested each item is checked by at least two caregivers before the item is placed inside an enclosure to ensure that the chimpanzees, as individuals and as groups will be safe. Every item that is placed inside is potentially going to be destroyed, and sometimes we encounter crime scenes that may never be solved. I mean we could, we can just watch security footage, but working around mysteries is more intriguing.

Case #1

First on the scene: Special Agent de Bree

Victim: Stuffed teddy bear

Cause of death: Severe stuffingloss by limb amputation and decapitation. Strangulation has not been ruled out.

Location: Greenhouse 1

Evidence collected: Plaid ribbon scarf

Case #2

First on the scene: Special Agent Castro-Loza

Victim: Stuffed tiger

Cause of death: Severe stuffingloss by amputation of left hind leg and tail.

Location: Front Room 3

Evidence collected: Unopened pumpkin seed

Number of suspects: 7

But three individuals matched our previous offense data base. Jamie, Annie, and Burrito are on the top of the suspect list pending investigation and forensic analysis.

Jamie de-stuffing a lion

Click here to access our Amazon Wish List with an assortment of approved enrichment. The Holiday list is up!!!

Click here to view our Enrichment Database.

Happy Birthday, Linda!

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Many thanks to Shelly Martin, who so kindly sponsored a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in honor of her aunt (and our sanctuary friend!), Linda Crawford, for her birthday!

“Happy Birthday to Aunt Linda, a woman who loves and cares for these chimps as much as anyone. We love you and miss you!”

Linda, all of us here send lots of celebratory hoots and pirouettes your way for your special day! Your heartfelt care for the chimpanzees, your dedicated presence in their lives via the daily blog, and the difference you help bring to their lives is so appreciated. Have a magical, Foxie-style day! Just ask yourself, “What would Foxie do?” and do that. 😉

Happy Birthday!!

Jody (Annie above), Missy, Foxie:

Foxie and Missy:

Missy chase Foxie

Playtime with Dora

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Dora is one of the more reserved chimps in her group. When caregivers try to get her to play, we are often rejected. But when she does accept our invitations to play, she let’s loose!

Bonus photo of Nutmeg yesterday while it was snowing!

Snow Diggity

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With just over a week to go before the winter solstice, our valley is already in the midst of this year’s first big snowstorm.

The accumulating slush doesn’t seem to be bothering the chimps too much, though. On one side of the building, Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Negra have been scarfing down handfuls of delicious wet snow. (It must be nice to have one of your favorite foods literally falling from the sky).

On the other side, Cy, Dora, Gordo, Honey B, Lucky, Mave, Rayne, Terry and Willy B are also enjoying cozy naps, working on food puzzles, and spending quality time with their respective group members, but they’re still “warming up” to the concept of eating snow. Fortunately, their taste for this Pacific Northwest delicacy is slowly developing; Gordo and Rayne already seem to relish the frozen treat!

Chad took this photo of Gordo inhaling a snowball this morning:

Of all the chimps who live in the new wing, only Honey B has bravely utilized the newly-enclosed greenhouses today. When I unlocked the Chimp House this morning, she was out there to meet me for a game of chase. There’s nothing like a bout of “the zoomies” to keep your caregivers sharp on slushy winter mornings!

Grooming with friends

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The chimps were all warm and cozy inside this morning and most were taking some after breakfast naps. Not Rayne and Terry though! They were having quite the grooming session. Terry was very gently grooming Rayne’s face with his lips. Anthony happened to spot this and I rushed to get the camera. This went on for a long time and they groomed on and off. What a perfect way to groom when your stomach is full from breakfast!

Cy waiting for us to put out some new magazines for him to read.

Dora resting on one of the wooden toys.

On the other side of the building Katelyn was on snow treat duty! The chimpanzees in Negra’s group were lined up in the front rooms waiting for Katelyn to bring them lots of snow! Foxie’s snow had a special treat waiting in it.

Negra enjoying snow.

Jody patiently waiting for some snow.

Foxie with her shovel coming inside to join the snow party!