To end Pride month, the chimps got some wild roses and lilac flowers as browse 🙂
Thanks to everyone who donated to the June matching pledge. Jennifer Douglas’s $50,000 matching challenge has been matched in full thanks to you!!
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
To end Pride month, the chimps got some wild roses and lilac flowers as browse 🙂
Thanks to everyone who donated to the June matching pledge. Jennifer Douglas’s $50,000 matching challenge has been matched in full thanks to you!!
by Katelyn
Many thanks to our long-time sanctuary friend, Donna Hughes, for sponsoring a day of sanctuary in honor of Joan Dannenberg!
“I would like Sponsor A Day in honor of Joan Dannenberg, who is retiring today, June 30th. Joan is the CFO of Trinity School in New York City, and is retiring after 33 years on the job. I have had the good fortune to work for her since 1994. Joan is obviously great at her job, and has the respect of everyone here at the School – employees, The Board, families, etc. Beyond that, however, she is a fantastic human being. Everyone here in the Business Office will miss her tremendously. On a personal note, I have enjoyed our first meeting where we discussed tennis as much as the job I was interviewing for …..to all our chats about all of our pets throughout the years. Joan is a person of many interests: travel, reading, music theater, etc. She always made Doreen feel welcome when Doreen visited Trinity. I am very happy for Joan, and know that she and her husband Harry will have more time to spend together and do interesting things…..but will miss her more than words can really say. I wish her a very HAPPY retirement – she’s earned it! Congrats, Joan!”
Congratulations, Joan! How exciting! May your new chapter in life bring all the wondrous, joyful and adventurous moments and possibilities that this gift helps bring to the chimpanzees’ lives of retirement!
Beautiful Boss Lady, Jamie. Who I suspect will never “retire”. We’d never make it without her direction and supervision, of course.
Jody relaxing in the turtle:
Gordo in a sun puddle in his greenhouse:
Magazine-worm, Cy:
Negra enjoying lilacs:
by Grace
Yesterday, Kelsi wrote about all the emotions that accompany the introduction process. She talked about how proud we are of the 9 chimps that are working so hard to make their new group work and how rewarding it is to see new friendships form. It’s hard to believe that when I first started a few months ago, there was a group of 3 and a group of 6. Back then, we talked a lot about how the goal was to integrate them into one larger social group, which would provide each chimp more social partners- which is hugely important and beneficial for chimpanzees in many ways. As I went through training, I watched the caregivers work on smaller intro’s every day to provide the chimps the opportunity to build a strong foundation that they could then build off on in the months to come. Then, we watched as the final door was opened and for the first time there was a group of 9. While this is a blog continuation emphasizing how proud we are of the chimps and an acknowledgement on how hard they have worked, I want to take a moment and say how proud I am of this group of humans that I get to call coworkers. Words could never do the staff and volunteers here justice.
It has officially been over two months (!!) since that day and, although we are still a little ‘stitous, it is really exciting to watch new group dynamics form. Honey B is making friends, the guys are figuring things out, Dora is everyone’s new best friend… every day there is something exciting!
On top of all that, exciting things are happening on the other side of the chimp house too. Burrito has been healing really well since his dental procedure last week! Today he was reunited with his group of 6 ladies and I believe he is currently enjoying the beautiful day out in the greenhouse. Plus, we received a kind donation from a local chiropractor that made Jamie’s day. Check out the video to see what it could be! 🙂
Also, a BIG thanks to everyone who has donated so far to our June matching campaign from Jennifer Douglas that Kelsi mentioned in her blog post yesterday. When I started to write this post, Diana just shared that we are only a few hundred dollars away from reaching the full $50,000 match because of all of your generosity!
Burrito earlier today, before being reunited with his group:
Jamie and Burrito grooming in the Greenhouse this afternoon.
Willy B checking his teeth out in selfie mode:
Cy chillin’ in the Oakwood Greenhouse this afternoon.
by Katelyn
Thanks so much, Cecilia Crow, for sponsoring a day of sanctuary today in honor of Shelly Roepke and for sharing your celebration with the chimpanzees and cattle!
“Happy Birthday Shelly! You are a kind, caring soul, a born therapist in every way. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, positive energy, and encouraging life affirmations with me. I am honored to call you a dear friend. Peace and happy birthday! Love you, Cecilia.”
Wishing you a truly wonderful birthday, Shelly, from all of us here at the sanctuary!
Mave hugging Dora:
Jody and Foxie:
Rayne and Willy B:
Betsy and Meredith:
by Kelsi
Introductions of chimps takes a lot of trust, for chimps and humans! When we talk about the integration of the nine so many emotions flood through the staff’s head. We are excited, optimistic, terrified, elated, in awe, petrified, and most importantly so so proud! During the whole process everyone has exceeded whatever exceptions we had ever thought possible, especially the “wild cards”. It has been so fun to watch the navigate these social situation! Honey B in particular has made so many friends! For example, Honey B “mall walks” with Rayne, playing with Dora, and being really goofy with Terry. Through this whole process we have been so proud of Honey B, but just the past couple of weeks Honey B has spending more time with other chimps and less time alone and isn’t that what this all about!! I have so much more I want to write and I was starting to make a video of Honey and Terry playing, but unfortunately we had a staff meeting and the day got away from me! Grace promises to post it tomorrow!
Also, yesterday via our e-newsletter, Diana reminded everyone of the $50,000 matching opportunity from Jennifer Douglas that expires in just two days. We are now just $3,736 away from meeting the match! Learn more about it and how you can help us get all the way there: https://chimpsnw.
Here are some photos to get you by until tomorrow!
Dora is the perfect pocket sized friend:
And a classic Jamie pose:
As a update Burrito is also doing great! He has lots of energy and a good appetite!
by Anthony
Honey B’s spicy personality includes extra spoonfuls of inquisitiveness and vigilance: two traits that are often expressed through an intense, unblinking stare.
Even when she’s presumed to be resting, we typically encounter her alert and wide-eyed, ready to pop out of her nest at a moment’s notice.
Her resolute gaze is both a beloved quality and a source of comic relief among our on-site personnel and blog readers. One conversation that comes to mind occurred in the comment section under March 14th’s “Takin’ It Beezy.”
“Speaking of napping….since Honey B is always photographed looking intensely wide awake, I can’t imagine her napping but she has perfected looking quite comfy no matter where she rests.” – Kathleen
“I challenge you all to see who can be the first to get a pic of Beezus actually sleeping!” – Linda C
“yes! I challenge you too! (because I have been wanting someone to stay late and get pictures of their nests and of them sleeping)” – Paulette
Well, Kathleen, Linda and Paulette…
…WE DID IT.
More specifically, I just took an opportunistic portrait of Honey B laying sound asleep in one of the front rooms, comfortably surrounded by old and new friends alike. It warms my heart to see her casually snoozing in proximity to them all. Also, please take note of her adorable freckled eyelids.
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P.S. If you like staring contests just as much as Honey B does, you might want to check out this hilarious YouTube gem from a few years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjY615PZD80
by Chad de Bree
One year ago today, staff were waiting at the Chimp House, glued to our phones waiting for every update from J.B., Diana, and Dr. Erin as they were driving up from Southern California following a well air conditioned trailer carrying six new friends we were all desperately waiting to meet. At that point we have heard all about them, but I don’t think anything could have really prepared us for these six individuals about to pull up the driveway. Upon first sight those of us who had been waiting had fell and fell hard in love with them.
I remember Lucky was actually the first one from that group I had met. I helped offload her from the trailer and got her ready to enter her new home. She had a fear grimace, which to be fair, I would too in a new situation like this, not knowing what was happening or why it was happening. I let out a few breathy pants to her and gave her some reassurance and her grimace faded away. The door then lifted and Lucky entered her new home. Then one-by-one the rest entered their new home: Dora, Gordo, Terry, Rayne, and last but definitely not least, Cy.
That entire day seems like forever ago since they have been considered a part of this family. It feels like they have always been a part of our lives, yet the calendar does indicate it has been only one year(!). To commemorate their celebration, we threw a party with some of the greatest hits from parties this past year: oatmeal with berries, fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, heads of baby iceberg lettuce, and young coconuts.
Here are some of the photos from today:
Cy:
Dora:
Gordo:
Honey B:
Willy B:
Even Missy’s Group got to celebrate!
Missy:
Jody:
Though he wasn’t able to participate because he is still recovering, Burrito was up and about and already playing games today! And he got extra attentions from caregivers!
When I arrived in the morning, I went in to check on him. He was still pretty sleepy, but gave some very soft Bronx cheers, and played a game of tag, albeit while laying down.
After some time, he was up and about and ready for some visitors, which he did get throughout the day.
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