Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for June 2022

Dora’s 33rd Birthday!

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Today we celebrated Dora’s 33rd birthday! When trying to think of a theme for a party that fits each individual, it has been a tad difficult to think of themes for the new group who arrived almost one year ago(!). And since then, the two groups from the former Wildlife Waystation have come together to form a group of nine. Parties can sometimes be a very high arousal situation, which can result in some fierce competition, which in turn can sometimes lead into fights. So as with Mave’s party last month, we wanted to keep it exciting, but not too exciting. And as caregiver Grace just said passing by as I was trying to think of how to explain it to you all, “It was a big party of the tiniest things, for the tiniest person with a big personality.” What that means is we had tiny everything!

On today’s menu was: baby bananas, mini bell peppers, grape tomatoes, brussel sprouts, baby and mini carrots, baby beets, fingerling potatoes, mini cucumbers, and kumquats!

Even the other Tiny and her group were able to celebrate with tiny foods in honor of their neighbor, Dora!

And a huge thank you to Paulette Wrisley for sponsoring Dora’s big day and helping make today’s celebration possible!

Here are some photos from the celebrations!

Gordo foraging during the party:

Mave enjoying a mini cucumber:

Willy B foraging around:

Foxie with a mouthful of mini peppers:

Today’s birthday spread:

The Birthday Girl, Dora!

Dora and a peering Terry:

The birthday girl seemed quite pleased with her party:

Playtime with Honey B:

Happy Birthday, Dora!!!!

[Terrible art work was brought to you by a mysterious person and definitely NOT the enrichment coordinator ;)]

An Ode to The Greenhouse Basket

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Things have been a bit busy here in the chimp house lately, to say the least. Between the integration of the 9 (we are still cautiously optimistic!), Negra’s procedure, and then Jamie’s procedure, things have not slowed down. To keep everyone on our team up to date, we have team meetings where we discuss recent events and new ideas for improving how we do things. These discussions are often full of new and exciting ideas. A few weeks ago, though, someone brought up a subject that is (apparently) near and dear to my heart – our good ole’ greenhouse basket.

To be candid, I didn’t even know myself until that meeting how strongly I felt about the greenhouse basket. It is a tale as old as time – once upon the early days of the chimp house, some staff members decided that we needed to have a basket dedicated to the greenhouse since it is it’s own indoor/outdoor space. Thus emerged the basket you see below – the only one in our whole collection that is this specific, somewhat odd, shape.

The greenhouse basket (on top), in all it’s glory – filled with enrichment and ready for the day.

Since it is shaped different from our other baskets, it always has a bit of a tilt when we stack it on the other enrichment baskets. It has often been accidentally knocked over, and has been the point of frustration for many a caregiver trying to get to one of the bottom baskets. Maybe, then, we should change it out for one that fits with the others and makes our busy days a tiny bit easier?

Enter my *emphatic* no. I surprised myself with how vehemently I was against changing out the greenhouse basket, even though it makes sense to change it. As we talked about it, though, I realized the reason I want it to remain is because it is one of those comforting, consistent little things. A little thing that remains despite all the change around- after all, it has been the greenhouse basket long before I was an intern here and is still in active duty now. Despite all the changes of the world around, it stayed the same. And there is something inherently comforting about that.

Walking into the chimp house kitchen every morning to see the stack of enrichment baskets for the day, we know that there will be the leaning tower of the greenhouse basket – just one nudge away from toppling over. I’m sure there are other little things throughout the chimp house that are similar- small things or ways we do a task that has stayed the same despite everything happening around it. And change is great – it has allowed Cy’s group to have more access to social partners than they did before. But, maybe, it’s ok for some small things to remain consistent.

Aside from thinking about change, it has also been a lovely day here with the chimps. Jamie and Negra are both healing very well and we are continuing to monitor Cy’s group!

Cy, enjoying the warmth of the day in the Riverview Greenhouse.

Rayne also choosing to take in the day outside in the Riverview Greenhouse.

Jamie, from a few days ago, watching her caregivers from one of the Front Rooms. She is still healing and doing great!

Meredith lovin’ the summer pasture.

Blanket Gathering as seen from the security cameras

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There’s something so sweet about chimpanzees making nests.

In the wild, chimpanzees use branches and leaves to create their beds. In captivity, blankets are a favorite of everyone who nests.

Watching the cameras over these last several weeks, I’ve learned that some chimpanzees are more creatures of habit than others. Gordo, for example, definitely has “his spot” on the catwalk in the Lupine Playroom. He’s not much of a nest-maker, so he usually has just a couple of blankets and some paper, but he also pulls up a fire hose hanging down near his spot and sometimes incorporates that into his nest. Some of the other chimps, on the other hand, stake out different nest sites on different nights. Rayne made a big nest in the Oakwood Greenhouse last night and stayed out there for quite a while before coming in and nesting on one of the “leaves” of the “tree” in Marmot Mountain Playroom.

Mave, Honey B and Willy B, from day one of the integration, claimed the Front Rooms as their bedroom. Just in the last couple of weeks, though, Mave has, once in a while, opted to sleep in the Lupine Playroom in the mix with her new group-mates. And sometimes Honey B will begin her nesting in the Mezzanine and later move down into the Front Rooms, like you see Mave doing in this video.

It will be so interesting to see how their chosen nesting sites evolve as time goes on!

I know you all likely want an update on Jamie, given J.B.’s blog post yesterday. Right now she is nesting in the front rooms on her side of the building. She’ll probably be isolated for another day or so as we monitor her surgical site, but she’s doing great! She rested a lot today, but clearly was interested in getting back with her group soon.

 

Jamie’s surgery

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Yesterday, Jamie underwent surgery to repair an anal fistula. As I write this, she is bright, alert, and recovering well.

This is a problem we’ve been aware of and have been treating for some time. If you’re not familiar with fistulas, they are small tunnels that connect an infected gland within the anus to an opening on the skin outside the anus. They can be painful and may result in recurring infections and chronic discharge from the opening.

When Jamie’s fistula first appeared, Dr. Erin consulted with other veterinarians and several colorectal surgeons on a course of action. While we were prepared to perform the surgery at that time, and even got as far as purchasing plane tickets for a surgeon from Missouri that had worked on a chimpanzee before, in the end the consensus was that if Jamie was cooperative we could manage her symptoms without surgery. Most humans with the means to do so would probably choose fistula repair, but chimpanzees are somewhat different in that they don’t experience any stigma from fistula symptoms. If we could keep the infection at bay and provide pain relief, we could avoid the trauma of surgery and recovery as well as any potential complications. Jamie was incredibly cooperative – she would allow us (usually Diana, who was her positive reinforcement trainer) to irrigate the tracts with antiseptic solution using a plastic-tipped syringe.

While this had the desired effect at first, over time the infections became more frequent. After additional consultation with colleagues who were planning a similar surgery at an Australian zoo, Dr. Erin decided that it would be in Jamie’s best interest to have her fistulas repaired. Dr. Petty, a colorectal surgeon from Kittitas Valley Hospital in Ellensburg, volunteered to perform the procedure.

Jamie willingly accepts injections – everything from vaccines to anesthetics – so she was ready to go even before we were yesterday morning. She was wheeled into the clinic and masked prior to intubation.

The rest of the team prepared to give Jamie a complete exam while Dr. Petty performed the procedure.

Dr. Petty was pleased to find that most of the tracts were near the surface, which would mean a quicker surgery and faster healing. Fistulotomies, wherein the tracts are opened surgically to heal from the inside out, are often simple enough to be outpatient procedures for humans, but chimps don’t always follow the same level of post-operative care so we will be paying extra close attention to how she heals.

Sofia and Dr. Erin performed a head-to-toe exam while Anthony oversaw the procedure checklist and took photos and video.

Jamie was given an abdominal ultrasound using our Butterfly ultrasound machine. Though the chimps’ usual cardiologist couldn’t make it, she was also given an echocardiogram thanks to a donation of time and equipment from some very generous zoo colleagues.

After getting x-rays and other routine diagnostics, Jamie was wheeled back to the recovery room.

There she would be under close supervision until she was stable and alert.

Everything that we’ve learned from Jamie’s exam so far shows that she’s in good health and we’re hoping that she will not need to spend much time in isolation. For now, we’re trying to keep her enriched with peanut butter magazines and her favorite movies.

Her friends also visit and groom with her at the caging.

Jamie is not one to enjoy sitting around for long, so let’s all wish her a speedy recovery so she can get back to managing her group soon. Many thanks to Dr. Petty and the many other doctors and zoo and sanctuary professionals who helped plan for and carry out this procedure, which we hope will keep Jamie healthy and comfortable.

Happy Birthday, Angela!

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Thank you, Cecilia Crow, for sponsoring this lovely day of sanctuary for Angela Erickson!

“Happy Birthday Angela! You are such a kind, caring, loving, giving soul, who lends your time, talents, and generous nature to everyone you encounter. Our county is a better place to live because of you. I can never thank you enough for saving me and my whole world at a time when everything was at its worst. I love you my dear, sweet, kind, funny friend. Happy Birthday!”

Happy Birthday, from all of us here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Angela! Have a fantastic day! Thanks to you and Cecilia both for adding beauty to all our days with this wonderful gift for the chimpanzees.

Dear, sweet Jody:

Jody, Negra and Annie:

Good friends, Jody and Foxie:

Mave and her Dora:

Dora and Lucky, with Rayne in the background:

Annie and Missy:

Willy B and Cy:

An abundance of June celebrations!

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Happy Birthday, June-born friends! June is a particularly special month at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and it’s full to the brim with birthdays and anniversaries. Cherished celebrations that you make possible and that we celebrate you for in return.

Historically, June has been about Queen Negra and the arrival anniversary of her group to the sanctuary. On June 13, 2008, after over 30 years in biomedical research, Negra, along with her group-mates, Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody and Missy, arrived home. So much hard work went into making their new life possible. It often feels like a spell of abundance and love was cast over the sanctuary that day and thanks to you, our amazing extended chimpanzee family, it has only continued to grow and blossom in so many ways. Ways perhaps not even dreamed of at that time. What *was* known is that June 13th was henceforth going to be celebrated as Negra’s honorary birthday and her and her friends beginning of a second chance at their lives.

Negra is turning 49 this month! Just look at her!

Now, fourteen years later we find ourselves also celebrating not only the first anniversary of welcoming Cy, Rayne, Dora, Lucky, Gordo, and Terry home on June 26th, but the additional birthdays of Dora (who turns 33 on June 6th):

Honey B (who turns 33 on June 11th):

and Terry (who shares a June 13th birthday with Negra and is turning 32)!

Which brings me to the next news reminder that this year we will be celebrating June 13th as “The Trifecta Jubilee.” If you are signed up for our e-newsletter you may recall that the name of the celebration was submitted by supporter Kathleen Corby and chosen as the winner of the naming contest because it reflects the triple celebration of Negra’s birthday, the arrival anniversary of the first group of chimpanzees, and Terry’s birthday. Stay tuned for how you can help celebrate this special day. Not subscribed to our e-news yet? You can do that here!

And I have one more exciting June birthday celebration to share with you all! If you’ve been following the sanctuary for some time, you most likely remember our beloved (though sometimes terrifying) wildish elk friend, Ellie (our name for her before realizing she was more widely known in the community as Buttons). Ellie lives at Woodland Park Zoo now and it’s my understanding that they’ve chosen June 10th to celebrate Ellie/Buttons and her honorary birthday! Click here to read more about her new life and see a short video of her!:

Ellie’s/Buttons’s story is a classic tale of what happens when (despite the best of intentions) a wild animal becomes habituated to humans. Though this story has the rare exception that thanks to a community of professionals and neighbors who love her, the outcome is a happy ending.

As some of you may recall, when Ellie was eventually removed from the community by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists for her and everyone’s safety, attempts to integrate her with wild herds in the area proved unsuccessful. WDFW worked hard to find the best solution for Ellie and thankfully she was eventually accepted into a forever home at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle in March of 2019. We held our hopeful breath that this would be a successful situation for her, but couldn’t help but worry. We’ve checked in on her through visits and communication with her caregivers, but we hadn’t been able to see her since the start of the pandemic.

Much to my delight, I recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit her at the zoo and speak with her caregiver and it makes my heart SING to be able to say that she is not only doing well, she is thriving! She’s adjusted well and finally has a tiny herd to call her own, choosing to spend much of her time with the handsome bull of the herd, Goodwyn, while enjoying bossing around (in typical Ellie-style) the two other females of the group, Willow and Lily (who are Roosevelt elk, while Ellie and Goodwyn are Rocky Mountain elk).

The Living Northwest Trail habitat where they live is beautifully wooded, green and peaceful with plenty of space to be out of view if they choose. But if you know Ellie, part of her will probably always gravitate toward visits with the human herd she spent the first many years of her life interacting with. Her caregivers adore her and while we all would have loved to see her thriving in her natural wild-born life, the truth is that for Ellie, I cannot think of a better place for her to live out her life. She’s in an environment more closely resembling that of the elk-appropriate life she was meant for that still meets her unique needs for well-being, safety, and occasional safe interactions with her human friends.

(Photo credit: John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo)

(Photo credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)

We are profoundly thankful to Scott McCorquodale of WDFW and Woodland Park Zoo for going above and beyond to create a solution for her, with extra heartfelt gratitude for her caregivers for loving and caring for her as the special individual she is and providing her with such a wonderful home.

I want to impress that Ellie’s/Button’s story is very special and this is unfortunately not how the story ends for the majority of wild animals who have become too comfortable around humans. I won’t lie, the privilege of unexpectedly sharing our lives with Ellie as she came and went throughout the community over the years will forever be one of the most magical and cherished experiences in my heart. I sincerely love her (even when she was scaring the holy heck out of us). But I’d trade it all without hesitation if she could have lived the wild life she was intended to. Because that was her right and in her best interest.

I have a heart full of wonder and reverence for the invaluable gift that sharing our lives with wild animals and their spaces is and because of Ellie (and the chimpanzees) a deepened respect for how incredibly important it is to do everything we can to keep wildlife wild and in their rightful lives. And when needed, to utilize the help of licensed wildlife rehabilitators before that small window of opportunity for the animal closes. Ellie, just like every animal, wild or otherwise, is a special and unique individual. Won’t it be incredible if her story continues to inspire and create different outcomes for other wild animals who find themselves in similar situations?

Jamie and Ellie/Buttons:

Happiest of birthdays to beloved Negra, Dora, Ellie/Buttons, Honey B, Terry and you, our wonderful human friends!!

Happy Birthday, Nancy!

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Many thanks to Jo Brodahl for so kindly sponsoring a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees and Nancy!

“Happy Birthday to my friend Nancy D. May your day be spent swaggering like Dora, scooting like Lucky and hopping like Gordo while playing like Honey B and Rayne!! Pant-hoots to you.”

For anyone who missed the aforementioned “swaggering, scooting, hopping and playing”, or if you just need to watch it for the 99th time like all of us, click here to revisit Mave’s amazing birthday celebration!

Happy happy day to you, Nancy! We hope it’s been the best one yet!

Dora and Honey B:

Honey B:

Dora:

Lucky:

Gordo:

Rayne: