Today was a busy, so I will keep it short and sweet. On this very sunny and warm day with temperatures almost reaching 100°F, we gave the chimps several drinking spots with dilute Gatorade in water to help keep everyone hydrated. In warm days the chimps usually opt to staying inside and hiding from the sun and that is exactly what we saw today.
On another topic, we have noticed we have new followers commenting on our social media platforms and on our daily blogs, thank you for joining us! Caregivers on staff have been writing these daily blogs for years. We have amazing supporters that have read every single blog post, but we wanted to extend an invitation for everyone to comment bellow any questions or blog topics you would like us to cover in future blogs. We have done this before with so much success and it is always nice to see people engaging with us and suggesting topics for us to further discuss in here when our idea boxes are running low.
Foxie
Rayne
Gordo
Cy
Lucky
How do you administer their medications?
How do you make sure each one gets their share of the food?
are the chimps on any type of birth control?
How do you make sure each gets the correct about of food. ? Where do they poop and how often do you have to clean up.?
I love, and read, everything you publish! It always looks very clean in the habitat. I know you all do a great job keeping things clean and sanitary. Do the chimpanzees go to the bathroom outdoors only? Do the caregivers constantly talk to them as I do with my two dogs?
We love reading everything you guys post and check out the blog and YouTube several times a week! In my home we are big fans of Neggie, Buritto and Cy and of course stories about Jamie never get old- she is quite handful. I had the opportunity to volunteer there and it was an amazing experience. While it was fun to show Jamie my footwear (she wasn’t impressed), I walked away in awe of the people that work there and the dedication and hard work that they put in daily. I was amazed before but I never really had a true grasp of how hard all of you work for the chimps until I saw the place in person, I got to learn a lot from JB and I think the humans deserve some praise in the blog as well….if Jamie allows it that is… from what I hear, she has the final word on a lot of things there 🙂
Are the taller chimpanzees stronger than others? Why do some have thinner hair or “bald spots”? Do they like honey comb’s? I always enjoy the days info. Thank you
Hi, Sofía!
Well, there’s my Foxie friend!
I still think a game of “senior superlatives” would be fun, if Anthony or Kelsi (or anyone else, but those 2 are the game creators so far) wants to take it on. Among the original 7, who’s the most likely to….? (spit water at you, be the first to greet you, steal food, share food, offer reassurance, etc) Post several, delay the answers by at least 1 day, see what we can come up with. I know you guys did the food grunts and noises with the 3, but they were still kind of new then. I’d love to see if we can guess with the 7, too.
What did Foxie think of Kirk? I was on the continent looking for trolls today, since her birthday is in a few weeks, came up with nada.
What are the favorite movies on each side of the howdy door? And is the howdy door pretty much ignored now?
Does Willy B still go outside for naps?
Your blanket total for the day used to be 70-100. What’s it up to now?
Will you be doing the frozen fruit/watermelon hanging “puzzles” again, or is that too complicated with 9 chimps?
I’ll think of more for sure later.
When fruits & vegies are served, do they eat the entire thing, like apple cores, melon rinds, corn cobs? I’m guessing with those large choppers, they can easily eat pretty much anything.
Do they snore?
I have a few questions, thank you for allowing them to be asked!
Do you think those born in captivity understand that this is not how life is meant to be ? ( My thought is this way of life is all they have known, so how could they know different)
As those born in captivity are were raised by humans do you see any differences between them and wild born Negra and Annie?
What sort of things do Chimps raised by humans miss out on learning and is it something they can pick up by mixing with others?
We know Cy is the alpha, but what is the heirarchy of the rest of the 9. Did the 3 just slot in to their positions, did they just drop to the bottom as newbees or was there some tussling involved. We know there are allies in the 7, are there allies in the nine apart from the 6/3 split.
Do the groups of siblings hang out with each other more than they interact with others as a possible indication that they may have some sense of knowing they belong together? Or maybe its a similar personality to their own they are drawn to?
Those are good questions. I’ll bet that a grad student is working on the social dynamics and hierarchy of the 9 as we speak..
My sympathies are always greater for Burrito and Jamie, raised as pets in a human home. I always wonder if they still feel the difference between the years of their youth, when they had free access to everything, and could move about freely ….and then went into lab cages, and now are respected and loved by humans, but still “other”. I feel particularly like Jamie “gets” that she is not exactly like the other chimps, but not human, either
I’d like to know more about their sleep habits. Do they all go to sleep and wake up at the same time? Are there early risers that get the other ones going? Does anyone snore? Do they cuddle or sleep in pairs/groups or each have their own special place for their nest?
Thank you so much for all you do!
I would like to know about the hierarchy too in the 9…..is there a specific order in which they are fed? Cy seems to be a pretty laid back leader, so maybe he doesn’t bother about it. Does Willy B still steal food or has that disappeared now, and does he still get his treasured apple? How often do you weigh them? When do you estimate that the outdoor areas will be finished……how do you teach the new group about electric fencing?
Hi CarolR.
I know ( because it was mentioned at some stage on this wonderful blog ) that J.B. did a great performance of touching the fence and showing them by being scared and maybe screaming, that nobody in their right mind should touch it.
( I would have loved a video of that…).
In the past you’ve done videos focused on each individual chimp, sort of a meet and greet. We’ve gotten to learn more about everone’s individual personalities and funny little quirks. I loved the one where we found out how Foxie became so enamoured with Dora and the trolls.
I don’t know if it would be everyone’s cup of tea but I would be interested in blog’s that focus
I thought that comment went through before I was finished! I wrote a new one but left out the part about the tea…..the tea being which type of research they were forced to undergo. I thought that might be a topic that was too hard to address. Feel free to read the intended comment!
In the past you’ve done videos focused on each individual chimp, sort of a meet and greet. We’ve gotten to learn more about everone’s individual personalities and funny little quirks. I loved the one where we found out how Foxie became so enamoured with Dora and the trolls.
I wouldn’t mind seeing something like that again now that there are so many new residents at the sanctuary. A blog dedicated to each chimp telling us where they came from and their life stories. Just a thought.
I can see and hear the chimps on the videos but here is a question that I am not sure how you can answer. What do chimps smell like? Do they smell diffrent when they have been inside for a long while or when they get wet? I have never been close enough to a chimp to smell one!
Thanks for all that you do for them.
I’ve always wondered the same. Keith. Everything can be and is depicted so well, except that
I have had the incredible privilege of visiting the sanctuary and meeting The Magnificent Seven. When there, it was all so exciting that it is hard to take everything in and equally as hard to recall it later. It is that spectacular. That scared. Still, the very first sensation that I experienced was their smell. Even sitting outside the greenhouse from a safe distance, you’re aware of their scent. It is beautiful. It is earthy. It is maybe even a little bit musty, like mushrooms in the ground. For me, it is indescribable, otherworldly and natural, and it touched me deeply. I can still recall it if I close my eyes and imagine. To think about it takes my breath away because the one thought I had as I became aware of the scent was that it was natural and wild and unique, and it was the one thing we could never take away from them. A lifetime in captivity and they still smelled of the earth.
The scent is subtle and soft but it’s there and you’re aware of it. I remember commenting to Diana how I couldn’t get over the scent. It’s rich and full but soft at the same time. I guess in truth, it’s indescribable and something you have to experience.
When I see the chimps laying down on the clinic table while under anesthesia, my very first thought is that I would want to press my face into the side of their neck or directly into their belly and inhale their essence into my lungs just as I do to the dogs I am so fortunate to be with.
Anyhow, takes my take on their beautiful scent.
Thank you Kathleen. Not sure I will evere get in “sniffing” distance of a chimp! Glad to hear from someone who has.
Kathleen, I always love reading your posts and this one really got me in my soul! How you worded your experiences of the chimps’ smell is so descriptive that I can really experience how it must be, even without the direct experience of it. Thank you for all you invest in the sanctuary and in the rest of us sharing your thoughts!
Correction to my text!
My comment should read as follows :
“It is that spectacular. That SACRED.” not that “scared”. :upside_down:
Amazing how two flopped letters can change the entire meaning! Sorry about that!
Is Willy B still the only person who goes into the courtyard? Thanks C
Wow everybody, great questions, and also a whole lot of “new” blogreaders. Great!!
It is clear to me that Rayne has been appointed Gardian of the Gatoraid….
She has that crooked smile on her face that makes me think she herself had a major part in that deal…..
And Cy is catching up on some well deserved reading time.
And I would very much like to see a video of the Mall Walk with the sisters…….
Two questions, please: (1) I read recently that only humans cry emotional tears of happiness or sadness. I find it difficult to believe that chimpanzees & other great apes don’t shed emotional tears. Do they? Thanks. (2) I understand from your site that no chimps are used in labs now, but are monkeys still used in labs? Are all former lab chimps now in sanctuaries? Thanks!
Wow, any questions I would have had at this early time of day is lost in the fog of coffee deprivation but what I’d really like to know is what Cy thinks of Tammy Faye.
You are all stars in my world. Looking forward to the answers!!
Oh that made me laugh out loud Francoise……:grin:
Since they are so closely related to humans, I have always wondered if chimps can be potty trained.
We know from a certain petting zoo that they can be
Chimpanzee Washoe was potty trained (eeessssh it makes me cringe to type this!) as a youngster. I recall reading this from the book “Next Of Kin” by Roger Fouts. The idea of potty training was not Roger’s idea, I believe the concept of potty training came from the Gardners and Roger worked for them during these early days. There is even a passage in the book where poor little Washoe has to pee. Since Washoe has also been taught American Sign Language, she is running towards her house signing “Hurry! Hurry!” to herself over and over for fear she’ll pee before she gets to the potty. It is a passage in the book I will never forget. So disturbingly sad it stays with you. For anyone who has not read this book, I highly recommend it. A magnificent read that will educate you on the early days of chimpanzee studies and beyond. You will fall in love with Washoe and her chimpanzee family of which two chimpanzees, Tatu and Loulis (Washoe’s adopted son), now reside at Fauna Sanctuary in Canada.
My questions are: How is the progress coming in the new construction and when is the hill going to be ready for the new group?
I would also love hearing when and if anone goes outside beside Willy B?
Thanks
First, I LOVE these photos. Rayne looks as if she is visiting a spa enjoying her Gatorade Rose-petal pool. Same goes for the photos of Gordo. How fortunate are they?! Just as it should be. And then there’s Cy, reading his trashy gossip magazines. It apears he wasn’t interested in Tammy Faye’s story and tore her out and pushed her aside. Maybe her makeup scared him! Did he snear upoon seeing her?! :joy:
Thanks for offering to answer our questions! Below a few of mine :
I am curious about all the changes that have unfolded over the past couple of years starting with the initial construction, the arrival of The Three, more construction, the arrival of The Six, and now the joining of both groups to make one happy family of nine. I keep wondering what sort of impact has this had on The Original Seven?
Have you seen any changes within The Seven now that new chimpanzees are living “in their home”. Have any shown signs of stress or anxiety over the commotions and basic existence of chimpanzees living next door? Do any over groom, or are any obsessively curious over the new neighbors? Things like that.
If there is anxiety or stressors, did it/does it lead to any new conflicts/squabbles within the group?
With so much change occurring in their private world, are any of the original Seven anxious/excited/curious about all the construction going on outside? And if so, how do they each exhibit or express their concerns.
Change, even when it’s for the better, can be scary. Once the new outdoor area is totally completed, do you believe The Seven will comfortably take to the new arrangement or do you worry that Negra (maybe even Annie) will be hesitant with the new outdoor habitat? I assume that a forage of favorite foods placed strategically will lure even Negra outside, but still I am curious how this will play out.
Rayne is so majestic!
I’d appreciate if you could comment about why you think chimps pick up items between the sides of two fingers and not with their fingertips like humans but yet groom with the tip of their fingers.
Can you comment on Foxie’s love of carrying dolls around?
Do siblings seem closer to each other than to other chimps?
What do chimp kisses to caregivers look like?
Thanks for everything!
Do the chimps have different voices? So, if you are in another room and someone starts eg hooting, can you distinguish the voice and say – oh what is Jamie up to??
The skin on their hands and feet – is it like humans or, for lack of a better word, thicker?
Yesterday I watched a video of the Fauna sanctuary in Canada.
The voice-over said: “Gloria and her assistent Diana….”, and in walks OUR Diana, as a fresh youngster
( not to say that you are an old prune now Diana, but is was a few years back eh?:wink:).
And here is my question:
Gloria cuddles and kisses with the chimpanzees, and so does Dr. Goodall ( have you all watched the video of the release of Wounda, who, before she sets of into the forrest gives Dr. Jane the most wonderful long hug..)
there is very much physical contact.
What made you ( or others ) decide against that at CSNW; of course I know about the dangers, but I am curious about that thoughtproces.
Are the chimps ever nearsighted or farsighted? Good luck putting glasses on them!!:sweat_smile:
Thanks for the offer of questions. This is, ahem, “delicate” but I’ve always wondered and now am given the chance to brush aside my reluctance and ask it. Re female chimp anatomy — of course it’s very noticeable that all the females have very different “butt” protrusions. I recall that has something to do with estrus or with whether a female has given birth in the past. Some protrusions hang down quite a bit and I’ve even noticed occasionally a male will grab at the area a little when a female passes by or during play. They don’t have vaginal canals in the way that human females do, I understand that. But what makes the differences in how the protrusions evolve? Age? Whether they’ve given birth? Other factors like individual differences, I assume, are also important. I’d imagine some has to do evolutionarily with sexual attraction, too. Geez, now why haven’t I ever thought to look this up on the internet?!
I’ve often wondered about Jamie’s as well. they’ve explained the swellings, but Jamie’s backside has a distinct shape to it that makes ger easily identifiable from far away. beyond the swelling
So I took my own advice and looked this up on the internet and what did I find? JB’s post on this subject from 2016!!! Thank you, JB for your very helpful and thorough description! I knew that the swellings had to be related to sexual attraction and/or availability for mating. I guess it didn’t dawn on me that with some the swelling never goes “flat” again and permanently protrudes loosely which is what I’ve noticed and doesn’t mean there’s something wrong or unusual.
Hi Marya. Can you post the URL on that JB article?
Can you post the URL on that JB article?
I’ve always wondered how fragile is the skin on their backside. It looks fragile and yet it must be really tough. I mean they use it as a chair!I’ve always wondered how fragile is the skin on their backside. It looks fragile and yet it must be really tough. I mean they use it as a chair!
knowing myself, and knowing chimps are wild animals, i still would want to kill them beind their ear by their necks. Cy and i are both boracious readers. have you ever tried the Ebooks where Cy can look at the pictures while listening to the content. im pretty sure if i could just hold a newborn orangutan i could die at peace. yall must hear 1,000 times a day youve got the best jobs in the world but they have no idea how hard you work. thanks for your true dedication to these majestic creatures!
Stevie, did you perhaps dictate this message into your phone, maybe it didn’t come out right?
Stevie, “kill them” ??? …”behind their ears, by the neck” ??? I’m confused…What could you possibly have meant…I sense you’re a very genuine & kindhearted person…
He probably dictated that message and I’m sure he meant tickle them
I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be “kiss them behind their necks”. I type most of my blog responses on my phone, so I know mistakes are easy to make
Paulette asked if I could send the link to JB’s piece on female chimps’ genitalia. Blog posting is called Swellings, date 7/1/16. Link is at http://chimpsnw.z9zvgctzyq-lxd6r0ypy69g.p.temp-site.link.
This is a question about the CSNW humans- In your minds, how do you clasify the chimps and cows ? Are they your clients, work colleagues, boss, friends, family, etc.? On your days off or vacations, do you think about them constantly or are you able to switch off from them as people with jobs that dont have ‘heart’ jobs would switch off from the office. (I think they would always be on my mind)