During the past week the PNW has been experiencing an intense heat wave. As mentioned in our previous blogs, we have gone above and beyond to be sure that all 16 chimps are comfortable. This has included tubs filled with Gatorade water, ice pools, frozen treats, and fans stationed all over the buildings. Today wasn’t any different and between frozen treats the chimps spent most of their days laying directly on the ground to keep cool. To our surprise, even in this weather we found multiple well made blanket nests in all the enclosures. Some were as elaborate as they usually are, but others looked more like “summer nests”. Summer nests, as we call them, are light and airy nests made with thinner blankets and sometimes lined with paper.
A few impressive nests we found today:
The “summer nest”:
Some of our residents, like Gordo or Foxie rarely make blanket nests. Sometimes Gordo will gather paper and cardboard to make a nest, but usually he can be found all spread out on the floor like this:
BONUS:
Mave holding Dora’s hand and foot
Honey B during her afternoon down time
Special shout-out to everyone that pledged money to help us buy the “Big Ass Fan: Evaporative Cooler“. All of us, chimpanzees and staff members, are VERY excited about this!
P.S. We are finally able to host our annual fundraiser gala in person! We have missed our supporters and we can’t wait to celebrate the chimps with all of you again. If you haven’t yet, remember to register for HOOT! 2022.
Well, aren’t our chimpanzee people creative. I’m fully willing to agree that we humans and chimps share basic intelligence features.
Did the Summer Nest belong to Cy? Lots of good reading material woven within. (An Audubon Society reader!)
Mave and Dora holding hands and feet again. Well, maybe I should say Mave holding onto Dora! Even looks like a fun wrestling rumble.
And then there’s Gordo!!! In that pose, he looks like a big fluffy blanket nest himself. 🙂
I find it interesting they leave the bare spot in the centre.
Just love these pics and thoughts came to mind as I looked at them — Ah, a slinky, just in case one wakes in the night and wants to play or wants to make sure no one else gets it first thing in the morning! So about the paper, maybe the blankets are nice & soft & signal “MY nest” but it’s cooler on the floor without the blanket sometimes. Now about those reading materials; so one can read oneself to sleep or read in the middle of the night? I can certainly identify with that! Now about Mave and “her” Dora — OMG! these two just slay me with their affection and connection to each other.