Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for September 2022

In Memory of Dr. B

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The world lost an incredible human being recently. Jocelyn Bezner, VMD, was a friend and a mentor to the staff of CSNW and played a vital role in the chimps’ care over the years. She regularly consulted with Dr. Erin on diagnoses and courses of treatment, even joining in on surgeries over FaceTime. She was a wealth of knowledge and always had time to help chimpanzees, regardless of where they lived.

I asked Dr. Erin if I could share a portion of the email she sent to the rest of the staff when she broke the news. She summed up what Dr. B meant to us and the world better than I could have:

Jocelyn was one of the kindest, most supportive and selfless people I’ve ever known.  She was truly an amazing chimp vet and human being and it’s hard to believe that she is gone.  I wouldn’t know half of what I do about chimp medicine and behavior if it were not for her mentorship and support.  She was SO encouraging and supportive but also very authentic and didn’t take life too seriously. She was the easiest person to talk to and I will miss her very much. 

[…] I am just now understanding how many people’s lives she touched and enriched, both human and non human.  Such a loss for the veterinary community, the chimpanzee sanctuary world and for all who loved her.  She was smart, funny, fiercely dedicated to chimpanzees and a lot of fun to hang out with.   She was one extremely loved human and in many ways was my hero. 

I strive to embrace life and worry less in honor of the one and only Bez.  

Thanks for everything, Dr. B.

📸: Save the Chimps

Versions of Annie

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It’s been a busy day. Rather than write a detailed blog post, I’m sharing a simple portrait of Annie that I took earlier this afternoon.

Annie was lounging on the elevated platform in her group’s greenhouse enclosure. The chimpanzees who live on that side of the building have been closely watching J.B. and the Sage Mechanical crew as they put in another full day renovating Young’s Hill. I thought her expression (or lack thereof) made for a good portrait. I also included some alternate versions of the image, each edited in a unique way. Let me know if you have a favorite edit!

My “preferred” version:

The original:

Black and white with red and yellow hues lifted:

Black and white with blue and green hues lifted:

Increased contrast with “cinematic” preset settings:

Hot Commodity

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For once there wasn’t a lot going on today for the chimps or the humans. That happens very rarely in this chimp house now a days! The chimps spent most of their day napping, grooming, lazily playing, or working on some enrichment.

Jody grooming a pile of blankets… oops I mean Negra!

Jamie and Missy spent most of the day coaxing their caregivers over to the small garden where the tomatoes and grape vines were ready to be picked! Of course, we had to oblige!

Terry was a hot commodity today! As I walked by with the camera, Lucky and Terry began grooming.

I took a series of photos of Terry Bronx Cheering (or blowing raspberries) when he and Lucky were grooming. Terry is always Bronx Cheering- whether he is grooming, trying to get our attention, and he even does it when he is working up into a display.

A few minutes later Rayne passed by to join the party. Terry began grooming her and then Rayne reciprocated the grooming.

I found Honey B relaxing on one of the tree leaves. She looked content, but also up to no good all at the same time.

Jamie also found sometime in the day to kick back and relax too.

Sweet sweet Lucky lounging in Oakwood.

Morning Play, Coffee Required

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It’s almost always a guarantee that when you are the first person into the chimp house in the morning and you look through the kitchen doors to Front Room 4, you will see Burrito sitting there. He usually has a block in his mouth or a blanket in his hands. A few head nods and breathy pants later, you’re off on a morning game of chase.

There are many reasons I drink one too many cups of coffee in the morning and this is one of them. Once you initiate a game of play with Burrito, there is no time to stop for fuel. There is no time to stop to chat. There is no morning to-do list. There is only play.

This morning was one of these mornings- I got into the chimp house and as soon as I opened the kitchen door, Burrito was ready. He took off to the greenhouse and it was on! He was also throwing out his Burrito-Spin-Move-Classic, which always brings a smile to your face- no matter how early it is.

Check out the video to come along on a morning play session with Bubba!

Burrito, on the move:

Foxie with her bebe:

Jamie keeping an eye on me:

Jamie with her favorite Lucy Bonobo Book:

Lucky with the right idea- a late morning nap!

Missy trying to convince me to sneak her some tomatoes from the garden:

Negra resting in the greenhouse, in the morning sunlight:

Terry, snoozin, uninterested:

Paparazzi

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Jamie is always aware of what the humans are up to and doesn’t shy away from sharing her opinions.

I love Jamie’s dominant personality and respect her autonomous attitude, but satisfying her desires for choice and control is a continuous challenge given the limitations of her captive environment. I am grateful that her outspoken honesty provides some insight into how she perceives her world, allowing us to tailor our caregiving to her preferences. Not all chimps express satisfaction and displeasure quite like she does, accepting a new piece of enrichment with a deep grunt or telling us not to close a door by waving her arm at us. This candid rapport between Jamie and human is extremely beneficial when we engage the chimps socially; Jamie can say “go ahead” or “not now” in her own special way and still be understood.

Jamie demonstrated her forthright demeanor as I was photographing the chimpanzees in her wing of the facility earlier today. I saw her sitting on the bench in Front Room 4, a small indoor area with a good amount of natural light. I saw that she had a single raisin daintily held between her lips and approached to take some photos. Before raising my camera to my face, I pointed to the bulky device and politely asked “Can I take your portrait?” I’m not sure if Jamie understood my request word-for-word, but she nodded eagerly in response. I pressed the shutter over and over again as she patiently stared back into the curved glass of my 85mm lens for what felt like minutes. We exchanged another friendly nod before I moved on to a different location.

 

I passed Jamie’s perch again as I circled back to the foyer and presented the camera to her again. This time, she ignored my inquiry and just stared back. I had just lifted the viewfinder to eye level with my finger and taken the first two exposures when Jamie suddenly threw her arm up in my direction. I took it as a casual but clear signal that patience for my creative exploits had waned and her participation in the photo shoot was over.

If you’re wondering where Jamie got the raisin…

Community

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For our avid blog-readers, I am sure you have noticed how many of my blog posts are quite sappy or sentimental. Just like how you can count on Anthony’s blog posts for puns, I feel like mine are typically infused with sappiness.

And unfortunately, that is not going to stop today…

Something that really stands out to me here at CSNW is the feeling of community. It is a different level of community than other places I have been. It has been even more apparent to me over the past month.

With our recent fundraiser (HOOT!), our summer full of MANY chimpanzee birthdays, volunteer work parties to progress construction on Young’s Hill, I have been consistently blown away by the support from all of you. It is quite an indescribable feeling to know how many people out there stand behind what we do, from both near and far.

Just as an example, for Missy’s birthday in August, we loaded up our Amazon Wishlist with items we knew Missy would love for her big day, and over the span of probably a week, all of the party items had been bought. Our chimp house foyer was packed with tomato themed items up until her birthday.

Also, another example: yesterday was Day 1 of the volunteer work party on Young’s Hill. There was such a big turnout that yesterday’s tasks were finished in about 3.5 hours. It was amazing the progress that had been made by some generous volunteers who love the chimps! The hill isn’t ready for the chimps just yet, but we are steps closer and that is exciting!

“A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network. It’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens.”

I found this quote today and it couldn’t be more true. We have supporters all over the world, with many who will never visit Cle Elum, Washington. Despite the distance, you continuously support the chimps and are crucial parts of their lives. Your support, in all of the ways possible you can give it, no matter how big or small, makes a huge difference for the sanctuary.

The staff, volunteers, donors, and anyone who has supported CSNW in the past or present all have something in common: we all love and adore the 16 chimps and want to see them thrive. We hope you feel apart of this community because we are grateful you’re here!

Terry:

Burrito:

Follow Burrito to find out what’s happening today

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It was simply a gorgeous early autumn day today. A perfect day for J.B. to lead a big crew of volunteers. It’s so exciting to see the new outdoor habitats coming together, including trees that were recently planted and transplanted bamboo on both sides!

I was sitting with Gordo yesterday while he was gazing at his side of the hill, The Bray. I think he knows it’s for him and his friends.

Jamie and crew definitely know they will be getting a new space, and they have been watching with great interest.

Well, at least some of them have. Jody had other priorities when I was filming today.