There are many amazing benefits to working or volunteering with the chimps (and cattle) here at CSNW. Don’t get me wrong – the days can be challenging (Anthony spoke about that wonderfully here), but it’s not lost on me how lucky I am that I get to come to work and hang out with 16 of my best friends… And the humans are pretty cool, too. 🙂
Like all humans, though, all of us have good days and bad days. In those moments where we are just feeling down, we are reminded of another perk of this job – we can (usually) rely on our chimp friends to get us smiling! Whether it’s Gordo’s bunny hop, Lucky’s excited greetings, Negra’s bed head, Annie’s bird noises, or a plethora of other small moments- no matter what our mood when we get to work, we often leave feeling content, happy, and fulfilled. I hope the daily blog gives you those feelings, too!
Missy, enjoying the brisk sunshine today out on Young’s Hill:
Rayne having a lil’ nap in the Riverview Greenhouse:
Zoomed out of Rayne’s lil nap- oh, hello Cy!
Negra looking past me to see what’s for breakfast:
Another of Missy outside, because I couldn’t pick just one:
Lucky resting inside while her caregivers cleaned:
Jamie watching Burrito run out onto the hill:
Gordo enjoying his breakfast avocado:
Hello, handsome Cy:
Annie spying on her neighbors whilst sporting the latest fashion:
Will someone bring us up to date on Negra? I feel so for her, as she does so little and looks poorly to me. Thank you.
Actually, I was going to say that it’s encouraging to see her awake and looking for breakfast instead of sleeping in. and I think (I could be wrong here), she looks a little more trim these days!
Hi, Maureen! Negra is doing well 🙂 She is enjoying the sunshine and we often find her nesting in the greenhouse during the day!
Aw, thanks, Grace!
Maureen, I worry about Negra, too. Unlike lower forms of primate species (a/k/a humans), she is wise (and fortunate) enough to be able to hibernate through much of the Winter. However, as the daylight increases and the weather warms, it is quite possible that Neggie will seem to have more energy. Spring time seems to be her season…she has all that new green blades arisen to savor.
Meanwhile, I am waiting with anticipation for Thursday morning, February the Second. On GroundApe’s Day, if Northwestern Negra stirs from her blankets and doesn’t see her shadow, legend has it that Spring will come early for her and for the denizens of Young’s Hill.
I was thinking about Negra today before I even read this post, and it seems others were, too. She’s obviously less athletic than other members of her family, and she’s been through so much pain in her life, I can’t help feel a little twinge of “what her life could have been” every time I see a photo or video of her. Life doesn’t dole out blessings very fairly sometimes. But, I do love how CSNW has made a comfortable place for her and given her what she needs to be happy. I do love her cabin that lets her be both outside and inside at the same time – brilliant! And this summer she will turn 50!
Betsy, I want 3 cameras and a mic on her when she gets that birthday cake! Those will be thebest food squeaks ever!
Totally, that will be an epic celebration for everyone involved.
And now there are smiles HERE, Grace! My heart was in my mouth watching Li’l Dora spin….tbh, I thought she was going to let it unwind, too! So high up, yikes! Great catch, though!
Thanks for the video, pics, and laughs!
Looking at their lovely faces whether outsude in the sun or peacefully resting can brighten anyone’s day. Hey, Gordo, I had avocado on toast this morning, yummy breakfast. i’m waiting for a photo of Cy and his magazines.
Yep, the daily blog assures me gratitude and joy every single day no matter what’s being covered. Even if someone’s ill and needs the vet I’m grateful for the availability of the vet team, the sharp eyes of the caregivers and the funds that have made good vet care possible. But even if “just” playing or “just” eating, or “just” grabbing at someone else’s toes, or “just” walking outside in the mud and climbing a waaaay high structure — all of it gives me the assurance that something in the world is going right and that there is a community of loving people who are invested in the chimps. Thank you to all involved every day!!
What a great video today.
I have definitley seen little Dora’s big top spin move in the Cirque du Soleil, But it wasn’t nearly as exciting as this !
Everyone above has expressed how I feel, especially Mayra. Life at the sanctuary brings a great big bright joy bomb to my day. Every day. Perfect example….Annie! Oh that pose on tippy toes while spying, priceless. LOL And precious Negra dreaming of breakfast or her bag of chow perhaps. Any and every photo of Neggie makes my day. And then there’s little Dora and her spinning trapeze act that she’s practicing (after doing her leg warmup stretches that is). The plank that Missy is perched on seems to be as perfect for capturing a great shot as the Photo Booth. I like to imagine the joy she must feel being suspended up so high over her land.
So much joy! Thank you.