Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for December 2023

Special Delivery

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The video above shows the chimpanzees enjoying their latest donated enrichment item, the banana duck! Thanks so much to the anonymous donor who won the item in the Comfort & Joy online auction!

 

Special delivery!

What’s more fun than a plain old cardboard box? Some of the chimpanzees here really prefer to sit inside a box and we all think it’s the cutest thing. Most often, I see Rayne and Gordo choosing boxes to sit in, but sometimes the other chimps will hop in too.

Big Gordo, small box

Rayne repurposing Gordo’s box

Burrito. Technically inside the box

Mave is more comfortable in a spacious box

 

 

Comfort & Joy: Dragon Blanket Thanks!

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We have received a wearable “dragon”** blanket from the Comfort & Joy auction! We put it in with Cy’s group today along with some of their lunch forage. After Lucky added it to her blanket car and drove around with it for awhile, it has now made it’s way into Dora’s nest for the night.

**We do know this blanket was probably meant to be a dinosaur and not a dragon, but Diana did not know the difference until just recently and we want to be sensitive to her feelings during this time of learning.

Special thanks to Merle R. for purchasing the wearable dragon/dinosaur blanket for the chimps!

 

Rayne inspecting the newcomer

Lucky contemplating taking it for a drive

Plus a bonus of Rayne.. just because..

What does the fox say?

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We received a giant stuffed fox during the Comfort and Joy auction, thanks to a special donor! Due to some enrichment restrictions, Cy’s group cannot have any stuffed animals (a few of them would eat it) but they still got to meet the fox and enjoyed it. Later in the morning, after cleaning the Playroom for Jamie’s group, we set up the stuffed fox on Burrito’s blue barrel. As you will see in today’s video, Burrito absolutely had the time of his life. What else is new?

Thank you Pamela N. for the fox!

Our new fox (shark was just a blanket on top):

Cy gives the fox a kiss:

Gordo grooms his toenails:

Gordo bites his lip while in his box nest:

Handsome Gordo:

Gordo looks at the fox while Kelsi holds it:

Gordo interacts with the fox:

More Gordo:

Lucky:

Rayne:

Terry sniffs the fox:

Happy Birthday, Chuck, from Martha!

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Our many thanks to Martha Sikaras for this day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in celebration of her husband, Chuck!:

“This day is sponsored to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Chuck has been my life’s partner for over 27 years. From the day we met, he has been committed to the protection and safety for the world’s great apes”.

Happy Birthday from all of us here, Chuck! Thank you both so much for including the chimpanzees in your special day and helping to make their days special as well.

Cy:

Jamie:

Foxie:

Gordo:

 

 

Wood Wool!

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Today the chimps received a package of wood wool to investigate! Wood wool is made from log slivers and is often used as a packaging material. Apparently, it also makes an excellent novel chimp enrichment. Watch the video above to see who made a wood wool nest!

P.S. if anyone has a lead on how to get recycled wood wool  in large quantities, we are all ears!

Thank you to Pamela N.  for purchasing the wood wool  during our Comfort and Joy Auction.

Also, thank you to Kathy S. who donated this cuddly avocado cow that went out in today’s enrichment:

 

 

Life of Enrichment and Giant Stuffed Dolphin Thanks!

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It felt fitting to have today’s blog be about enrichment! There are so many different ways to enrich the chimps lives! The video highlights a few of the many ways to add to the chimps day to day life. Thank you to Comfort & Joy auction winner Emily H. for the giant stuffed dolphin for Jamie’s group! We put it out on on Jamie’s side this morning!

A Few Handsome Guys

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It has been an uber busy day in the chimp house today with cleaning, general tasks, staff meetings, and more! The day has flown by, so for this blog I went through my phone for a few ‘photos from the vault‘ and found some great ones of our handsome chimp gentlemen. They really are just the best guys around!

We’re off to serve dinner to the chimps now, so I hope you enjoy! 🙂

Terry, eating a snowball earlier this week:

Willy B, enjoying a quiet moment:

Gordo enjoying an avocado for dinner this past fall:

Cy, taking a moment to look through his magazine before diving into his coconut during a party this summer:

Burrito, finding out what we stuffed pineapples with during a party on Young’s Hill this summer:

Happy Tuesday!