Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for January 2024

The Thing About Honey B

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The thing about Honey B is that she is amazing. Honey B is funny, she is quirky, fierce, mischievous, very opinionated, and not afraid to show you how she feels. My favorite part about Honey B is her humor. She’s never afraid to be herself at any point in time whether she is cracking her caregivers up or secretly getting into something she is not suppose to.

While she recovers we are working hard to keep her brilliant mind occupied, but as you have seen in the video or any of the video of Honey B, she has no problem keeping herself busy!

Ohhh! Wait! Before you go. You can now purchase the winning photo of Burrito, “Hey Girl” canvas, on merchandise website!

Happy Birthday to Meg!

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Our heartfelt thanks to long-time friend of the chimpanzees and sanctuary, Meg Lunnum, who is sponsoring today for the chimps in celebration of her birthday! Meg shared this wonderful message:

“Happy Birthday to me! I have done some wonderful things for myself over the past year or so and I am proud! I am also proud of what Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest has accomplished this past year. I was able to visit and got to see the new group complete with a display. I was also very sad to lose Jody. It’s comforting to know she will be at the sanctuary in spirit. Thank you all for making the sanctuary a wonderful haven so close to my heart.”

Happiest day to you, Meg! Thank you so much for sharing and celebrating your joy with the chimpanzees and bovines, and all of us! The value and importance of caring for, and nurturing and championing inspiration and growth in ourselves, as well as others, is so often underestimated or invalidated, when it’s part of the very fabric of our well-being and flourishing, both individually and collectively. We’re so thankful to have you as part of our sanctuary family these many years and appreciate all you help make possible here. May this be the best birthday and year ahead yet!

Burrito! (who sure hopes you get a birthday pasta boat!):

Half-sisters, Honey B and Rayne:

Beloved Jody, the absolute queen of what it means to model care of self and others:

Jody with her arm around Jamie:

Betsy and her son, Nutmeg:

Lucky and Rayne:

This gift of an alpha guy, Cy:

Jamie, Missy, Jody, Annie, Burrito and Foxie:

Memento Vivere

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Lately I’ve been inundated with targeted ads on social media, which I’m sure those of you who are on social media know what I’m talking about. Now, I’m not saying the work or don’t work, but one in particular keeps grabbing my attention. It’s an ad of a coin with “Memento Mori” on one side, and “Momento Vivere” on the other. I have heard the expression “momento mori” countless times, but “momento vivere” was a new on to me.

“Momento mori” is a saying in Latin that roughly translates to “don’t forget to die.” Many have tried to understand the meaning behind it. The most consistent understanding is it is supposed to be a reminder that life is short and to live in the moment. I had to do some digging for “momento vivere.” What I found is that it roughly translates to “remember to live,” meaning to take time for yourself and make every moment count. Though both try to roughly make the same point about enjoying life because it is short, I will just focus on momento vivere since momento mori sounds more bleak if you don’t understand it.

Momento vivere came to mind the other day as I was spending some time with Burrito. I’m not a psychologist by any means, so I’m not sure why certain thoughts hit at certain times, but in that moment I thought about the last couple of years I have spent with him and his take on life. Burrito is kind of the living embodiment of those sayings. He doesn’t seem to dwell on the past, and is not too concerned with the future. He lives in the now, and every moment he has he doesn’t want to waste them.

My time with Burrito is always such an experience to me. Not only do I get to call him friend and spend probably too much time with him (though I don’t think he thinks the same on that one), but he always keeps me grounded. I am 100% that type of person who gets lost in their own mind; worrying about the future and regretting some of the past. But with Burrito, all that goes away and I am present in the moment with him. I’m not sure how to communicate to him so he understands, but I try to thank him every day for the reminder and keeping me in the now.

The larger message is that this is sanctuary life. Being able to just enjoying these moments of calm and tranquility. Yes. There are moments of anger, frustration, fighting, yelling, etc. But it’s those quiet moments (as seen in the video) outweigh the others for the most part.

He can’t/won’t read this, but thank you Burrito, my friend.

Some bonus photos

Negra working her way through a firehose cube
Annie enjoying a self-obtained snow treat

I couldn’t decide which one to post, so instead here are both of the photos I captured of Rayne with her “Bonobo Lucy and her Baby Yuli” during lunch. One where Rayne is a little out of focus, but you can tell it’s her Lucy book. The other you can’t tell what book it is but Rayne is in focus.

Thank you for sharing your birthday with us, Carrie!

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Our heartfelt thanks to Carrie Menzel, one of our amazing volunteers, for sponsoring a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees as a way to celebrate her birthday!

“Volunteering at the sanctuary is so fulfilling, for my birthday this year I’d like to give a gift!

Happy Birthday, Carrie! Thank you so much for including the chimpanzees in your own special day, we truly appreciate all you do for them (and us!).

The chimpanzees and we humans are so fortunate for all the gracious and loving hearts that who their way to the sanctuary to help make sure the chimpanzees and their home are so well loved and cared for. We are endlessly grateful.

Boss lady, Jamie:

Willy B”

Annie:

Terry:

Foxie:

Rayne:

Happy Birthday, Rayne!

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Socks, box, books, mangoes. These are some of Rayne’s favorite things and today we made sure she had them for her 34th birthday! She and her group also got a forage lunch with corn, leeks, cherry tomatoes, and small paper cups of smoothie. We would like to extend our appreciation to Paulette Wrisley for sponsoring Rayne’s birthday. Thank you, Paulette!

As I’ve gotten to know Rayne in my short time here, I’ve grown to really admire her personality. She keeps a cool head most of the time and seems to value maintaining the traditional order of things among her group; being selective about which conflicts she chooses to intervene in. Sometimes she lays down the law, other times she calmly flips through her bonobo book, unbothered, while chaos ensues loudly around her. She’s also been seen to keep the peace in a placating gesture to Willy B when he’s growing anxious or an invitation to Honey B join her when Mave and Dora left her alone. She’s really a sweet soul. I’ve also been lucky enough to share in Rayne’s more silly, quirky nature. Sometimes she’ll find a sock to don and walk around in for no apparent reason. Her preference for a good box to sit in during mealtime is just delightful. And occasionally I can get her to join me in some goofy playtime, stomping feet and bobbing heads.

It was a pleasure to celebrate Rayne today and I hope you all enjoy our video of the celebration!

In memory of Maxx, from Cheney

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Cheney Cherry sponsored this really touching day of sanctuary in memory of a clearly beloved pup, Maxx.

“I’d like to dedicate this day to my dog Maxx. He passed last year and he loved watching the videos of the chimps with me. If the chimps hooted, he’d bark and put his paw on the computer screen. When the chimps moved, he’d look behind the computer. I think he thought they were going to come out of there…LOL…I think of Maxx alot when I watch the CSN videos of the chimps, especially my favorite PAL, Burrito. Thank you CSN for all you do for the chimps. Your care and service is A+”

Cheney, we’re so sorry for the loss of your beloved friend and family member, Maxx. He seems to have been a particularly endearing guy. Thank you so much for choosing to give the chimpanzees a day of sanctuary in his honor – this is the sweetest story and I can’t help but smile thinking of Burrito’s current complete and utter fascination with our videos as well, particularly of his neighbors! Kindred spirits, he and Maxx! 🙂 And thank you for being Burrito’s Pal!

Watching the nextdoor neighbors…

Small Moments

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The other day, I was sitting with Terry. He was in one of the front rooms, and I sat on the other side of the mesh from him. He was very intent on grooming my right hand and my left boot. He was making his quiet lip-popping grooming noises that he does. No one else was around.

In some ways, it was an ordinary moment. I’ve had hundreds, I guess thousands now, of similar moments with chimpanzees.

For whatever reason, it struck me then how extraordinary that moment really was. That I was sitting with an individual of another species, so close to my own DNA, but so different at the same time. That he was being so gentle and quiet. That we were sharing this moment together. Communicating. Bonding. Trusting each other.

I remembered in that moment the first time that I met Terry at Wildlife Waystation. I remembered promising him that we were going to bring him to a new home with his friends and that he was going to have so many new experiences.

Our relationships as caregivers with the chimpanzees are so complicated, as I’ve mused about in the past (my first musing about this on this blog was July, 2008, which you can read here).

Every once in a while, at unexpected times, seemingly out of nowhere, I’m almost overwhelmed by the experience of being with one of the chimpanzees, and I recognize what a remarkable job I have stumbled into.

The promise I’ve made these chimpanzees, though Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, is their lifetime care. I didn’t understand all that came with that when I started, of course. You can’t foresee all of the challenges ahead nor how they will impact you – that goes for most of life. I don’t have control over all of what’s to come, but I can work to keep my promise.

In that moment with Terry, I silently renewed my promise to him. I will do everything I can to ensure that he has the care he deserves for whatever happens in his future, and I will work to fill his days with hope, love, adventure, and a sense of home.

Thank you for helping us fulfill this promise to Terry and everyone here.