Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for February 2024

Be mine, Rayne

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Today is the last day of February and the last of our “Be Mine” blog series. To top it off, it’s also leap day and time to highlight a very special chimpanzee on an out of the ordinary day. Rayne is an extraordinary person so it all seems to fit perfectly! Rayne is calm, collected and intelligent. She has an aura of wisdom and grace about her, but isn’t afraid to be silly and exuberant. She also can be fiery during conflicts when she needs to be.  She loves smoothies and drinks and is very particular about her eating habits. She likes her food in a certain order and when it seems like she doesn’t want a produce item, caregivers know to circle back to her at the end of a meal to re-offer her some items.  Rayne is a skilled lounger and can make boxes and firehose swings look extremely comfortable.  Similar to Jamie, she too has turned into a Bonobo aficionado and can often be spotted carrying one of those picture books around.

Rayne was born January 29th, 1990 in the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates. Her parents were Herbie and Thelma, which makes her half siblings to Cy, Lucky and Honey B.  She also has a strong resemblance to Tatu, her half sister who lives at the Fauna Foundation in Canada.

Honey B, Rayne and Cy:

Rayne is a popular chimpanzee and has a solid relationship with all her group mates. It’s been especially fun to watch her and Honey B’s relationship blossom into a great friendship (even though they definitely fight like sisters).

Rayne’s quiet confidence has been on full display this past year as she has conquered the Bray without hesitation. As soon as she gained access to their new outdoor area, it was like she was made for it.  There’s nothing better than watching her step outside and stride up the hill to find a comfortable spot on a platform or a peaceful place in the shade.

Rayne has a list of 8 very special Pals you too can be a part of. Thanks to Vicki, Monica, Melody, Elizabeth, Elijah, Adrienne, Kim, Diana K, and Tami for being Rayne’s Pals.

Happy leap day everyone! Now seems like the perfect moment to fall in love with Rayne.

Today is for Erin Delsol

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Thank you so much, David Panko, for sponsoring a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in celebration of Erin Delsol!

“Erin is a wonderful healthcare provider who is starting a new journey.”

Have a wonderful day, Erin, and all our good thoughts to you on your path ahead!

Cutie Dora!

Cy:

Missy:

Burrito:

Jamie:

Be Mine, Mave

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I’m excited to continue our Be Mine series with the one and only, floofy, loveable, Mave.

Mave (also known as Mavis, Mavie, Mavie Baby, and/or half of the formidable pair known as Mora) came to CSNW on August 18, 2019 with Willy B and Honey B. Mave was born on September 25th, 1989 at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP). Our records state that her mother’s name was LuLu, who was owned and kept for years by the Primate Foundation of Arizona, a ‘chimpanzee breeding colony and behavioral research center‘.

We’ve, thankfully, been able to learn more about Mave over the last few years. We originally did not know who Mave’s father was, but early last year we discovered that her father is Conrad– meaning that she is half-siblings with our very own Terry! They definitely resemble each other in both face and general floof level. It’s really comforting to know this detail about their lives.

We also learned the real date of Mave’s birthday! We had chosen to celebrate her birthday on May 27th, since her medical records had not included her date of birth. Then we learned that her actual birthday is September 25th, so last year we celebrated two birthdays for Mave (and also for Willy B)!

Mave spent the first seven years of her life at LEMSIP, before moving to Wildlife Waystation in 1996 when LEMSIP closed. She lived there for 23 years before coming to CSNW, after Wildlife Waystation closed due to financial difficulties. She now lives in a group of nine after the integration of her group with the ‘Lucky Six’.

During her time at LEMSIP, after she was taken from her mother and put in the nursery to be raised by human technicians, Mave lived with a male chimpanzee named Goliath. From the stories we have heard, they were a closely bonded pair. They continued to live together after moving to Wildlife Waystation for many years until he passed away.

It’s easy to fall in love with Mave.

She knows how to relax and enjoys spending time totally sprawled out on the floor, on her back with her feet up against the wall. She has the self-care concept locked down.

Mave also has some of the *best* food squeaks in the building. When we bring out meals, sometimes even before she has seen what’s on the cart, you can usually hear her high-pitched food squeaks through the foyer.

Mave loves, and she loves hard. When she has decided that you are one of her people, that’s it. She can take a while to warm up to the humans and I remember it took a while for her to interact with me outside of meals. I personally feel like I’ve seen a change in our relationship in the last few months, in the sense that I’ve spent more time grooming with her, knuckle-rubbing, or interacting with her through a game of chase. A year and a half of patience is totally worth it to be her friend. She is intentional in her relationships and we love her for it.

In her chimp family, she is the ‘Mo’- to Dora’s ‘Ra’. The two of them became fast friends when their groups were integrated and now they are almost always found within a few feet of each other. When they get excited or scared, they will often run into the others arms for a nice, reassuring hug. It didn’t take long for them to earn the nickname ‘Mora‘ from staff, since they are attached at the proverbial hip. They spend a lot of time grooming, sitting next to each other, playing, sitting near each other, napping (near each other)… They are the best of friends. Integrating two groups of chimps is stressful, but seeing the bonds they’ve all made with each other has made it worth it- especially these two. Mave lost Goliath, but she was able to find Dora and for that I am grateful.

Mave also has a bit of a saucy streak. The groups were integrated, she determined Dora was her person, and the next thing we knew she was putting a quick stop to a certain behavior from Terry. She looks out for her friends.

It’s not just with Terry that we’ve seen Mave stand up for something that she believes in. We’ve mentioned her complicated relationship with Gordo in the blog before, where she feels motivated to pressure him into giving up some of his food to her during meals. He’s gotten pretty good at avoiding her, but if she finds him he’ll give her an empty bag or the butt of a carrot instead of a whole item. It’s brilliant on Gordo’s part, and I think maybe it shows that for Mave it’s less about the food item and more about the power dynamic.

On the flip side of relaxing and intimidating Gordo, she is often found grooming or playing with her family. She can be so relaxed and then she’ll get involved in a fast paced game of chase that has her moving through all the chimp spaces! If you want to see more of her goofy side, watch the ‘Fall in Love’ video below. It’ll put a smile on your face, I promise.

We love Mave and we love that you all love her, too! Thank you so much to Mave’s current Chimpanzee Pals; Vicki, Monica, Sharlene, Heather & Jarrod, Craig & Kim, Lisa, and Laura.

Do you feel like you connect with Mave, a bit like how she’s connected to Dora? You can become her Pal, too! Click here for more.

In honor of all the chimps and their sacrifices

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Our heartfelt thanks to Holly Hayward for sponsoring this day of sanctuary and for sharing this lovely and much appreciated message:

“Just want to sponsor a day of fun whenever you feel like one is in order! Love what you do & all the Chimpanzees & am proud to support the beautiful work you do!! Thank you for giving these lovely souls the retirement they deserve! Holly”

Thank you so much for choosing to honor the chimpanzees this way, Holly!

Terry (thank you for being this beloved fella’s Pal, Holly!)

Beautiful Jamie:

Annie and Missy:

Terry, Honey B, and Rayne:

Gordo:

Foxie:

Jody, forever loved and missed:

Negra:

Forever Be Mine, Jody

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I apologize in advance if I’m going to sound like a bumbling fool in today’s blog. This one isn’t going to be easy for me.

My dearest Jody/Jo/JoJo/Joji/Farmer Jo. It hasn’t even been a full year since you left, and my only hope is to be able to formulate my thoughts in a coherent way to fully encapsulate just what an amazing being you have been.

Jody was born some time in 1975. Her records during this time were spotty, so it is believed Jody was likely wild caught. During the first 33 years of her life was spent with the Buckshire Corporation in Pennsylvania. It was there Jody was lent out to different medical laboratories for hepatitis testing, including the notorious and (thankfully) now defunct Alamogordo Primate Facility. During her time in medical testing, Jody was used as a breeder, meaning she was forced pregnancy upon to her with the only intention for her children to become test subjects themselves. In her life, Jody became pregnant 11 times, giving birth to nine and miscarrying two. Her children Andrea, Bart, and Clay, were rescued by Save the Chimps. Her son, Levi, was rescued after a long fight to have him released after he was transferred from Alamogordo to a laboratory in Texas in stead of sanctuary. Thankfully, Levi was rescued and now lives his best life at Chimp Haven. Unfortunately, her other children, April, Adam, and Opy, were not able to experience sanctuary life and passed away before getting the chance. We currently do not know the whereabouts, history, or status of her remaining two children, Cliff and Taylor.

Andrea (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Bart (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Clay (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Levi (Photo courtesy of caregiver Ellen)

It’s obvious to me these kids got their good looks from their mom.

Jody arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in 2008 with the rest of the Cle Elum Seven. It was here Jody was able to live out her remaining days without fear of routine knockdowns and being forced into pregnancy to only give up her child. She gained the titles “Den Mother” and “Manager” to her group by caregivers because of the way she was able to ease tense situations or make a distraction from it. From my point of view, Jody seemed very fair when determining who was at fault starting a fight or protecting individuals who were unduly blamed by the rest of the group for causing a ruckus. There were countless times I witnessed Jody deflect the rest of the group’s attention from Foxie during a fight to herself, giving Foxie time to get away.

She also looked after Negra carefully. Jody seemed to know what would make Negra over stimulated or give her a scare, and do all that she could keep an eye on her and prevent any negative feeling Negra might feel.

Jody was a a master forager, hence the nickname “Farmer Jo.” If Jody did have a favorite food, it would be whatever food she got herself; something she was denied to do the first 30+ years of her life.  Jody loved to pick out her own food, whether it was food caregivers put out onto Young’s Hill or things that naturally grow on Young’s Hill.

And let’s not forget, Jody was the master nest builder of any chimpanzee that has called CSNW home.

And the Great Pumpkin Thief!

There are so many stories I could tell about my time with Jody. One though sticks out in particular though. It was during the summer a few years ago. Katelyn and I were standing right outside the entrance to the building. The sky was cloudy and the air was still. It was that feeling of right before a storm hits. Katelyn and I were looking out onto Young’s Hill and Foxie was about to set off on one of her own adventures. Out of nowhere, the was a blur that raced toward Foxie. It was Jody. Jody put her arm around Foxie and redirected her back to the indoors, looking over her should every few feet to ensure Foxie was still following. Not long after that, a thunderstorm hit. Katelyn and I summed it up Jody being the den mother that she was, running after Foxie and in her own chimpanzee way was yelling, “FOXIE! GET INSIDE!”

Note: This photo is not of the event described previously.

I only knew Jody for six of her 15 years here at CSNW. I fell and fell hard for Jody when I first met her. I mean, who wouldn’t? Always miss her. Everyday, when I walk into work, there will always be a part of me that feels it is missing. I can no longer get Jody’s enthusiastic bouncing to greet caregivers or kiss she would give me, especially if I had been a way for a while. I can no longer get lost in the sounds of her content of the low moan or “dinosaur noise.” I am self-aware enough to know I have not accepted or processed her passing, thus I haven’t grieved yet. (Side note: I do not recommend this avenue of approach. If you are going through a mental crisis, please seek help. There are many resources out there that can and will help.) I know eventually I will have to come to terms with everything so my own mental health doesn’t decline, and I’m hoping this blog is my first step toward recovery.

I was only part of Jody’s life for a fraction of it. She will, however, always be a part of mine for my remaining days on this earth.

I will miss and love you eternally, my sweet Joji. Grunts and hoots forever.

A big thank you to those who continue to be Jody’s Chimpanzee Pal:

Vicki, Monica, Chris & Lee Ann, Donna, Sandy, Sharlene, Sandy, Barbara, Rebecca, Amy, Jean, Laura, Shari, Jill, and Carole.

Though she is gone, she is not forgotten. You can still become Jody’s Pal in her memory by signing up here!

Be mine, Meredith

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Last, but not least of our Bovine Buddies, is the lovely Meredith who, shockingly, only has two sponsors, Monica and Jackie, who actually sponsor all four of our cattle comrades! Thank you for being such stellar supporters, Monica and Jackie! If you would like to boost Meredith’s numbers and become her Bovine Buddy, you can do so here.

Watch the video below created by our co-director, Diana, to fall in love with Meredith!

Meredith is the biological daughter of Honey, the adopted daughter of Betsy, and the adopted sister to Nutmeg. One big happy family! She was born in 2015 during the filming of a reality TV show called Utopia, which aired for only a brief time. Honey and Betsy were purchased for the show from a dairy farm and both were pregnant. After giving birth, Honey had trouble nursing Meredith due to a case of mastitis, which is very painful and is a common complication for dairy cows. Luckily for Meredith, however, Betsy, being pregnant with Nutmeg, prematurely produced milk and eagerly allowed Meredith to nurse. Soon after, Nutmeg was born – impossibly tiny compared to his great size today – and the family unity was complete!

Click here to watch a video of baby Meredith being reunited with her mom(s)!

When the show got cancelled, the four cattle were taken in by Farm Sanctuary in Northern California and when the sanctuary had to close in 2018, they moved to CSNW where they will live out the rest of their lives in cow heaven.

Little Meredith at Farm Sanctuary

I’ve only had about six months to get to know Meredith so far, but she’s been a joy to work with. I quickly learned that she loves to receive scratches and will streeeetch her nose straight up while you scratch under her chin and jaw. She also seems to kindof enjoy gentle eye rubs. I’m told she will forage for willow leaves and wild rose in the summer and I know first hand she loves alfalfa and her daily grain!

Meredith has developed arthritis in her front hoof joints, making it painful to walk, but she’s been a real trooper as the care staff have done their best to diagnose and treat it. She has endured a full season of pokes and prods, transportation to WSU for treatment, limited access to her habitat during recovery, and even chiropractic appointments! She lets us know when she’s irritated, but considering everything she puts up with, she has been very patient. Can you imagine Honey cow in her place?? We would have to wear armor, I think.

Meredith getting scanned at WSU

 

Meredith and her mom, Honey, share a tender moment while Meredith is separated for recovery

Beautiful wintery Meredith

 

If you’ve fallen in love with Meredith like we all have, please consider becoming her Bovine Buddy!

Be Mine, Honey Cow

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You know how last week in our Be Mine series, I said that Betsy was easy to get to know because of her gregariousness towards humans? Well, today, let me introduce you to her cow opposite in that respect – Honey Cow!

If you want the quick and delightful overview of all that is wonderful Honey, watch her Fall in Love video that Grace made last week, then read on:

Honey was likely born in 2007 and we choose to celebrate her birthday on November 10th.

(Allow me to pause here and skip ahead a bit to tell you that, shockingly, Honey Cow only has three Bovine Buddies currently – Monica, Jackie, and Jennifer (thank you to them!!). So, if you are looking to add a cow friend to sponsor (and why wouldn’t you, for just $10/month?!), I definitely recommend you read on and choose Honey for your Buddy!)

Honey, as we’ve explained through Betsy and Nutmeg‘s Be Mine blog posts, is mom to Meredith. Like Betsy, she was used in the dairy industry before being purchased for use in the reality TV show Utopia. In fact, Honey gave birth to Meredith during the filming of the series. When Utopia was cancelled after just two months, Betsy, Honey and Meredith all went to Farm Sanctuary’s shelter in northern California (you can read more from Farm Sanctuary about how they ended up at that sanctuary here, a profile of Honey from Farm Sanctuary here, and a mention in the Hollywood Reporter here). They were soon joined by lil’ baby Nutmeg (who is now big baby Nutmeg 😉 )

Honey and little Meredith at Farm Sanctuary:

Honey is a fan of alfalfa, and she also likes to lick up salt and mineral supplements. We have these in block form for the cattle to lick whenever they want to, and we also add loose salt and minerals to their grain in the wintertime when they are relying on dry hay for nutrients rather than grazing.

 

In the winter, when the temps drop, the cattle start to get a thicker coat of hair. On Honey in particular, her longer hair develops a wonderfully luxurious wavy pattern.

Like Betsy, Honey is very curious:

Unlike Betsy, Honey is somewhat suspicious of humans and has a certain disdain to be touched by them. I would venture to say that one of her favorite activities is looking scornfully at people. She will definitively let you know when you have invaded her personal space with a shake of her head or a head butt.

I’ve mentioned before that the more “difficult” animals, the ones who have to be won over, always seem to find a big place in my heart, and this is certainly the case for Honey Cow.

I love that she’s sometimes annoyed by my presence! And I love even more that I can now touch her or brush her head and, though she still acts annoyed, she usually doesn’t stop me.

Once again, I encourage you to choose Honey for your Buddy!

Here’s a bonus photo taken during our deep freeze this winter. Similar to when we exhale in the cold and there’s a cloud of our warm respiration, Honey’s exhale created a nose halo of face frost.