Come along for a play date with the coolest girls at CSNW, plus a special guest appearance!
Archives for August 2024
Let’s groom!
Grooming is an important part of being a chimpanzee. Chimpanzees spend a majority of their day grooming, either themselves or each other. Not only does it help one be clean of dead skin, dirt, plants, debris, bugs, etc., it also helps build and maintain friendships and social relationships.
As we have discussed many times before, Willy B is an awkward chimpanzee. It seems like he doesn’t know what to do in many situations. However, one thing he has down is grooming. He grooms with the boys in his group the most, but can often be seen grooming with Rayne or Mave. Check out today’s video to see Willy B focused on grooming his group members! I threw in some footage of a current funny mystery we have going in the chimp house, as well. I’m curious as to who you think is the culprit.
Photos from today:
Cy grooming Volunteer Lizz
Cy portraits. Are you kidding me?! Look at this guy!
Gordo piloerect:
Gordo not piloerect:
August slipped away into a Moment in Time
As August slips away from us we’ve already been feeling those cooler nights in Central Washington. A little preview of what’s to come next month I’m sure. Summer’s not quite over yet though as we’ve still got some hot temps on the horizon for this labor day weekend. This weather is perfect for forages and outdoor exploration.
I got a couple of photos of Annie during today’s lunch forage. This timeless lady turns 50 in just a few short weeks. Can you believe it?
Missy and Annie
Just Missy:
Foxie and her chow collection (doll in tow).
Negra eating her forage (also with doll in tow):
Bonus! Cy lounging in a paper filled front room:
Portraits
This morning I was lucky enough to be able to go around and capture some portraits. Portraits can be hard to get because the chimps are often moving around quite a bit or simply do not want there picture taken, as you will see at the end of Jamie’s photo series. Jamie threw her arm out and shook it to tell me she had had enough :). Fortunately, everyone else didn’t seem to mind me taking some pictures! So please enjoy!
Negra eating her eggplant at lunch:
Cy waiting for his breakfast chow:
Little Honey B, being Honey B:
Foxie and her doll:
Dora portrait series:
And of course Jamie:
Annie’s Dance Card is Full!
It’s such a joy to watch Annie kicking up her heels!
Today, as caregiver Anna and I were cleaning the playroom, Anna commented that there was some serious chimp laughter coming from the front rooms. Sure enough, I found Annie and Burrito whooping it up!
Missy was sitting close by. I figured she was annoyed with the tomfoolery. Little did I know, she was simply waiting for her turn to be silly with her dear friend Annie. Pretty sweet!
Reminder:
Sunday, August 25th was the second installment of the HBO docuseries Chimp Crazy, which is available to watch on MAX. Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance will once again be hosting a discussion this evening after the episode (August 27, 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET) to explore Episode 2: Gone Ape. Register to join the second installment in this discussion series “Primate Perspectives: Unpacking Chimp Crazy. We will talk about the contents of episode two and the history of the use of chimpanzees as pets and the current pet trade in monkeys. We will be recording it this week, so if you register but are unable to join, we will send you a link to the recording.
Total Recall
What did we do to incur such a biblical plague of snakes this year? It seems we are constantly recalling the chimps, though, mercifully, nearly all intruders have been of the garter or racer variety. But rattlesnakes abound in this canyon, and to keep them out of the habitats we have to ensure that not even a 1/2″ hole has formed in or underneath the fence that surrounds these five acres. Over the years, including this year, rattlesnake incursions have occurred, and we fortify those rodent tunnels where we suspect they enter with concrete and hardware cloth. Thankfully, Burrito appears to be far more cautious around snakes these days and the rest of the gang seems to know to keep some distance, though that doesn’t stop them from throwing dirt or rustling the bushes with sticks. They are also better at recall, which allows us to remove the snake before anyone pushes their luck.
Please remind me of all this when I am complaining about snow in a few months.
THOSE MISSY TOMATOES
Sometimes, a blog post just appears.
Like today, when Ellen told me that Missy was sitting in Negra’s usual nesting spot with a tomato blanket draped over her shoulders. The blanket was purchased with Missy and her love of tomatoes in mind, of course.
When I went to snap some photos, I saw that Missy was sitting with her stocky legs straight out in front of her on top of the nest that she was borrowing from Negra, with her perfect (toma)toes curled with contentment.
The photos aren’t the best quality, but the subject matter is what makes them winners in my book.
