Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Total Recall

by J.B.

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.

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Comments

  1. Linda C says

    The players have changed! Today, it was Missy in on the action, and Foxie’s killer doll was nowhere to be seen until the walk home. I’m so glad that you guys show it to them at the end to let them know that it’s gone.

    What’s the recall signal for the Bray? Have they seen one yet?

    • J.B. says

      We use an electronic whistle for the Bray. There haven’t been any snake sightings on the Bray yet but we do practice recall with them.

  2. Tobin says

    Err…what’s this about a rattlesnake penetrating the Chimps’ habitat? Details, please.

    • Dan Oksiuta says

      Burrito has been bitten by rattlers twice. Recovered pretty well after expensive anti-venom injections.

    • Tobin says

      I was referring to more recent incursions. I’ve got to have a word with St. Padraig pronto!

    • J.B. says

      Yes, the chimps respectfully told us about the rattlesnake and we removed it. Burrito *seems* to have learned his lesson, though it’s always a risk anytime a rattlesnake is inside the enclosure. I think I know where the entry point was – one of the corner fence posts, which is set 4′ deep in concrete, started to lean in a few degrees. When this happened, it opened up a void in the ground as the concrete footing moved with it and that allowed rodents to tunnel under the snake fence with only a small hole visible in the ground outside the fence. So we filled that void with concrete. That said, and as I mention in the blog above, it doesn’t take much of a tear in the fence for rodents and snakes to find their way through so we are regularly inspecting the fence for other entry points.

      • Susan Kathleen Feeley says

        Thanks for that JB. I know you are all super cautious with snakes encroaching the chimps’ & bovines’ also the canines’territory but what about the human chimps?Has there been an occasion where one of you have been bitten and if so what is the procedure regarding anti venon injections? I would love to know how you deal with such a situation.

        • J.B. says

          I don’t know of any human that has been bitten by a rattlesnake – just dogs and chimpanzees 🙂 I think it’s because rattlesnakes have a live-and-let-live philosophy (at least for those who aren’t their prey) and as long as you don’t harrass them or accidentally step on them, they mind their own business and go out of their way to do so. Even when we capture them with snake tongs, they rarely try to strike and instead prefer to coil up and rattle and hope that you leave them alone. Unfortunately for dogs and chimpanzees, rattlesnakes will strike when they feel they have no other option. If a human were to be bitten, we would give them first aid and call 911 and let the human medicine professionals take care of things. First aid for rattlesnake bits consists largely of keeping the victim calm and comfortable until antivenin treatment can be given.

          • Susan Kathleen Feeley says

            Thanks, JB, and interesting to read of the rattlers’ philosophy. Stay safe anyway.?

  3. Linda C says

    Watching this again, I could not help but think, JB as much as you say Jamie is an insecure leader and sometimes she’s selfish, a pain, and party police, I have yet to see a video of a snake problem where Jamie doesn’t step up in some way to take charge of the situation. Yes, she usually has Foxie backing her up, in this case it was Missy, but she never abandons the group. Truly handling things like a boss lady.

    • Eli says

      When it comes down to it, I think Jamie is a great leader. She knows how to take charge during a scary situation (snakes, wildfire, etc.) and stay cool.

  4. Susan Kathleen Feeley says

    Thank you for sharing this as you do not mess with snakes. It gave us an insight to the group behaviour in this perilous situation and particularly with Missy seeking comforting from Burrito. I can totally understand her distress..That bell sure had the chimps moving onto safety and I loved the fact that the chimps were “shown” the bucket/snake at the end of this drama.

  5. Kathleen says

    That was great! Even though the Seven never lived the wild life they were supposed to live, they patrol and protect their home as if they were wild. Missy was brave… up to a point!! Jamie is a Boss. She is very courageous around snakes, ever ready to grab a tool and scat the intruder out of range. (My hero!) I had the feeling Jamie had the stick to actually pickup the snake to aid in its removal (like we’ve seen her do). Missy on the other hand, grabbed a stick in self defense! Or so it seemed.

    And then there’s Burrito, twice bitten by one of the most seriously dangerous snakes and yet, he’s the last one off the hill, lingering behind to display and imply “You don’t scare me Mr. Snake!”. Thank goodness Foxie and Jamie were keeping an eye on him. No Man Left Behind!

    Along with the bell, I see Kelsi has a basket of special recall treats! What was in the basket? Bell and basket made for a swift and smooth retreat. You guys are amazing.

    Professor J.B., I have question for you. Missy, obviously scared or nervous about spotting the snake, had a relaxed bottom lip—very droopy looking—on the hill (around first sighting) and again at seeing the bucket confirming snake was captured. I had assumed the relaxed lip = contentment or pleasure or feeling comfortable and relaxed. Obviously not. Missy did flash a classic fear grimace as well, but would you please explain a little bit more on Missy’s expressions and her emotions or the meaning of the droopy lip in this context. Or maybe it’s a good topic for a future post? Thank you for all the extra thought and hard work you put into keeping both families safe and secure.