Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Burrito is not the type to ever turn down a friend! He will never miss a moment to play, groom, or even display! He is a special guy who does not take life for granted. And because of that his caregivers also will never miss a moment with him as well!
Bonus photos!
Yesterday, I gave Jamie some lavender from our garden, she seemed to enjoy it:
Rare portraits of Missy:
Sometimes some of the best things in life are the simplest. I recently bought a heavy duty crate for my dog because he is a little destructive sometimes when alone. It was a little expensive, which is sad for me BUT there’s always an upside! The boxes the crate came in were massive so I knew the perfect solution: bring the boxes to the chimps..
Lucky enjoy her private accommodations:
Until….
And later Cy used the boxes as a fort to create a private reading space for himself:
In today’s video, watch as Honey B explores her group’s outdoor habitat, the Bray! She seems to be gaining confidence in exploring this large outdoor space every day, and it is wonderful to watch.
Below are some lovely photos shared with us by a supporter, Christiane Leibrandt, who captured these beautiful images of Honey B during a recent visit to the sanctuary.
Thank you for these gorgeous photos, Christiane!
The security cameras continue to be insightful as well as entertaining, catching so much that we would otherwise miss.
We’ve actually be doing a bit of an experiment these last several days and having Willy B sleep solo in order to cut down on the drama during the night and in the early mornings.
It’s worked well as a temporary measure, and it’s been interesting to see how the other chimpanzees navigate his separation. Rayne’s first nest in this video was right next to the Mezzanine where Willy B was sleeping that night. I wondered if she was signaling some sort of alliance or wanted to keep tabs on him. In the end, I think the blanket that Lucky had found for her nest looked too enticing for Rayne to stay in her original nest. Or maybe she wanted to be super close to her friend Lucky.
I almost forgot! This Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest are having our 4th discussion about the docuseries Chimp Crazy. We’ll be discussing the fourth and final episode of the series (Fantasy Island), and we have a very special guest who will be joining us – Ana Paula Taveres, CEO of Save the Chimps! Ana Paula will be able to tell us all about Tonka’s new life in sanctuary! Register to join the discussion by zoom.
Annie’s 50th birthday was a big deal, but Negra definitely thought it was all about her! Okay, maybe we did spoil her a little on party day… Here are some special moments of Negra enjoying her “unofficial” birthday celebration.
Neggie looking over some boot magazines:
Before gathering some grapevine and making a nest for herself:
And finally lying down to rest after a busy party day:
Bonus of Neggie with her party corn:
AND Bonus Burrito!
In addition to providing daily pictures/videos and updates about CSNW’s residents, our blog can also be educational. I hope the blog readers can take away something every time they read it, even if it’s just something new about one of our residents.
Can you name all 5 of the great apes? I have intentionally placed the hardest ones last, as people usually can’t name more than the first three.
Let us know how you did!
1. Gorillas
© Ann & Steve Toon/Getty
Gorillas share 98% of DNA with humans. Gorillas are the largest out of all primate species. They are classified as “critically endangered”.
2. Chimpanzees
Chimpanzees share 98.8% of DNA with humans (the closest living relative). Chimpanzees live in Africa, in both the savannah and rainforests. Chimpanzees are classified as “endangered”.
3. Orangutans
Orangutans share 97% of DNA with humans. Orangutans live in the rainforests of Asia. All orangutan species are classified as “critically endangered”.
4. Bonobos
Bonobos share 98.7% of DNA with humans (our other closest living relative). Bonobos also share 99.6% of DNA with chimpanzees. They are often referred to as “the smaller chimpanzee”. Bonobos are found in Africa, only south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Bonobos are classified as “endangered”.
5. Humans
Timeline (dating back to 65 million years ago):
Skeletal Comparisons:
This week we welcomed back former staff caregiver Sam to the sanctuary! She’s visiting her chimp and human friends for a couple of days and has graciously volunteered some of her vacation time to help out around the place. Seeing a returning familiar face is quite enriching to the chimpanzees.
Burrito easily switches between play…
and walk modes…
Sam serves Terry some lunch:
Cy gives Sam a sweet greeting:
Jamie makes sure Sam’s grooming skills are up to par.
