Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for April 2025

Quality Time with Mave and Dora

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One of the best parts about this job is watching the chimps spend quality time with each other. A few days ago, I was walking past Dora and Mave grooming and they barely noticed I was filming because they were so engrossed with each other. Watching interactions like this is always a reminder to slow down and savor the time we have with the ones we care about. Click here to watch Mave and Dora groom!

It’s Wednesday so obviously there are bonus photos!

Cy:

Terry:

I wanted to share some photos of Jo, because I am always thinking about her, but especially today. She is always and forever in our hearts.

 

In memory of Jody, from Tobin

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On this second anniversary of our beloved Jody’s death, Tobin has sponsored a day of sanctuary in her memory for which she shared these thoughts:

“At the end of March, a friend and I attended a funeral mass. As we left the church, I told my friend: ‘Most weddings are the same, but every funeral is different.’I elaborated that I had attended some obsequies which, due to the character of the departed, were indeed (as the euphemism has it) ‘Celebrations of life.’ I gave of a friend, born in 1932, who had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1958. Four decades later, she attained her final victory over her ailment. ‘Even in her final months’, I said, ‘when she was almost thin as a skeleton, her inner beauty seemed to illuminate even more.’

On this somber anniversary I am reminded of what I found – and continue to cherish – that so endeared me to Jody. My desk where I reside is graced with several photographs of her. They capture the beauty of her brown eyes, the drooping lower lip of her smile, the pert folds of her ears, the look of her delight as she carries in her forage from Young’s Hill. As Jody cradles a pumpkin in her arms, I can almost hear her joyous dinosaur’s groan.

Pleasing as it is to look at these photographs, they can only begin to intimate what I found even more beautiful about Jody: her heart and soul, her embrace of life in the Cascade Mountains with those she loved: Negra, Annie, Missy, Burrito, Jamie, and her dear friend Foxie, and the human caregivers who provided for her needs and, at last gave her a life worth living.

Once again, I am reminded of how I miss seeing Jody roaming the landscape of Young’s Hill. In the absence of her body, I am – we are – left with the beauty which illuminated from the heart and soul of Jody. And that beauty, the good treasure of her heart by which Jody lived, is a grace beyond gold.”

Jody, Missy, Annie, Burrito, and Foxie:

Negra and Jody:

Good Morning Cardio

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Over the course of the years, you may have seen some of the videos posted by other caregivers of them greeting the chimpanzees in the morning. Most of those videos include head nodding, breathy panting, kisses, grooming, etc. Nice slow and calm morning greeting one could expect. But not all caregivers are greeted in the morning the same way. My mornings usually consist of some kind of cardio activity.

Note: The video has been sped up as to not allow the video to stay in it’s nearly 20 minute length it was. I was going to add some music to accompany the video, but I think it’s better with the pitter patters and chimpmunk (see what I did there) voices. And if you’re looking at the time stamps of the footage, the time stamps are different by an hour. This is because there are two security camera systems. From time to time they have to be calibrated so the times can sync up. It was when find this footage I realize I had forgotten to calibrate them after Daylight Savings Time. (They’re sync’d now.)

 

The 7th Annual Running of the Cows

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It’s time for another Running of the Cows, wherein our small herd of rescued bovines – Betsy, Honey, and Meredith – leave their winter pasture and head for the hills! The first stop this spring is the south pasture, by the Bray, where they are greeted by Terry, Gordo, Rayne, and a cautiously excited Cy.

Meredith’s arthritis treatments at WSU College of Veterinary Medicine seem to have been worthwhile, as she was able to keep up with her mom and Betsy all the way to the south pasture (though, like me, she is probably a bit sore today).

While the cows are enjoying their green pastures, we’ll be finishing their new feed barn. This barn will be used primarily for hay and straw storage, which will be necessary when we dismantle the old barn near the chimp house to make way for the new staff and volunteer building. But it will also be used as a sheltered feeding area, making room in the current cattle barn for more cows to sleep comfortably. Who knows, maybe another rescued cow or two will join our family when the time is right?

Remembering Jody

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For me, almost everything about spring reminds me of Jody.

The lilacs are beginning to bud, and we’ll soon be into May, the month that we celebrate Jody’s birthday and her tender and motherly ways.

We are so lucky to have known her.

We are so lucky she was with us for as long as she was.

We are so lucky we got to be with her as she fully enjoyed her sanctuary life.

 

The Magic of Dora

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As J.B. discussed in a recent blog, Willy B, Mave, Dora, and Honey B are currently living together in a subgroup. We are and will continue to monitor the subgroups to determine what our path forward will look like, but for now I wanted to share some wins with you all!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed (and will see in today’s blog video), Honey B and Dora are keeping up with their rigorous play schedule. Mave joins in at times, but seems to prefer the quiet moments grooming with Dora. Willy B has been noticeably more playful with caregivers, engaging in more games of chase and his newfound love of being tickled with a long-handled spoon (Caregiver Krissy even got a play face from him while tickling him recently! Somewhat blurry proof included below)!

The other morning, as we were preparing for our team huddle to discuss the day, we heard chimp laughter. We all looked to the cameras and saw Willy B and Dora playing! We saw with our own eyes the magic of Dora. Willy B can play a little rough at times, and some of his playful slaps were getting to be too much. With some chimps, this would have easily escalated into a fight, but Dora kept giving him opportunities to alter his play style and be more gentle, then eventually screamed at him to let him know that was enough. The scream was brief, Willy B stopped what he had been doing, and just a few minutes later they were back to playing again. Dora seems to often bring out the best in those around her with her playful spirit and tolerance of weirdness. I’m glad to report that she is doing well in this current subgroup, and am grateful for her silly side and the patience she extends our oftentimes awkward friend, Willy B.

Me, Myself, and I (Willy B version)

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A few days ago, Dora, Honey B, and Mave had no desire to shift into the Mezzanine. However, Willy B did shift, no problem. We then had to make an alternative route for the girls so that we could clean the space they were in (the front rooms). This meant that Willy B got alone time for an hour. And man, did he take advantage of it!

I was cleaning the front rooms, which is located directly beneath the Mezzanine. I could hear what sounded like 10 chimpanzees playing, but I knew it was just Willy B up there. I knew I had to get the camera footage for this one. Enjoy!