Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Archives for November 2025

Role Models

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One of the reasons why we chose to introduce George to Cy’s group, at least to start, is that he needs some good role models. Having lived alone or with only one other chimpanzee for most of his life, he never had the opportunity to fully develop his social skills. And that can have serious consequences. Failure to follow the rules of a social group can get a chimp into trouble pretty quickly, especially when entering the group alone. We love Jamie and Willy B as people, but as leaders of their respective groups, they each leave a lot to be desired. They might be tough, but they are also insecure, capricious, and generally self-interested. I have a hard time imagining either of them sticking their neck out to defend a naive newcomer like George.

Cy and Rayne, on the other hand, are exemplars of true leadership. In addition to being tough, they are also kind, fair, tolerant, and forgiving. One way to think about the process that George is going through right now is that this is his chance to make mistakes. I hate to see him get in scuffles or to be in distress, but I can’t help thinking to myself: Screw up now George, it’s only going to get more difficult from here! We want him to offend Rayne when Rayne gets to decide how to respond, and not Rayne trailed by four other screaming chimps. We want him to learn about the privilege of dominance, and the price paid for disrespect, when Cy is the one doing the teaching.

George has proven himself to be up for the challenge of learning to be a chimp—as long as he keeps paying attention to his teachers.

Quiet Contemplation

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This afternoon, weather-wise, was kind of perfect. The air was still. It was overcast, but not cold. For Jamie, it was walking weather. She invited me to join her on a stroll (with me outside of the fence, of course).

Soon, Burrito and Missy joined.

 

In the distance, in the Bray outdoor enclosure, I could see a figure watching. Perhaps waiting…

I was pretty sure I knew who it was, but I went around to get a better look. Sure enough, Honey B was having some alone time outside.

I may have been over interpreting Jamie’s behavior, but it seemed to me that Jamie was encouraging Honey B to walk in parallel with us.

Even with Jamie’s friendly pauses, looking Honey B’s way, Honey B didn’t join the patrol.

She did explore more of the Bray, though.

Jamie frequently stopped, looking into the distance in the same way Honey B was. I felt they were spending time together, just yards apart.

 

At one point, Honey B craned her neck to see who was coming out of the Chute to join her.

It was Mave!

 

It wasn’t that long ago that both Honey B and Mave refused to go outside.

Today, with the stillness and calm, I felt honored to be a witness to their enjoyment of this space they have. Where they can roam. Or sit and quietly contemplate.

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Willy B

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Every year as the temperatures drop and we prepare for winter, the Greenhouse panels go up as a form of insulation, and we set up the heaters. By insulating and heating the Greenhouses, the chimps are able to utilize their outdoor spaces despite the cold weather and/or snowy conditions.

The other day, we found Willy B posted up in front of the heater, letting his hair blow and mouth hang open. This was surprising because the chimps don’t typically acknowledge the heaters. It’s nice to see that Willy B is making the most out of these cooler days!

Willy B’s birthday is in just two weeks! If you’d like to get him a gift, we are hoping to get more bouncy balls purchased off of our Amazon and Chewy wishlist for his birthday party! Thank you so much!

 

George+Cy+Terry

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The introduction process continued this morning as Terry joined Cy and George for a successful day. Terry is set to return to his group this evening so we can make way for another triad introduction later in the week.

Bouncy Ball Mayhem & Mystery

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Willy B has always had an undeniable love for enrichment that makes a lot of noise such as slinkies, boxes, and his new love, bouncy balls. When he gets a hold of the bouncy balls, chaos ensues- bouncing erratically, rolling around, and a whole lot of noise. When Willy B’s group goes into the mezzanine we often give him 1 or 2 through the food chute, if he doesn’t have one already. It seems to be pure joy for Willy B! Recently, the bouncy balls have been mysteriously appearing outside the enclosures. And because we could not catch anyone in the act, we caregiver started coming up with our own theories!

  • Could it be that Willy B’s exuberant play is causing the balls to bounce through the gaps between the ceiling and the mesh? Some believed he was launching them with such intensity that they were escaping entirely, defying physics in the process.
  • Others theorized that the balls might be slipping out through the food chute, carried by the force of Willy B’s powerful throws.
  • But there was also a strong suspicion that his mischievous friend, Honey B, might be the true culprit, secretly tossing the balls out and enjoying the mayhem from afar.

At last, the mystery was solved when we watched Honey B on the security camera this morning. In the beginning, it seemed like she just wanted a little peace and quiet away from Willy B’s wild bouncing sessions, but as you’ll see in the video, she ended up having a lot of fun with those bouncy balls herself!

With Willy B’s 35th birthday just around the corner, we’d love to fill his space with all kinds of new bouncy balls to fit the theme of his birthday party “Bouncy Ball Mayhem”. You can help make his birthday extra special by adding to his collection through our Amazon and Chewy wish lists. Let’s make sure he has a chaotic birthday!

The Ghost of Marmot Mountain

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I was cleaning in the Mezzanine recently when I glanced at the window that looks into the Marmot Mountain Playroom. To my surprise, all I saw was a pair of dangling legs and white-ish sheet hanging from the ceiling. Though October, the traditional Spooky Season, has come and gone, this individual was not accepting of that fact. This individual clearly thinks Spooky Season is a year round celebration, like her mother.

Can you guess who the ghost of Marmot Mountain is?