Negra’s life has changed a lot in the last couple of months, but luckily she still seems to find joy in the simple things, like crunching into a perfect heart of romaine lettuce.
Archives for June 2026
The Gatorade Heist
Today was one of those rare quiet and peaceful days where the chimps were all busy doing their own thing. However, I was able to snag a few photos!
Annie ever-so slyly got Negra’s Gatorade bucket that she didn’t finish. Miraculously, Jamie didn’t even get mad once she realized Annie had it. But Burrito and Foxie intensely supervised Annie drinking the bucket of Gatorade. Annie also declined the opportunity to offer or share any.
Missy quickly came to Negra’s side to groom her while nesting.
And Dora had an especially nice morning eating her apples!
Negra enjoying some wild roses and chives on a breezy afternoon.
A Few Portraits
I got a few good photos of Rayne on Saturday when she was lounging with Dora in the Chute. This afternoon, I took a few photos of Negra.
Obviously, I like chimpanzees. I like them for a lot of reasons. For their expressive faces and personalities. For the strength of their wills. For their ability to forgive. For their intelligence. For their mischievousness. For their unapologetic individuality.
I think that all shows up in photos of them:
Rayne:
Negra:
In honor of HRH Negra
Our heartfelt thanks to long-time friends of the sanctuary and all it’s residents, Syd and Diane Marcus, for sponsoring this special day of sanctuary in celebration of Queen Negra!
“Darling Queen, Happy Birthday! You are extraordinary. We Love You So Very Much. Kisses and Hugs, Syd and Diane.”
If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know that we just celebrated Negra’s honorary 53rd birthday! Her birthday is now part of the “Trifecta Jubilee” celebration on June 13th which includes the 18th anniversary of her and her group’s arrival to the sanctuary, and sweet Terry’s birthday.
It’s a privilege to know and care for this incredible, tenacious, inspiring, wonder of a chimpanzee woman every day that we have the joy of her in our lives. We love you, Neggie:
Grooming in the Greenhouse
Of the many reasons why chimpanzees engage in social grooming (also known as “allogrooming”), hygiene is thought to be one of the least important. Grooming appears to be much more about strengthening bonds, lowering stress levels, and gaining favors. But evidence suggests that hygiene still plays an important role, as chimps often concentrate on parts of the body that are less accessible to their grooming partners. Because of this, there generally aren’t any parts of the body that are off limits, including noses and backsides.
More footage from the Trifecta Jubilee
Yesterday was such a lovely party for everyone. As Ellen said, there was so much footage, we had to split it into more than one video. Her video yesterday captured Negra at the celebration, and today’s captures Terry plus some coconut antics.
We didn’t leave Jody out of the celebration. I put some fresh flowers in the little vase she holds – some lavender and columbine from the side garden by the house.
And here’s Negra with a birthday rose:
And one more shot of her in the afternoon:
When I walked back to the house after the chimps’ parties, I came across this deer sneaking a treat from the cherry tree. Everyone should have a treat on such a special day!
Trifecta Jubilee 2026
Today is one of the biggest holidays on the CSNW calendar, the Trifecta Jubilee! Today we celebrate Negra and Terry’s birthdays, as well as the arrival anniversary of the Cle Elum 7. Today’s video follows Negra as she celebrates her 53rd birthday.
With Negra’s mobility challenges over the past few months, we weren’t sure if we would get to celebrate another birthday with her. We have enjoyed every minute we got to spend celebrating with her today, and tried to fill her day with all of her favorite things. Today’s menu included coconuts, lychee, figs, romaine lettuce, sugar snap peas, Hawaiian rolls, cornbread, pancake hearts with whipped peanut butter, mini banana cream pies, sparkling cider, banana leaves, and homegrown grape vines from Caregivers Diana and JB’s house, as well as roses from Caregiver Sabrina’s garden. Dinner is coming up, and will include baked sweet potatoes and coconut whipped cream.
The most rewarding part of the day was seeing Negra get to spend another few hours with her whole group, something she hasn’t been able to do since her mobility first declined in March. She gets daily visits from several friends at a time, but has not lived in the whole group due to the risk of fighting and Negra either not being able to get away, or accidentally getting hurt while trying to get away. We decided early on in navigating her mobility challenges that the risks of a fall in the playroom were too great to give her access, and the playroom is an important space for the group as a whole. To reduce the risk of having her with the whole group today, we closed the group out of the playroom and then let Negra out into the greenhouse with them, and everyone was able to enjoy the party together. Afterwards, they relaxed and groomed until it was time to go back inside.
I think it’s safe to say that Negra enjoyed her day. Turn the volume up to hear many happy food squeaks!
