There can never be enough parties!!!
That must be one of our mantras here at CSNW. After celebrating HOOT! 2023 yesterday evening, we rolled into the chimp house this morning ready to celebrate again. Today, though, we are celebrating Annie’s 49th birthday! Like Jenna wrote in her blog yesterday, it truly takes a village to support the chimpanzees and cattle in our care. Thank you to everyone who participated in HOOT! yesterday, whether in person or remotely. It’s really wonderful to be surrounded by a community such as this one.
Today, we celebrated Annie’s 49th. It’s always shocking to me when I remember Annie’s age, because (for me) she is timeless.
Annie is a special lady. She is what we refer to as a ‘chimps chimp’, in that she prefers spending time with her group mates rather than with humans. She lets others in her group take charge and can be anxious at times, but loves spending time with Missy and is known to play rough with Burrito every now and then. She has had a tough journey- we celebrate her birthday on September 10th and we believe it’s possible that she was born in the wild. Before coming to CSNW, she spent her life in biomedical research where she was used in hepatitis vaccine studies. She also had quite a few babies while in the lab, potentially even up to 7, but they were all taken from her. In the lab, she wasn’t given the opportunity to decide how she would be known.
Here at CSNW, she is known for making her unique ‘bird-noises’ when she’s laying down, for washing her face with water that she cups in her hands and rubs vigorously across her forehead which leaves the hair on the top of her forehead all spiky. She is known for walking (or even running) bipedally while out on the hill, and for her love of human toes and comfy nests. Us humans often know when spring is coming after a long winter when we find Annie wearing one of her beloved head bands around her waist. She is sweet, kind, and often quiet, but will adventure to the top of Young’s Hill with her best pal, Missy. If you’re serving her, she will let you know if you are taking too long (or if she’s not ready to take something yet). Her food grunts when she’s eating something she loves (like pears at breakfast this morning) are deep and soothing.
We love her for exactly who she is.
A big thank you to Paulette Wrisley for sponsoring Annie’s birthday today- from everyone here, thank you for helping us celebrate this special lady!!!
BONUS PHOTOS:
Annie:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Negra:
Aw…HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!! :tada::birthday:
WOW! Great pineapple :pineapple:bowls today!
You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for making Annie’s day so great:heart_eyes:
Thanks again, Paulette!
:thumbsup::heart_eyes:
It’s my PLEASURE!
Happy birthday sweet Annie !
:birthday:
Thank you for the great Video today, I just love Annie’s beautiful face, she looks very youthful to me.:revolving_hearts:
Happy birthday dear Annie! I love seeing the Chimps so happy. Annie has a beautiful face. Thanks to Paulette dor sponsoring today and everyone fir the great party.
Happy 49th Birthday, sweet Annie. Those Melon bowls looked delish! Speaking of delish, the food at the HOOT last night was definitely that.
It’s so beautiful to see how excited the chimps get when they see the goodies coming! Do they understand when it’s a party or celebration as opposed to a delicious meal?
I think the presentation being extra special makes the day “different” for them, even if they don’t know exactly why.
But I, too, have wondered if, after 13 yrs, the 7 didn’t fall into some sort of “rhythm of expectation” around Christmas, New Year, and then shortly after, Burrito’s birthday. Just as we start thinking about certain things at certain times of year.
Wow, Grace, you were tech person last night and party planner today! That’s a full weekend!
The bowls looked yummy!
Corn, pears AND pineapple! What more could they ask for!? Always happy to see Neggie reach some pineapple, and Jamie obviously didn’t hog all of the pears!
Sweet Annie….. Washing her face….hmmmm….. I think she knew from all the Whispers she had a Special Day to look forward to…..Forever Youthful…… Happy Birthday..:kissing_heart:
:corn::pear::pear::pineapple::pineapple:
I would definitely look a lot younger and much more hydrated if I ate all the veggies that they do!
Thanks, Paulette, for your sponsorship and commitment to the chimps’ lives and happiness. I love watching and hearing them eat with all the the food gunts and lip smacks as if the noises part gives everything extra taste oomph as each last morsel is eaten and each last sip of juice so appreciated. It’s so heartwarming to know that they each have a warm, safe place to play, sleep and grumble with each other and enough food to forage and feast on. I’m so grateful for this entire community!
Happy Birthday, Annie! Thank you to the team for for making this special day possible.
Happy birthday, my sweet pal, Annie! I can see that you are having a fantastic day with friends and celebrating with style. I want you to have many more of these special birthdays. Thank you all at the sanctuary for giving this awesome lady not just a great birthday but also a great life.
Happy birthday to dear Annie, one of the most beautiful chimpanzees in the world. Forty nine years young! I forgot that Annie washes her face. She is simply precious. Oh how I enjoyed watching her munching away up close. And I enjoyed seeing Negra venturing out to join in on the forage celebration. She must have known it was a special day.
Thank you for expanding Annie’s world. I will always admire her bravery. She has come so far.
Happy Birthday Annie? you are loved so much
Thank you Paulette for honoring this sweet lady, Annie, on her birthday. How can we ever understand the trauma Annie has lived thru and still have such kindness for others. We shouid try to follow her example in our own lives. And, what a HOOT. I was so happy enjoying the evening with everyone, making new friends, raising funds for CSNW. We foraged at our table on lovely fruit bowls. Thanks to all the sponsors and donors last night.
A big happy birthday to sweet, wonderful, beautiful Annie!
I think my favorite moment of hers on this blog is from the blog titled “Old Tools, New Ideas” where she stealthily siphons Jamie’s smoothie right from her cup… as she was drinking it! She’s a sweetheart, but I think she can also be a bit sneaky when she wants to be!
I love that one, too! Pretty gutsy, stealing from the Boss!
Indeed! I think Jamie was too surprised to even get upset! That’s why they tell you to always watch out for the quiet ones. You never know when they’ll strike and steal your breakfast!
Eli, I remember this one, but can’t find it….do you gave a date please
Happy birthday, beautiful Annie, I wish you many more happy years at CSNW, thank you Paulette for your generosity – and thank you guys at the sanctuary for taking care of the chimps!
Happy birthday sweet Annie.
I wish beautiful and endearing Annie a happy new year of life. It was heartening to hear the Annie Bird make a happy dinosaur sound during her birthday feast. Thanks to Annie’s enunciation, paleontologists now have a better understanding of how pleased pterodactyls sounded upon satisfying their palates.
First if all, happy brithday to a truly beautiful lady Annie, whos name was also my mothers, so to me its a very special name already. Now the main part, this brought tears to my eyes, both tears of sadness of what Annie endured and tears of happiness for Annie now having, while not full, but near enough freedom to do what she wants. And what realy made me cry is her caregivers, who take such amazing care not only of the chimps, but care in how they present their food. Its not just slapped on something or it being the things that us humans dont want, its beautifully done and presented as if it was a top class restaurant. So thank you and i also to have to say just how much i have fallen in love with Negra. She truly is amazing.