Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Anna

Morning with Jo

by

The chimpanzees each have their own morning routines. Jody, the self imposed “manager” of the group, usually sticks pretty close to her schedule.

Don’t forget about the Database of Chimpanzee Enrichment!

by

Have you checked out our Database of Chimpanzee Enrichment? On this site we keep track of all the fun food puzzles and other items we give to the chimps. We are always looking for new enrichment ideas to try at the sanctuary and share with the chimpanzee caregiver community, so please feel free to share our site with anyone who might be able to benefit or contribute new ideas to our page!

Here’s Jamie using the treat rock food puzzle (filmed May of last year):

Chimpanzee Time

by

Last Sunday we all changed the clocks back an hour, but the chimps have no use for telling the time (other than when their stomachs tell them it’s time to eat). Rather than changing the chimps’ schedule and routine, the humans change their own work schedule. During the winter months we start work an hour earlier and in the spring we start an hour later. This way the chimpanzees get to remain blissfully unaware of springing forward or falling back.

Jamie’s nesting schedule remains the same: whenever she feels like it!

Jamieween preview!

by

Jamie turned 40 today, so I want to make sure to do her birthday video justice… Therefore, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to watch it. Until then, I leave you with these before and after teaser photos.

I thought they’d had enough pumpkin, but as I closed up, Negra was still eating this last piece laying down in her nest.

Happy Jamieween!

Burrito and Foxie

by

In free-living populations of chimpanzees, male chimps are the dominant group leaders. At the sanctuary, this is not the case. While Burrito, the only male chimpanzee in the group, acts pretty tough when he chases the females around the playroom during his wild displays, he doesn’t really understand how to be a leader, and therefore doesn’t get the same respect in return. Most of his displays end when one of the girls has had enough, and starts leading the cavalry charge against him. Foxie is probably his best friend of the group and he looks to her for a lot of reassurance. Foxie is more than happy to be the calm presence in his life that he needs, but is also ready to put him in his place if he pushes her too far.

Bonus!
More Negra on the hill this morning, because we can’t get enough!