This morning the chimpanzees woke up to the first major blanket of snow for the season. Lucky for all of us, it was also a beautiful, bluebird sunshiny day. Jamie made sure to stretch her legs and taste some of the fresh powder out on Young’s Hill.
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people
-Victor Borge
A perfect sentiment for these two unlikely play partners:
Breakfast with Jody
At the sanctuary, breakfast is probably the most exciting meal of the day. Like humans, the chimps have a sweet tooth, so that makes the primarily fruit based meal all the more enjoyable.
Today the chimps devoured pomegranates:
And they finished their meal off with a couple bags of primate chow:
Not pictured: peanuts, chewable vitamins, and fruit smoothie!
Mr. B.
That first look
Jody is deeply concerned about organization and routine. When the chimpanzees are asked to move out of an area for cleaning in the morning, Jody hangs back to make sure every last chimp has exited. Sometimes she is even helpful to the staff, grabbing blankets that blockade a doorway or ushering out a reluctant family member so we can safely secure a chimp-free room for humans to enter.
Jody is often the first chimpanzee to enter Young’s Hill in the morning. She is wide-eyed and alert, scanning the horizon for intruders and changes to the 2 acre outdoor enclosure.
This sense of urgency is temporary though, after a few moments of vigilance, she can relax and enjoy sunshine, fresh air, and all the benefits that the chimpanzee playground has to offer.
Two moments
From blue cement floors below, to blue skies above
Just over eight years ago, the Cle Elum 7 were living in the windowless basement of the Buckshire Corporation in Pennsylvania. Their entire world consisted of four attached 6×6 cages.
Here’s a little perspective on just exactly what that meant for the chimpanzees:
Take a moment and imagine only being able to climb as high as that cage ceiling or walk as far as the beginning of one wall to the end of the other. It’s truly inconceivable.
A huge part of sanctuary means providing a new multidimensional expansive world for the chimpanzees to enjoy.
When Missy climbed to to the tallest structure on Young’s Hill this morning, she was around 20 feet in the air with an unimpeded view of a lush green valley and rolling mountains. The sun could warm her back and the breeze could tickle her skin. She had 2 acres of grassy hill to run and play on, with several comfortable indoor areas to nap and groom in.
What a difference 8 years can make.