Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Anna

Welcome Fall!

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Yesterday was the first day of Fall, and like most of us, the chimps love the mild weather that comes along with it. Today we had PERFECT sunshine, a light breeze, and 65 degrees! The chimps couldn’t get enough, each taking advantage of the weather in their own way.

Multiple long walks were taken by all (except Negra) out on Young’s Hill. Annie, Missy and Jamie were particularly voracious with their outdoor exploration:

Annie:

Missy:

Missy and Annie:

Jamie:

Foxie was in a silly sunny mood. Lately she has been toting around a cheerful purple haired doll. This morning while I was giving my attention to Jamie at the door to the play room, I looked up and saw the doll spiraling towards my head. Foxie had dropped it on me playfully, but without her usual warning.

Rain that poured earlier in the week brought new green grass and plants to the sanctuary. The fresh shoots seemed to be motivation enough for Negra, Burrito, and Jody to spend a little time outdoors as well.
Negra:

Missy & Negra

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Yesterday during breakfast, volunteer Jake and I watched Missy build an elaborate nest out of blankets and a hanging fire hose which she wove around her blankets in a tight circle. Just as Missy was putting the final touches to her bed, Negra approached with her chow bags in hand and promptly took over Missy’s nest to enjoy the last bit of her breakfast. Missy didn’t bat an eye and quickly moved out of the way for Negra. While to us humans this would seem like an incredibly rude thing to do, this sort of displacement is common in relationships between dominant and subordinate chimpanzees. Missy and Negra have an agreement that when Negra wants something that Missy has, she is going to get it. Missy is very relationship savvy and she very rarely complains when Negra takes things from her (most commonly her primate chow bags). I think there are also some constraints to their agreement, as Missy willingly gives up things that don’t mean that much to her, and Negra knows she can easily take things that Missy isn’t too attached to. This relationship seems to suit them both just fine.

Missy (on a different day, building a similar nest)

Negra (on a different day, napping in a similar nest)

Ever wondered?

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You might have a few questions running through the back of your mind after watching this video of Jamie and Burrito playing:

Well we’ve got answers!

Question 1:
What’s the story with the big pink bottoms?
Answer: Female chimpanzees have large pink swellings (called “sexual swellings”) on their rear ends. These swellings vary in size both between individuals, and also in the same individual over the course of the menstrual cycle. They advertise a female’s fertility by letting a male know when the probability of conception is at its peak. In this video, Jamie’s bottom is not very swollen, and therefore she is not at peak fertility.

Question 2:
Why are Burrito’s testicles so large?
A: Since chimpanzees are not a monogamous species, and a female chimp may have multiple mating partners in a relatively short window of time, male chimpanzees engage in what is known as “sperm competition” – a male who can produce a large number of viable sperm has a better chance of producing offspring. Large testicles are useful for accommodating these large quantities of sperm. Additionally, Burrito has a chronic heart condition that can lead to swelling in the scrotum.

Question 3:
Do the chimpanzees ever mate with each other?
A: No. Many chimpanzees who grow up in impoverished, unnatural situations (like research labs) often develop abnormally and don’t exhibit typical social and sexual behavior. It’s also possible that the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees consider themselves a family after living together as a group for so long, and therefore don’t view each other as viable mating partners. As an added precaution, Burrito has had a vasectomy.