Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Sometimes the chimpanzees choose to incorporate enrichment into their usual games (for added fun). This morning, Missy raced around Young’s Hill while wearing a white infinity scarf. Speaking of enrichment… have you checked out our Database of Chimpanzee Enrichment? We are still looking for ideas from other chimpanzee care facilities. If your organization has an idea they wish to contribute, check out our submission guidelines!
At Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, each of the chimpanzees have found their own personal happiness and comfort. Sometimes happiness comes in the form of an object like cowboy boots for Jamie or troll dolls for Foxie. Sometimes happiness comes in the form of an activity, like Burrito playing chase with his caregivers. For Missy, happiness is truly apparent when you see her sprinting outside on a crisp Autumn day. This morning she was in constant motion, a blur to catch on camera.
It seems proper that Missy is the star of today’s blog, because her story is also featured on our Great Apes Giving Day page (going on now!). We’ve just started the countdown for the last seven hours of the Great Apes Giving Day fundraising, with one chimp featured each hour. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter to see a highlight about each of the chimps.
Today was an exciting day! Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest had the honor of hosting some amazing passionate humans of the primate sanctuary community! This past week, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) held their 2 day conference (this year in Tacoma, Washington). Sanctuary founders, directors, coordinators, caregivers and allies discussed a diverse number of topics such as the founding of primate sanctuaries, visitor policies and their effects, and compassion fatigue.
This morning, many of the conference attendees loaded onto a bus and made the drive to our sanctuary for a visit to the chimpanzees. We aren’t normally set up for larger group tours,so there were a few things that needed to be rearranged first..
We also set up a lunch tent for the humans to relax in.
Upon arrival, visitors split into smaller groups so they could eat lunch, get a look at some behind the scenes spaces, walk around Young’s Hill, and view the chimps enjoying multiple lunch forages.
Here, part of the group watches the chimps forage on Young’s Hill.
Negra and Annie during the forage:
Foxie and Dora:
After our visitors left, JB returned an important item to its rightful place next to the barn, and the chimpanzees continued to leisurely forage on this beautiful early fall day.
Thanks to all our visitors, volunteers, and staff for making today possible! Thanks also to NAPSA for arranging this fantastic 2016 workshop!
Annie:
It may be hard for some to believe, but Jamie chimpanzee can be a bit, ahem.. self centered. A good example of this is when she is watching videos (generally displayed on a phone or tablet). She has a general interest in most videos, but as soon as she sees herself in one of those videos, she is utterly fixated. This is where the forward facing camera on a phone comes in handy. A firm grip on my phone (outside her reach), a scratch resistant screen, and a bamboo tool for Jamie, make for a pretty interesting interaction.
Watch for some pretty subtle lip smacking as Jamie grooms her reflection:
Yesterday we celebrated Annie’s 42nd birthday! Today we bring you a bonus video from the bird themed breakfast forage party we put together in the greenhouse. Keep a lookout for an owl pinata, delicious fresh coconut, and a book about animals!
Today started with cold grey skies, as much needed rain soaked the sanctuary property. Just at the moment the chimps gained morning access to Young’s Hill, the clouds broke, the sun came out, and Jamie requested her first perimeter walk with caregiver in tow .
September 1st is International Primate Day everybody! I honestly didn’t know such a day existed until recently, but I’m glad it does. The term “primate” is a biological classification, which of course encompasses humans, but I think this day was meant to celebrate the non-human variety. There are a lot of terms that get thrown around interchangeably when we talk about chimpanzees, some of which are accurate, and some not so much. I think one of the most common mistakes humans use when they talk about chimps is to call them “monkeys.” Chimpanzees are in fact large bodied apes. One good way to determine if you are looking at an ape vs. a monkey? Look for a tail. Chimpanzees and other apes don’t have tails and are generally larger than other primates.
I’m grateful to know all the special primates in my life like Burrito, who was kind enough to pose for photos in the portrait studio this afternoon.
If you are interested in helping support the seven non-human primates that call Cle Elum home (and the future developments at the sanctuary), check out the online auction that is happening NOW!
