Sunday Leftovers
Today, I decided to share some “leftover” photographs of Mave’s birthday celebration that didn’t make it into earlier posts!
On Thursday, we threw a bash to commemorate Mave’s 32nd trip around the sun. The party- planned to perfection by Chad, the sanctuary’s Enrichment Coordinator- featured whole coconuts, giant banana leaves, pineapple bowls, and massive heads of iceberg lettuce. Anna posted and amazing video from the event on Thursday, and Diana shared another fun clip on Saturday of Honey B enjoying the sandbox well after the party!
Now, here are some still images to complement their media coverage of the festivities. Enjoy!
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Mave immediately grabbed a coconut and ran away to devour it in peace.
Then, Mave also annihilated an entire pineapple stuffed with iceberg lettuce.
Honey B preferred to drink her coconut by the pool.
(Sadly, I didn’t get any good photos of Willy B because he was running around scarfing down all the lettuce and stomping on coconuts.)
On the other side of the building, the neighboring group of chimps had an equally amazing birthday bash in honor of Mave. Since they can hear and see each other, it would be unfair to leave them out of the fun, and they seemed to appreciate all the same appetizers, entrées, and desserts.
Jody, forager extraordinaire, swiftly grabbed a coconut and then went back out for peppers afterward.
Annie found a coconut and loudly slurped all the liquid from inside. The sound was kind of gross, to be honest, but it was funny that we could hear it from 100 feet away.
Missy went after the lettuce, but had to acknowledge Jamie before she could run away and eat it all in privacy.
Negra’s strategy was to chase everyone else and beg them for food. It works sometimes.
Foxie “flew under the radar” during this forage. She was barely visible as she ate iceberg lettuce atop a distant platform.
After displacing Missy from her perch on the Treat Rock, Jamie harvested a bunch of coconuts, iceberg and peppers. Even though she paused to sip on a coconut, she had a hard time carrying it all back into the Greenhouse.
Burrito’s manner of transporting lettuce and coconuts made us all chuckle. At one point, he gave up trying to hold it all and just kicked his coconut downhill towards the Greenhouse.
Thank you to everyone who sponsors chimps, donates items, follows and engages with our online media and supports the sanctuary! Once again, you facilitated another memorable birthday party for Mave and her companions.
The CSNW Mixed Tape
One of the most flattering things you can do for someone is to compile a list of songs just for them.
Regardless of the medium, playlists are powerful way to express friendship, interest, attraction, love, respect, gratitude… or even to just say “this music is good and you’re cool.” It doesn’t seem to matter whether you record the tracks on a cassette tape, burn them on a blank CD, transfer them as MP3s to someone’s iPod, or share them as a link to a streaming service… the symbolic act of sharing a curated piece of your music collection seems to be timeless.
Today, I’ve put together a mixed tape for all of you followers because, to be clear, you’re all pretty cool. Each track in the playlist represents one of the sanctuary’s residents thanks to something in the song title, artist name, or lyrical content that relates to their personality. I’ve included photos of the corresponding chimpanzees and bovines for your enjoyment, with a link for listening at the end.
Without further ado, here are the tracks in recommended listening order:
- “Annie’s Song” by John Denver Denver wrote this song while admiring the Rocky Mountains from a ski lift. If anyone likes to admire alpine views as much as he did, it’s Annie.
- “Burritos” by Sublime
If Burrito was a genre of music, he’d probably be something energetic and goofy that you can skank to… like Sublime’s legendary ska-punk. - “Foxey Lady” by Jimi Hendrix
Nobody rocked harder than Hendrix… except perhaps Foxie. It’s easy to imagine her writing a spicy song like this about her new favorite doll. - “You Are Not Alone” by Mavis Staples
Mave, like Mavis, can perform as a powerful individual or as a member of the group. Either way, they’re both smooth and soulful icons, and they’ve got your back. - “Willy’s Song” by Rayland Baxter
Although the themes are more serious, this is an upbeat Americana song for lounging in and exploring the outdoors (just like Willy B likes to do). - “Honeybee” by The Head and The Heart
This warm, melodic pop song by one of Washington state’s own is good for serenely making a big nest of blankets in your favorite nook. This activity also happens to be part of Honey B’s nightly routine. - “Jody” by America
Just as the namesake of this song stole folk-rock songwriter Russ Ballard’s heart, Jody’s tender nature will steal yours. She’ll take all your veggies, too. - “La Camisa Negra” by Juanes
This Colombian rock song was a hit in Latin America… and with my high school Spanish teacher, who made us translate it dozens of times. Thanks to those exercises, I now know that Negra means the color “black” in Spanish. - “Honey, I’m Home” by Shania Twain
Shania is beloved by divas and country folks alike, bringing her blue-collar heritage to stadiums around the globe. You know who else has a bold attitude and fashionable look despite staying true to her wholesome country roots? Honey, the matriarch of the sanctuary’s rescued bovines. - “Betsy” by Billie Marten
To be honest, I’m not sure what this muted, politically-charged song from 2019 has to do with Betsy, the rescued Jersey cow. Still, it’s a decent song and it’s the only one I could find with her name in the title. - “Jamie All Over” by Mayday Parade
The mid-2000s flavor of pop-punk was defined by anthems that rocked hard, but most of the lyrics alluded to awkward romantic themes that resonated with moody teenagers at the time. Jamie Chimpanzee, like so many of that genre’s defining hits, has a soft and sensitive core guarded by a tense and prickly exterior. - “Nutmeg” by Ghostface Killah (feat. RZA)
Is there a genre that successfully emulates the laid-back, confident demeanor of an enormous steer like Nutmeg? East Coast hip-hop with some R&B samples might do the trick. This track is something to graze on. - “Missy” by The Airborne Toxic Event
The SoCal band’s frontman wrote this about a person with the same name whom he admired, but sometimes I wonder if Missy would prefer some high-tempo music to work out to. A throwback jam by Missy Elliot, maybe? - “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac
Like Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (who split during the writing of this amazing album), sometimes its best to go off and do your own thing. Meredith is the most aloof and independent of the cattle, so this song is representative of her spirit.
Anyway, that’s the random collection of songs that I’ve assembled for your listening pleasure. I even made the mix into a public playlist on Spotify, so you can stream it by clicking here if you have an account!
Let me know if there are any songs that remind you of the sanctuary’s primate and bovine residents, and I can add them to the list!
“If you build it, chimps will come.”
Sometimes, the development of the sanctuary feels oddly like the plot of Field of Dreams. Instead of building a baseball diamond in the middle of an Iowa cornfield to attract the ghosts of early ballplayers, we’re constructing a facility in the foothills of the Cascades to rescue chimpanzees. It’s practically the same thing. “If you build it, chimps will come.”
Truthfully, the incremental growth of the sanctuary is serious work, and the immense contributions of specialized contractors is one aspect of the ongoing expansion effort that we don’t often highlight on our social media channels. Today, I’m using the daily blog to show some appreciation for their work.
We’ve had some great teams building various components of the new areas, from the foundation to the exterior paint. Recently, the crew from Sage Mechanical, LLC completed the hydraulic doors and steel caging in the new playroom enclosures (which now provide a comfortable indoor space for chimps) and resumed work on the adjacent greenhouses.
Sage Mechanical is based in Yakima and led by our friend Gary McInnis. The first project they completed for us was 2019’s “Phase 1” of the expansion effort (including the enclosures where Honey B, Mave and Willy B currently reside) and we’re happy to have them on board for 2020-2021’s “Phase 2.”
Carrying out an expansion project at a chimpanzee sanctuary can be difficult when the facility is already home to ten chimpanzees, but Gary’s squad has the right attitude for it; They’re always willing to work around the chimps’ schedules and preferences so that the construction causes minimal disruption to their daily lives. When not moving equipment around and welding things together, the guys are interested in the individual chimpanzees and are eager to learn more about them from the caregivers. His crew has also been great about following the stringent COVID-19 protocols designed to protect the chimps and human staff from possible exposure, which we require and greatly appreciate.
Although they don’t interact with the chimps directly, the people working on the new enclosures are not completely separate. For example, the chimps living in adjacent enclosures and the guys on Gary’s team can watch each other through the bulletproof playroom windows. Occasionally, the chimps will even greet the crew members when they show up for work in the morning. The chimps seem to have habituated to the presence of Gary and his “regular” crew of Aaron, Jim and Jose, and it seems like the ongoing construction can be a form of environmental enrichment for them. We also ensure that the chimps have access to other areas so they aren’t forced to be within view if they prefer otherwise.
Currently, Honey B, Mave and Willy B have front-row seats for the assembly of the new greenhouses. Much like the existing greenhouse enclosure on the other side of the building, the new areas will be multi-level outdoor environments that can be enclosed with solar-radiant panels in the cooler months. Each area will be furnished with organic substrate, live bamboo, wood climbing features, hanging firehose “vines,” and elevated platforms.
The coolest aspect of the new greenhouses will be the central structures, allegedly modeled after the Ewoks’ treetop village from Return of the Jedi. Yesterday, the chimps watched as welders Aaron and Jose built the frame for one of these platforms. We can’t wait to see the chimpanzees explore and grow comfortable in the latest addition to their home!
P.S. This blog’s honorary title is “Hunt for the Welder-people.” This is Chad’s work, but it was too good to leave out. We both love the referenced film.
A PAN-tastic Group of Humans
It’s now been well over a year since we began the “new normal” style of sanctuary operations.
The objective of these changes has been to mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to the chimpanzees. Of course, the nuclear staff cannot stop interacting with the chimps entirely, so we’ve found other ways to meet their daily needs while maintaining a bubble of safety around them. To facilitate this social “quarantine,” we had to sadly cancel many on-site initiatives powered by our extended community of volunteers, interns, and local supporters.
The need for social distancing hasn’t stopped these people from contributing to the organization on a Major-League level, though.
In a recent blog post, Diana described the remarkable work that our volunteer corps is continuing to do during the pandemic. We know that many of the volunteers and interns would be helping at to take care of the chimps if public health conditions allowed for it, but they’ve found ways to help the sanctuary regardless. Take that, SARS-CoV-2!
Today’s blog is dedicated to the members of Central Washington University’s Primate Awareness Network (PAN), who have provided crucial support this year by planning creative and fun events for the sanctuary. This year, they arranged an art contest and exhibition at Gallery One in Ellensburg and a smash fundraiser at Dru Bru’s new taproom in Cle Elum. They did all this while hosting a virtual primatology conference, collecting enrichment materials for the chimps from locations around town, helping CSNW staff to enter welfare data into the sanctuary’s new database, and continuing their mission of advocating for primate conservation and welfare via social media outreach. Given all they’ve done for us, the least we can do is to thank this year’s PAN cohort of Ashton, Calvin, Carson, Courtney A., Courtney G., Danna, Jenna, Kelsie, Malcolm, Margaux, Riley and Sydney for all their dedication and enthusiasm.
(To learn more about the Primate Awareness Network, check them out on Facebook or @cwu_primate on Instagram and Twitter. You can see flyers and photos from a couple of their recent events below!)
In addition to heartfelt appreciation, we owe some of them cheerful congratulations as well. They’ve all been advancing their respective research projects outside the sanctuary despite the turmoil of the past year, and all of them are embarking on new adventures, including (but not limited to):
Ashton recently co-authored a paper about COVID-19’s effect on wildlife in the journal Mammal Review and began working at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado.
(Fun Fact: CSNW board member Dr. Lori Sheeran is Ashton’s advisor and also co-authored the paper!)
Carson has been accepted into the Applied Anthropology doctoral program at Texas State University where she will study the microbial ecology of free-ranging chimpanzees in Africa.
Jenna has just accepted a full-time caregiver position at fellow NAPSA member sanctuary Center for Great Apes in Florida and will be starting in June.
Riley, after he defends his graduate thesis, will be getting married this summer!
(Jenna suggested I link to his registry but we don’t want to mix it up with our own Wish List, causing Riley and his partner to receive enrichment puzzles and cleaning supplies while the chimps get new bed linens and cookware.)
It’s sad to watch this cohort of students move on without a proper farewell at the sanctuary, but we’re excited to see the places they will go, the things they will do, and the people they will become. Hopefully, local conditions keep trending in the right direction so that we can gradually incorporate volunteers, interns and visitors back into our routine without increasing the risk to the chimps and staff. For now, we’re just happy to express our gratitude for these people and the time they’ve donated to the sanctuary!
Another Mother’s Day for Jody
It’s Mother’s Day.
At the sanctuary, our celebration of this special day always includes a birthday party for Jody. Her actual date of birth is missing from her original records, but the date aligns with both Jody’s history as a biological mother and her honorary status as the group’s “den mother.”
Like Jody, Annie, Foxie, Missy and Negra (four of the sanctuary’s eight female chimps) also had offspring during their tenure as “breeders” in the laboratory. Altogether, we believe they gave birth to at least twenty-five infants. The newborns were each taken from them shortly after birth by the company that owned the chimps, and the separated infants were destined to be raised by humans in nurseries and sold as biomedical research subjects. At the time, this was a life sentence for chimps.
As advocates began to successfully pressure the laboratories to retire their captive chimpanzees from research, some of the aforementioned offspring were lucky enough to find sanctuary homes. In fact, Missy’s daughter Honey B found her way to CSNW thirteen years after her mother- almost three decades after they were pulled apart at birth. The two don’t seem to recognize each other or have any special bond, which is unsurprising given that chimpanzee social bonds are maintained through lifelong interaction and communication, not mere genetic relatedness or physical likeness. Still, they sometimes behave in ways that reveal some similarities that may be more than just coincidence, giving a bit of magic to their familial relationship.
I won’t add much more since we have written about this topic in the past and I feel like other staff could offer more heartfelt and insightful perspectives than mine. All I have to say is that, as someone who watches Jody interact with her companions and surroundings on a daily basis, she is a natural protector and shepherd to all around her.
Jody would have been an excellent mother to those nine children. She got robbed of that experience, and so did they.
The gravity of that injustice cannot be expressed through any words that I know.
The best that we can do now is provide Jody and her friends with a safe and comfortable sanctuary home, with opportunities to live a fulfilling life, and tirelessly advocate for non-humans who are still being exploited elsewhere.
So, on this well-deserved Mother’s Day, we celebrated not just Jody but all the mothers in our lives who have helped us to grow, learn, and live meaningful lives. We’re thankful that you exist and we love you all.
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Finally, since I was unable to take many photos while filming the embedded video, Chad was willing to share some images he captured of the big event!
Annie:
Jody:
Missy:
Burrito:
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P.S. Just in case you missed the usual title pun, I almost named this post “JO Mother, Where Art Thou?” but decided to keep it a bit more serious this week. I’ll think of something really corny for the next post. I promise.
The Time Lapse Experiment
I recently started playing around with a function on my new camera: time lapse photography.
To create a time lapse piece, I set the camera on a tripod and program it to automatically take an exposure every five seconds for an extended time (up to an hour in most cases). The camera’s processor then compiles the image files into a video that I can edit and share as a movie.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the various settings in different lighting conditions and locations, trying to get angles that capture daily activity around the sanctuary. Like landscape photography and astrophotography, time lapses require trial, error, and patience.
In my limited experience, the simplest approach is to fine-tune the settings and then let the camera’s lens, sensor and processor do their respective jobs without interruption. With luck, the camera delivers a final product that is comparable to (or better than) the piece I imagined in my head. If not, I can scrap the idea entirely or make adjustments and try again.
I hope you all enjoy the results of these preliminary experiments!