Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
We couldn’t have provided this day for Mr. B without the many donations sent in by all of you. Thanks SO much for being a part of the family!!
Annie gulping down some spaghetti:
Burrito getting some reassurance from Keith:
Foxie running bipedally with as many oranges as she can carry:
Negra with a whole watermelon:
Jody trying to contain her excitement and quietly wander off with her watermelon:
Here’s a video of the chimps coming out for Burrito’s party. You’ll see (and hear) Burrito being very excited! I’m not sure if we’d posted video before of the bipedal behavior you’ll see in this video. He grabs the outside of his thighs and side-steps around. This is not a natural chimpanzee behavior. It may be one that he made up on his own, or it may be something he was taught to do during his years as an entertainer. He does it a lot when he’s excited about his favorite thing – FOOD!
PS. Special thanks to Shelly C for providing lots and lots of the produce!
It’s the big B’s big day!! He is such a happy guy. We had a lunchtime party consisting of presents (of course!), chestnuts, coconuts, frozen oranges and watermelon, cranberries, pomegranates, a birthday tree (since we didn’t have a holiday tree) and Burrito’s favorite meal: spaghetti! Here’s a quick video of his excitement at seeing the spaghetti! More pics and videos shortly!
People often ask about how much physical contact we have with the chimps. Very little! We never go into an enclosure with the chimps. They have each other for hugs and kisses – they don’t need us. Plus, they are so powerful that even a gentle tap could injure us. We would never put them in that sort of jeopardy. BUT, we do tickle and groom them through the fence (though our fingers never cross the plane of the fencing – we stay on our side of the fence and they stay on theirs!). Jamie really likes to check out people’s shoes… Here’s a pic from this afternoon of her checking out my red clogs!
Once in a while we put juice, tea, and other drinks into buckets and pans outside the chimps’ enclosure. Then we give them long tubes to use as straws. It’s fun and gives them a project to work on for a little while. Here are some pics!
Jody:
Jamie and Missy (Jamie worked on the watermelon juice for about an hour, making sure she got all possible drops) :
Thanks so much to everyone for making this a year to remember for the Cle Elum Seven! Here are some top moments of 2008. Be sure to share your lists in the comments!
June 13, 2008: The day the chimps arrived at CSNW. I still remember the flutter I had in my belly when the chimps’ trailer backed up the driveway! Best flutter ever.
August 26, 2008: The chimps’ first day outside. Negra, who probably hadn’t walked on dirt since she was captured from the wild, was the last to join us in the sunshine. Fitting for the queen! And who could forget how excited Burrito was? Missy’s giant playface made us all laugh and cry.
December 13, 2008: First snow. The chimps love it (especially as a snack)!
Jamie’s art: Jamie has such an active imagination. Knowing her now, it’s hard to imagine how her spirit survived being locked up in a tiny cage all those years. We’re so proud to be able to let her express her creativity!
Foxie’s trolls: Today, Foxie is a total goof of a sweatheart who is always – ALWAYS – up for play. We credit her adopting of Trixie (her first troll) as having at least a little something to do with her transformation into such a happy girl.
Burrito’s first display: I remember the first time I saw Burrito do a full display here at CSNW. What a joy to see him finally be able to show off like a big man.
Negra’s blankets: I never get tired of the view of Negra sleeping in her nest, head covered, when I first arrive in the morning. Every day it’s a privilege to see!
Annie and Missy’s endless games of chase: These two are inseperable best friends! We love to see them running through the playroom and then out the door to the outdoor area, chasing and laughing as they go. And of course, when they’re wearing socks (on hands or feet) they are even more silly!
Jody’s masterful nest in the tractor tire outside: Jody knows how to relax in comfort and style!
OH! And happy birthday to Margaret! We love you!
Jamie doesn’t seem to like being out in the snow, but she does like to hang out in the doorway. Here she is in the doorway yesterday, using a scrub brush to scoop the snow into her cup. After I took this video I went inside to get her a better tool – I called from inside “Jamie come get a spoon!” She came running in to get it from me and then went right back to the doorway with it.
