Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chad de Bree

What’s in the blog? WHAT’S IN THE BLOG!?!?

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The answer is a few things are in today’s blog!

First up is this series of photos I got of Mora yesterday. For those who are new to the blog, Mora is the name staff have loving given Mave and Dora when they are together. Usually where you find one, you’ll find the other. These photos I got from the perspective of the foot box while I was playing with Dora. I had a hard time deciding which photo would make it to the blog. However, after consulting with other staff members, the answer was all of them should just make it since they too had a hard time deciding.

Dora and Mave through the foot box:

Next up, I have been thinking recently about some of the amazing soundtracks/compilation albums. As I was listening to one on the way to work the other day, I asked myself, which songs would be a part of “Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest: The Soundtrack.” Enlisting some help, here are the songs staff think would make a pretty good Spotify playlist:

“Baby Love” by The Supremes

“Enter Sandman” by Richard Cheese (Metallica cover song)

“Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot (Slade cover song)

“Heavenly Day” by Patty Griffin

“Ice, Ice, Baby” by Vanilla Ice

“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen

“The Rocky Montage” from the movie “Rocky”

“Get Ur Freak On” by Missy Elliot

“Murder Train” song from the television show “How I Met Your Mother”

“The Girl from Ipanema” by Antônio Carlos Jobim

Everyone had their reason for their choice. Like how “Enter Sandman” was listened to during the transport of Willy B, Honey B, and Mave from Wildlife Waystation. Or how a staff member sings “Baby Love” with some lyric substitutions to include Honey B. If you had a song that you think would be on a soundtrack about the sanctuary, which one would you choose?

Lastly, early giving has opened up for our GiveBig campaign. This year we hope to raise $50,000 for our BIG personalities, BIG appetites, and BIG plans for the future! Every little bit helps us reach our goal to provide the best life for our residents. The actual date for GiveBig is May 2-3. Be sure to check out our fundraiser page here!

Bonus photos

Who is going all in for their daily night bag?

It’s Honey B!

And near by was her half-sister, Rayne!

Jody enjoying a wadge of what remains of her lunch cucumber!

On This Day in CSNW History: April 11, 2020

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Today we are going to take a look back and see what was happening in our history. On this day, three years ago, the world was just in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were adjusting to the pandemic lifestyle, figuring out the best way to shield the sanctuary residents from it, and taking care of three(!) medical issues that popped up.

That entire era was honestly just a blur to me. In fact, sometimes it even feels like I’m still in a blur since technically we are still living in a pandemic. But obviously a lot has happened since. We expanded by building two new playrooms and greenhouses, expanded Young’s Hill and created The Bray. We welcomed in some new staff while also saying goodbye to others. And most notably, we had six chimpanzees enter our lives who we now can’t ever imagine how we got along in life without ever knowing them. Like I said, it all seems like a blur sometimes.

One sentence that Diana wrote in the blog that does stand out to me though:

I know you are not here to get yet-another take on the current state of the strange and unprecedented (most over-used word for 2020?) times we are living in or to add to your own personal stress.”

If only she knew the word “unprecedented” would not be confined to the year 2020 and be used more as the years passed by.

Please enjoy some new photos from April 11, 2023!

Gordo sitting on the windowsill in the Oakwood Greenhouse

Honey B showing off a fashionable sock she made into a mitten

Negra, the queen of comfort!

Honey B’s mesmerizing stare during dinner

And be sure to register for the virtual visit to learn about the medical care Dr. Erin and Sofia provide to keep the chimps in tiptop shape! There are only four day left until the visit! So register today!

 

New Spring

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Spring is known as a time for new beginnings. Though there aren’t any new beginnings, per se, there are some new things that have been seen around the Chimp House. Be sure to watch the video!

Also, here are some photos from today!

Gordo in the Riverview Greenhouse

Missy during a forage on Young’s Hill

Jamie and Burrito on Young’s Hill

Annie eating her bounty from the forage (note the pin headband in her pelvic pocket)

Annie and Missy watching as a raven collects the scraps left on Young’s Hill

Curiosity and the Chimp

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Chimpanzees are very curious by nature. They love to investigate and understand things, both in captivity and the wild. You can see that in action in Sunday’s blog where Honey B was able to figure out how to get the hose as well as yesterday’s blog of Cy’s group watching J.B. put together a new scale and Missy inspecting the tree roots. Curiosity is one of the many things I love about chimpanzees and my job because I get to see it in action. It is also one of the many reasons why chimpanzees (and all primates) should not be pets or used for entertainment. (I have been preparing a blog to tackle that subject, so more on that later.)

When I look into the eyes of someone like Jamie or Honey B, I always throw myself into the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what wheels are turning behind those eyes.

For instance, there was this from today.

What was going on through Jamie’s mind when she was trying to shove a plastic tube through the barrier that separates both groups? Was she trying to attack them with it? Was she trying to sneak them some contraband enrichment? Did she just want to groom them?

Or even the confidence level someone like Jamie has. To me, there is a lot of mental calculation to be had to just leave your breakfast on the windowsill to go find some more food someone left behind possibly, and be confident that nobody will try to steal it.

Or Burrito’s new favorite reality show, “The Neighbors” starring Cy and friends. Burrito spends a lot of time at the window trying to get a glimpse of his neighbors, even using a mirror to get a better angle on those hard to see areas of the chute.

He also will almost systematically go to the window at the same time in the afternoon everyday and nothing can pry him from his seat. This is usually around the time either Willy B or Gordo begin their afternoon displays and rouse things up in their group, which more often than not now will make it’s way into the chute.

The minds of chimpanzees are fascinating, which help make them such an fascinating species overall to me.

Just some random thoughts I had about today as I was doing some Chimp House chore and finding these hints of goings on they were getting themselves into earlier on in the day.

I will end it with Rayne laying on the firehose reaching for her breakfast being served.

Mave’s Menace

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Something spooked Mave in the Oakwood Greenhouse yesterday. Can you guess what it was?

Here are some bonus photos from today! Today’s was absolutely gorgeous with the weather in the 50s! So Negra’s group had a nice lunch forage on Young’s Hill!

Annie!

Jody!

And Queen Negra!

And Nutmeg for good measure!

All Quiet on the Northwestern Front

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The battle between Winter and Spring has seemingly begun. With Spring right around the corner, the weather has been bouncing around cold, gloomy, and snowy, and sunny and warm (like today). When caregivers arrived in the morning, it was a brisk 25º, but an hour or so later is was nearing 40º. With the winter paneling still up on all the greenhouses, the sun and the rising temperature helped create a nice, warm atmosphere where the chimpanzees spent much of their day relaxing. This all made for a nice and quiet day.

Negra spent the morning portion of the day covered in blankets. Later on she was seen relaxing without the blankets.

Lucky was seen lounging about in several different spots in her greenhouses.

Gordo enjoyed his entire lunch service in the greenhouses.

Willy B looking for any leftovers someone may have left behind.

Honey B calculating her next move after lunch.

Rayne especially was seemed relaxed all day!

She even took a quick nap on one of the leaf benches on the artificial tree structure in the Marmot Mountain Playroom.

Even Barn Kitty thought today was the day to take it easy!

Here’s to hoping Spring breaks through this winter spell and brings warmer weather soon!

Bonus photo of Foxie waiting for dinner to be brought out!

Dora! Dora! Dora!

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My apologies for today’s blog! Two Tuesdays a month, after cleaning is done, we have a staff meeting to discuss various topics about the sanctuary. Today’s meeting ran a little long. In fact, it lasted right up to the time it was to serve the chimps’ dinner, kind of putting me into a bind in terms of getting photos for the blog.

I was, however, able to get some last minute photos of darling Dora enjoying her evening popsicles. On days their daily food puzzle is scheduled to be given out during the day instead of the evening, we give out popsicles made of either Gatorade or water flavoring with some berries before they begin to nest in for the night. Dora is not one to ever pass up her evening enrichment, especially her popsicles.

Bonus Photos!

Honey B enjoying her avocado at dinner.

And Mave taking it easy earlier today!