Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chad de Bree

Happy Birthday, Brenda!

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Our third sponsor of the day is from Regina Norman in honor of her sister, Brenda Ehrstine, on her birthday!

Regina wrote: “Happy Birthday Brenda B! My sister’s nickname has always been Brenda B. Brenda became a fan of Honey B through videos posted by the Wildlife Waystation a few years ago. Brenda has enjoyed following the Waystation chimp’s journey & adventures in their new home.”

Regina, thank you so much for celebrating Brenda with such a compassionate gift!

From all of us here, we hope you have the most amazing day today, Brenda! And thank you for your continued support!

Honey B:

Honey B loves monitoring the construction workers working on her new playroom!

Honey B and Mave:

 

A Handful of Ingenuity and A Splash of Imagination

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As Diana mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Missy and Honey B are remarkably similar in many ways, while also uniquely different as Katelyn mentioned.

To add on to this growing list, they both show a knack for ingenuity for their enrichment items. It’s hard to be certain, and I would be questioned to no end by the scientific community, but I would go to say this requires at least some hint of imagination. (Though recently more researchers have been becoming more open to the idea of imagination in chimpanzees with the case of young chimpanzees carrying around and playing with sticks as if they were dolls in the wild.)

As you may know, Honey B shows her skills by using a different tool to master her PVC Tube food puzzle. And her mom, Missy, also shows some very unique ways to master her food puzzles. But what about after?

Most of the other residents are usually move on after they are done with an enrichment item. For Honey B though, these items just become a part of her fort-nest. Honey B is known to make these elaborate forts with anything she can find, usually blankets, toys, and used enrichment items. The other day, we found this in the Mezzanine.

(For some reason, a certain scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail came to mind when I saw this.)

Though Mave also has a knack to fort build as well, she is a little more particular on which items she uses. Most notably blankets and the cube chairs almost exclusively, though she may add some other things from time-to-time when she feels like it. Mave’s forts are also not as elaborate as Honey B’s forts.

It also could be that Honey B has been watching the construction workers build and felt like building something of her own.

However, Honey B has been building these “structures” long before their arrival.

Over on the other side, Missy is know to wear socks occasionally when she is in a very playful mood. But the following morning after the Seven were given Firehose Knots as an evening puzzle, Missy was seen with hers still in hand. She was carrying her pieces of firehose around while wearing an avocado sock I might add. After about 30 minutes or so, I witnessed her stuffing the firehose into the sock, which she proceeded to carrying around with her. I tried to find the past blogs of Missy holding a blanket down from the loft towards Annie and playing keep away with it, but I was unsuccessful. So you have to imagine her playing that game but with this instead of a blanket.

They both are remarkable in finding other uses of used enrichment items and to breath new life into them. And as one caregiver mentioned after seeing the above photo, “Maybe Missy is preparing some Christmas stockings” for their upcoming celebration.

Speaking of Christmas, thank you to all of you who have donated items from our Amazon Wishlist for their celebration! Your donations will help us try to throw a great celebration for them this year!

But did you know there are still some other items on the list!?

*Gasp*

You can still donate some of the items on the list to help us make this celebration special, but there are other items which helps us continue our day-to-day operations and ensure the residents’ home remains clean!

PPE: Projects, Play, & Enrichment

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As mentioned on Sunday, there were a couple of mechanical issues that need to be fixed. When there is an upcoming project to take place, we as caregivers try plan the day out to ensure the projects can be finished in a safe manner, while not impeding on the residents’ daily activities too much. With so much going on during days like today, it can be somewhat difficult trying to take photos and develop a blog. So when the projects were completed, I was running around trying to salvage what time I had left in the day to at least get some photos. As the minutes kept ticking away, I may have started to panic a little bit. I almost decided to give up and just post whatever crummy photos I was able to get and call it a day. Then Honey B happened.

As I was still trying to get photos, I found Honey B, who immediately wanted to groom. As she was plucking rocks from the bottom of my boots, Mave made her way up to the Mezzanine. She began hooting, started to become piloerect, and was working herself up for a display. Honey B stopped grooming and started playing with me. I can’t confirm this, but it sounded like she exaggerated her laughs so Mave could hear. As Mave continued to build up her display, Honey B finally walked over to her with a play face, grabbed her foot, and raced away laughing. Mave’s hair was soon no longer on end and she raced after Honey B, playing a game of foot grab along the way. The game then evolved into a wrestling and tickling match. Here are a few of the photos captured with faces visible within a cloud of fur and laughter.

Earlier, Mave, Honey B, and Willy B were also treated to one of their favorite food puzzles: firehose cubes. When they first caught sight of the cubes, there was a chorus of pant hoots, food grunts, games of chase, and excitement that followed.

 

 

Unfortunately, Honey B grabbed hers and headed down stairs, so I was not able to get any photos of her.

Now that the day is over, Willy B is ready for bed with his favorite cheetah print blanket!

Running Toward The Future

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Before I get into the happenings of today, there was some BIG news announced today in our newsletter and social media sites (here is the Instagram post). Today, we announced the names of the group of six who will hopefully be able to call Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest home next year! We are all beyond excited to meet Cy, Lucky, Rayne, Terry, Dora, and Gordo! We are also truly grateful to all of you, the followers of this sanctuary, who have donated and spread the word about us on Giving Tuesday! All of your donations will help us continue to complete our expansion as quickly as possible so they can arrive next year! We all know this year has not been the easiest on anybody, but your constant generosity not only helps us provide care for our current residents, but also plan to bring more home! So thank you! Thank You! THANK YOU!

Lately, both Jamie and Burrito have been inviting caregivers to races around Young’s Hill. Some of you already know, Missy is not one to pass up a good run around Young’s Hill. Sometimes she just seemingly appears out of nowhere and passes you within a blink of an eye!

I am truly convinced she waits for everybody to leave first, so she can catch up! I found her today waiting at the bottom of the hill as Burrito and J.B. raced around.

She even found a place to stake out where on the hill Burrito and J.B. were.

And like a bolt of lightening, she was off! (Long before I could bring the camera up and realize she was gone!)

Missy even likes to take her lunch on the go!

Missy is known to have two speeds: 0 and 100. When she isn’t a chimpanzee pinball, darting and bouncing around Young’s Hill, she likes to take in the sights and sounds usually from the tallest structures.

Missy is amazing and we couldn’t imagine a life without her here!

BONUS PHOTOS:

Here are a couple extra photos of some other adventures today.

After breakfast, Negra was one of the first people to go out onto Young’s Hill, even before Jamie!

After she had her moment of basking in the morning sun, it was back to her nest.

Foxie decided today called for not one, but TWO dolls!

And Burrito pondering if this outing on Young’s Hill will be a race or stroll. (Luckily for this human, this time was just a stroll!)

All Smiles

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Chimpanzee smiles are one of the greatest things to see. Granted let’s not confuse a true chimpanzee smile with a fear grimace. What most humans recall when they think of a chimpanzee smile are those usually found on cards or advertisements. Usually a juvenile chimpanzee dressed up in some costume, and full teeth showing with the edges of their mouth going from ear-to-ear. For those of us who work with or study chimpanzees, fully showing the upper and bottom rows of their teeth is the indication they are fear grimacing. Chimpanzees use the grimacing to show that something is causing them anxiousness or fear, or to show off their impressive canine teeth to intimidate another.

A true chimpanzee smile, one used for play and enjoyment, only the bottom teeth are usually exposed. I say usually because there are occasions where something may be super exciting or really funny is too hard to contain. In these circumstances, other chimpanzee behaviors are looked for such as laughter, breathy pants, etc. But once we, as caregivers, confirm they are indeed chimpanzee smiles, and if directed toward us, it makes the day so much brighter.

Here are a few I was able to capture of Mave. Both the lead up and the actual smiles.

First was last week as I entered the Willy B, Honey B, and Mave’s side of the building. She really wanted to play an interaction called “shoe tickle.” As J.B. described in his blog a few weeks back, “shoe tickle” is when the chimpanzees fully extend their fingers through the mesh and can only touch the bottoms of our shoes with just the tips of their fingertips. This is to avoid them grabbing us in some way.

Then there is this sequence from Sunday of her in serious play mode.

Yesterday I was able to catch Honey B’s smile during a play session as well!

(Note the coloration of Honey B’s eyelids! It’s one of the many, many, many things I love about her that makes her unique!)

I tried to round this off by getting some photos of Willy B’s smile and play face. However, as some of you know, he is really difficult to get photos of. Either he’s too close for the cameras we have on hand, or he stops doing what he’s doing if a phone is brought out. Though Willy B is serious about 85% of the day, the other 15% he can really be a goofball. Though most of the time he doesn’t showcase a smile or play face, once in a while he’ll let one slip and it’s amazing!

I tried to supplement it with someone who almost always has a smile on his face and can be heard throughout the sanctuary laughing nearly 95% of the day.

Though Burrito spends nearly the entire day laughing and playing, it actually can be difficult to get photos of his smile. But this is what I could get.

Hopefully these smiles brightened up your day as they do ours!

And remember:

When you’re smilin’, keep on smilin’ and the world smiles with you.”

-Louis Armstrong

The Reflection of Oneself and Others

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Chimpanzees are an highly intelligent species. You probably know this by now if you have been following the blog for a while. One test chimpanzees have passed numerous times is the Mirror Self-Recognition Test. This test simply shows that an individual knows that the reflection they are looking at in a reflective surface (i.e. mirror) is in fact their own and not a separate individual. Only a handful of species have passed this test to date, including all the large-bodied apes (including humans), elephants, dolphins, orcas, and magpies.

The chimpanzees here are no exception. They all seem to like to look at their reflections. Willy B absolutely loves staring at himself in the mirror!

While Willy B, and most of the other residents, like to stare at their reflection, Honey B uses it a tad differently.

First and foremost, the large Looky Lou mirror in the Mezzanine is a giant swing toy!

Once she has her fun swinging on this giant pendulum, she will stand there holding it. Then ever-so-slightly, turn it to make sure the humans watched her “coming in like a wrecking ball.”

And she will make sure we were watching from multiple angles.

Even when we arrive with camera in hand, she will watch us intently taking pictures, but through the reflection of the mirror.

Honey B is so clever and fun spirited. Her intelligence never ceases to amaze us, as do all the residents here! Just the other day I was quickly reminded of how clever they really are, especially with the use of mirrors and other reflective surfaces. As I was in a (what I thought was) blindspot in the kitchen, I heard Burrito Bronx cheering and banging on the mesh from one of the front rooms. This is usually Burrito talk for, “Hey you! It’s play time!” I didn’t think it was possibly directed to me because how could he see me? Then it hit me! The door leading to the chimp area was positioned ever-so-right that he could see me through the reflection of the window on the door! Since this discovery, I’ve noticed he will position himself in the front rooms if he has the slightest hint any of us are in this blindspot trying to get some work done. “Silly humans!”

As a bonus to end the day, here are some photos of Negra and Jody today!

 

Sweet and Sassy Honey Turns 13!

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Today, Honey Cow turns 13 years old! Here are a few facts about Honey!

Honey and her bovine family recently celebrated her second year here. Honey is one special bovine. Of the four cattle, she wears the sassiest of pants in the bunch.

If she feels the herd is moving to slow for her liking…

She is not afraid to pass everyone up and take the lead.

When caregivers go to serve the cattle hay, minerals, or any other treat, Honey is the one of the ones to first run up to them, but will also nudge you away for being anywhere near her and her food (it sort of reminds me of when petting a cat).

Though she is not the biggest in her group, her personality is far larger than most.

She arrived here two years ago with her daughter, Meredith.

She also arrived here with her friend, Betsy, whom she was featured with in a reality television show and was saved with from the dairy industry.

You can also sponsor Honey by becoming a Bovine Buddy to her!

Happy Birthday, Honey! We couldn’t imagine not knowing you!