Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Diana

Primates Being Social

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Does this video need an commentary? I think it stands on its own, but I can provide a little more storytelling.

It was not in my plan for the day to move Dora from her usual group into her secondary group with friends Mave, Honey B, and Willy B, but she was not shifting quickly, so I seized the opportunity. Maybe she had it in her mind that could happen. Maybe it was her plan for the day. Or maybe she just took it all in stride.

As you can see from the video, Honey B and Dora were thrilled to see each other, and Mave just wanted to be sure to stay within an arm’s reach. Willy B too was happy to see Dora, and she gave him an enthusiastic greeting.

When some initial cleaning was complete and it came time to shift them again, Willy B decided to stay behind, alone on the Bray, while Mave, Dora, and Honey B enjoyed some snacks and some “girl time” in the Mezzanine.

As a practice, we don’t generally close chimpanzees in the outdoor habitats. Willy B, however, seemed pretty content out there, sometimes displaying and sometimes lying down. It reminded me of the old days when he had begun is solo conquest of the outdoors. J.B. wrote about it in his blog post: The King of the Courtyard and his Growing Kingdom.

Witnessing Willy B’s desire to remain on the Bray, I decided to close him out there while I cleaned the chute and we got some other areas spic and span. I don’t know what prompted him to play king of the Bray today, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Every once in a while I would hear some screaming from Missy and Foxie which let me know that he was displaying and getting just the reaction he was hoping for. And it gave Honey B, Mave, and Dora some time with each other without having to worry about him turning his intimidation tactics towards them.

These social primates made some good decisions today.

Here’s a bonus close-up of Miss Negra to cap it off:

Spinning Enrichment with Negra and Foxie

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Enrichment Coordinator Ellen made these very cool fidget spinner enrichment puzzles a while back. Ellen is so creative and is always coming up with new ways to keep the chimpanzees happy and active.

The puzzles had been hanging up from the day before, emptied of their contents. I saw Negra looking, hopefully, for treats in them, so I first quickly got some smashed blackberries to add to them. Annie (not filmed) monopolized the blackberry compote, then left, so then I grabbed some raspberries fresh from the vine for the Queen.

Foxie was playing pass-the-doll with me and being very silly, so I decided to see what she thought of me putting a doll in one of the fidget spinners. Sometimes Foxie gets a bit anxious when her dolls are placed in unexpected places, but the fidget spinner seemed to be on her ‘okay’ list.

Negra has continued carrying dolls around with her too. I was able to get this cute photo of her as she looked towards the construction site of the Support Building:

The Truants

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Our routine for the day depends on the cooperation of the chimpanzees. Considering there are 16 chimpanzees in different configurations throughout the building, it’s a tribute to all of the primates (the chimpanzees and their human housekeepers) that we usually get every area, or at least almost every area, cleaned each day. But it definitely requires some flexibility on the part of the humans.

There are some usual suspects who are more likely to throw a wrench in the plans (looking at you Missy, Honey B, Terry, and Mave). We use routine meals, food puzzles, and forages when shifting so there’s some motivation for the chimps to oblige us. For the food-focused, this method works great. We’ve been known to bust out a People magazine if Cy shows reluctance to move when asked, and that has worked 100% of the time. Not everyone is as influenced by food or magazines, and we make an effort not to up the ante or outright bribe individuals with high-value food because that can create runaway expectations and demands. Any chimpanzee on any given day can decide to exert their will and thwart what the humans have strategized.

Today, while shifting Cy’s group, I had an unexpected truant. Though I was offering the seven in that group access to greenhouses and a playroom laden with cabbage and boomer ball food puzzles with peanuts, Lucky firmly decided to stay put right where she was in one of the front rooms. I was about to close her in by herself and clean around her when her friend Rayne ran in from the Chute holding a boomer ball and an armful of cabbage. That’s the ultimate truant move–impede the human’s plan for cleaning while at the same time getting the benefits meant for those who comply. I had to admire Rayne for pulling that off and getting the better of me.

So, I closed both Rayne and Lucky in the front room while I adjusted my plan for the rest of morning cleaning.

Sweet Negra & June News

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I had a few clips of Negra on my phone from the last couple of weeks that deserved to be compiled into a video.

Are you on our e-newsletter list? Check your inbox to see if you received an email sent out this afternoon that includes these stories:

Your Impact
George found his family. The Support Building broke ground. A memorial garden took shape. And an outdoor space for Honey B, Willy B, and Mave’s side of the building is the next big project. If you’d like to read the full stories of what your support makes possible, email [email protected] with ‘Your Impact’ in the subject line to receive an electronic copy of our recent print newsletter!

June: Help Us Celebrate

June continues to be chock full of celebrations! Multiple chimpanzees celebrate their birthdays in June, including the oldest chimpanzee at the sanctuary, Negra, who is at least 53 and may be several years older than that.

Negra was captured in the wild and then used in biomedical research for more than three decades. She had multiple babies removed from her during her years in the lab.

Looking back on our first impressions of Negra, written on our blog here, we said Negra “showed her age” in 2008, that it was difficult to say how many more years she would live, and that we couldn’t wait to give her the things she deserves, especially big piles of blankets to make her nests.

She and her group have now been at the sanctuary for 18 years and she has made big, sometimes giant, nests out of blankets every single day.

Negra is now experiencing mobility issues, but has been adapting with resilience. She especially appreciated the extra-special treats she received on her celebrated birthday.

Join us in celebrating Negra’s 53rd birthday, her group’s 18 years of sanctuary, Terry’s 36th birthday, Honey B and Dora’s 37th, the upcoming anniversary of the Lucky Six’s arrival five years ago, and Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day!

Before June ends, help us reach our $10,000 goal with a gift that honors the blankets, tireless care, and daily joys that a life in sanctuary provides.

 

Chimp Prints from Winter Water Factory

Winter Water Factory makes sustainable, organic cotton clothing for kids and adults in a U.S. factory with fair labor practices. And they have the cutest prints! They are donating a portion of sales of their chimpanzee print line to the sanctuary, so your purchases are a win-win. Shop now for your favorite primate!

 

Dru Bru Fundraiser this Saturday

This Saturday, June 27, Dru Bru in Cle Elum is hosting a pint night for the sanctuary, 6–8 p.m. CSNW staff will be there to share updates and answer your questions. Pick up a custom CSNW pint glass, and know that $1 from every pint and mug, plus $4 from every pitcher, will be donated to the sanctuary, with an additional donation option at checkout. Full beer, cider, wine, soda, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available at the taproom bar, and food from Cle Elum Pizza Co. will be available to order in the pizzeria.

Join and share the event on Facebook.

 

The email included photos, of course. If you didn’t receive it, subscribe here!

Cy: the Quintessential Dad

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Happy Father’s Day! Here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest we don’t have any dads in residence. None of the male chimpanzees here fathered children. Cy, however, possesses some dad qualities, and we sometimes jokingly call him dad. His dadness has been amplified with the addition of young George, who he has taken under his wing.

When there’s drama in his group, I can almost see him sigh before reluctantly getting up to handle the situation. Lucky for everyone here, Cy is a very patient guy who chooses to break up drama without adding to it. His behavior could be interpreted as “just knock it off, okay?”

What he often wants to do is relax by himself, watch a movie or look at his favorite magazine in peace. Today, for father’s day, I wish for Cy to have a relaxing day where the “kids” give him a break.

A Few Portraits

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I got a few good photos of Rayne on Saturday when she was lounging with Dora in the Chute. This afternoon, I took a few photos of Negra.

Obviously, I like chimpanzees. I like them for a lot of reasons. For their expressive faces and personalities. For the strength of their wills. For their ability to forgive. For their intelligence. For their mischievousness. For their unapologetic individuality.

I think that all shows up in photos of them:

Rayne:

 

Negra:

More footage from the Trifecta Jubilee

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Yesterday was such a lovely party for everyone. As Ellen said, there was so much footage, we had to split it into more than one video. Her video yesterday captured Negra at the celebration, and today’s captures Terry plus some coconut antics.

We didn’t leave Jody out of the celebration. I put some fresh flowers in the little vase she holds – some lavender and columbine from the side garden by the house.

And here’s Negra with a birthday rose:

And one more shot of her in the afternoon:

When I walked back to the house after the chimps’ parties, I came across this deer sneaking a treat from the cherry tree. Everyone should have a treat on such a special day!