If you’re subscribed to our e-newsletter, you read about this rambunctious play between Annie and Foxie yesterday and what it says about how things have changed between these two in the last few years at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Subscribe here if you’re not already signed up to receive updates!
an unfortunate privilege
We were fortunate to have spent a bit of time with Dr. Sheri Speede and some volunteers for IDA Africa when they were in the area the last few days as part of Dr. Speede’s book signing tour for her new book Kindred Beings. She relayed something that we all had in common. It’s related to Debbie’s post from the other day. Here it is: working with chimpanzees is an incredible privilege. It’s not something a lot of people get to do. When I’m walking with Jamie, playing with Burrito, passing a troll to Foxie, taking a photo of Jody, having a quiet interaction with Annie, admiring Missy as she runs on the hill, or simply looking at Negra with my heart swelling with love, I often think about this. But here’s the thing – this is a privilege that we shouldn’t have. I know we’ve expressed this on the blog in direct and indirect ways before. It’s one of those thoughts that you carry with you everyday as a caregiver in a sanctuary. No matter how great the moment is, no matter what amazing and wonderful thing has happened – there shouldn’t be a need for us to have jobs like this, and the chimpanzees we care about so much shouldn’t be here.
But they are here, and so are we. So we do have this privilege, and we are able to pass along this privilege vicariously to you through this blog – to tell their stories and explain what’s it is like to care for chimpanzees. The greatest aspect of working at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is that we all feel this way, really without even thinking about it. We all understand that we are here for chimpanzees who deserved better. They are not here for us. And we will continue to be here for them and make their lives in captivity as good as they possibly can be.
Jody lying down:
Jamie walking on Young’s Hill:
Chimpanzee Parkour
Last week, I posted a photo of Missy on her Facebook page leaping off of the termite mound. Her friend Debra Durham commented on the photo, “parkour!” I thought to myself, “exactly!”
If you haven’t heard of parkour, well, you can thank me for letting you in on what, just two days ago, ABC news called, “the new sport that has everyone buzzing.” It’s basically people using the “urban landscape” as a playground. The people who are good at it make leaping and jumping and rolling on concrete and rooftops look effortless (unlike how I would look if I tried it). In many ways, it really is similar to the way Missy moves everyday.
Whenever I see Missy on Young’s Hill – running at full speed, leaping off of the termite mound, climbing log posts or the tall bamboo (usually with a huge playface), or grabbing her friend Annie’s ears in playful joy, I am reminded of what Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest has given this group of chimpanzees who lived for decades in small cages within windowless rooms.
For each of the chimpanzees, sanctuary has provided something unique to them. For Missy, perhaps it’s parkour:
Thank you for being a part of making Missy’s life in sanctuary exactly what she chooses it to be.
Veggie Grill Fundraiser Tomorrow!
Help the sanctuary tomorrow by going to Seattle’s South Lake Union Veggie Grill anytime between 11am and 5pm, mention the sanctuary and 50% of what you spend on food and beverages will go to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! If you go between 11am and 1pm, you can meet Jennifer, CSNW’s Executive Director.
Help us spread the word to all of your friends in the Seattle area. Share our event page and invite your friends via Facebook.
Or consider making a lunch donation if you’re unable to attend. The chimps appreciate your support!
Jody’s Haul
Look who managed to bring in the biggest haul from the lunch forage today! Cabbage, celery, carrots, and green beans never looked so good.
Shirt for you, $8 for the chimps!
Help us raise more money for your chimpanzee friends! This week FLOAT (For Love of All Things) has created a special “Hope. Love. Home.” design just for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. They’ve raised $576 so far for the chimps, and there’s only 1 day, 22 hours, 20 min left to buy t-shirts and hoodies with that design or other apparel with select FLOAT designs.
Please help out by making your own purchase and letting your friends know asap by sharing the site. Anything you buy from the Float.org site before Sunday night will give $8 to the sanctuary. Thanks to everyone who has already bought their cool new duds!
How do you know where you are if you don’t know where you’ve been?
I decided to do a little retrospective of the blog today and found the posts around this time for the last five years. It’s interesting what’s changed, what’s remained the same, and what’s entirely different.
Today I posted this photo on Burrito’s Facebook page and described him as handsome:
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And today volunteers Lynn and Patti staffed our booth at PAWSwalk. I worked in the chimp house with Debbie and Keith stopped by for a visit this afternoon with some friends.
Five years ago today, I posted about Keith and I staffing the PAWswalk booth and I posted a photo of handsome Burrito:
Today was a drizzly day, but that didn’t stop Jamie from going all around the hill four times – twice with me and twice with volunteer Keri. On her fourth trip around, Jamie ran the whole way. She got pretty wet from the rain, but didn’t seem to mind at all.
It was drizzly four years ago at this time too, so toothbrushes were the rainy day enrichment.
Three years ago we had the ingenious idea to fill troll dolls with treats and freeze them. We’ve probably done this 50 times since then. I love Jamie’s somewhat frustrated initial reaction:
Two years ago Young’s Hill was almost but not quite complete, and we were speculating about whether the chimpanzees might be hesitant to walk into the great wide open space.
And one year ago, we posted this in-depth story that KOMO news did about the fire that burned the grass on Young’s Hill and damaged the caregiver house on the property:
