Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Diana

Negra and “night bags”

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Each night after dinner, we give the chimpanzees treats in the form of “night bags.” These are brown paper bags with a small amount of sugar-free cereal, dried fruit, salt-free nuts, seeds and sometimes dried pasta or other goodies. Our beloved volunteers make these bags up 21 or so at a time to ensure we have a supply for a few nights. Negra in particular likes this snack and sometimes asks for her night bag before dinner is even over. She asks by loudly clapping and sometimes extending an arm out. One night last week when J.B. was serving dinner, I snapped a few photos of Negra making her request, then enjoying her night bag.

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For the love of cowboy boots

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Quick Jamie story of the day: I had picked up the front rooms to prepare for cleaning and brought the enrichment over to the washing tub. Jamie saw me from the playroom and started gesturing emphatically. I knew just what she was trying to tell me – I had one of her cowboy boots among the enrichment items and she wanted it back.

I did a brief cleaning job and offered to throw the boot up to her in the space above the big human doors to the playroom. Instead, she looked at me and ran outside. I came around and threw the boot on the roof. She climbed up and got the boot down and carried it with her most of the day. I’ve never seen Jamie ask for something specific that wasn’t food – she REALLY likes her new birthday cowboy boots. Thanks, Stephanie P.!

Happy Halloween-Birthday, Jamie!

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You can give both Jamie and her caregiver Elizabeth a birthday gift through Elizabeth’s birthday wish on Facebook!

Below are a few photos of Jamie (and her special pumpkin) from the morning/afternoon party. Jamie thanks Robbi, Stephanie P., Tamela, Margaret, Cari and Jeanie for the birthday goodies.

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Stephanie brought Jamie a pair of cowboy boots for her birthday and she loves them! She picked one up right away and has been carrying it around with her all day. You can see the sole of the boot in the photo above – it’s tucked into Jamie’s groin pocket. It’s very windy today, but Jamie and I just played chase outside for a couple of minutes – a sign that she is in a great mood! J.B. will post a video in just a bit showing more of the party. Happy Halloween everyone!

Blankets needed at WAO

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Wild Animal Orphanage (also known as Animal Sanctuary of the United States) is a sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas under new leadership. They are currently seeking donations to help their animals and prepare for the winter. WAO is home to former biomedical research chimpanzees, some of whom J.B. and I met on a visit to the sanctuary in 2001.

CSNW is fortunate to have a wonderful support network that has provided the Cle Elum Seven with an abundance of some of the items on the WAO wishlist. So, instead of sending your blankets, clothes, sheets and towels to us, please send them to WAO for the chimpanzees, smaller primates, and other animals living there – they need you too! They have posted their wishlist on the homepage of their website: www.wildanimalorphanage.org

New view

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The chimpanzees got to check out the new window today. The window replaced an extra door that went from the playroom to the outdoor area. J.B. still had some work to do on the outdoor area side, so we went out to say hello to the chimps through the window. In the meantime, the Poppoff crew was still hard at work in the mud (but no rain today) getting things ready for the foundation that will be part of the greenhouse structure going over the outdoor area. Workin workin again!

Jamie, of course, was the first to inspect the window

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Jody was also very curious

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It’s difficult to see, but Jamie and J.B. are “touching” hands through the glass in the photo below

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For context – here is a zoomed-out view. The new window is to the left, the chimp door that we use from the playroom to the outdoor area is to the right. The two windows on top are just above the catwalk in the playroom.

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Foxie likes the new window too

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Many of the chimps watched J.B. working all day. Below is Jamie making sure J.B. is doing a good job (or maybe seeing how things come apart!)

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Laughter

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The seven chimpanzees living at CSNW are the most playful group I’ve ever met. You would think they were kids the way they play and laugh. As all of you who follow the blog know, Foxie in particular has a kid-like disposition (at least she does now that she’s in sanctuary!) Jamie, on the other hand, can often be very serious. But Foxie is able to bring out the kid in Jamie too, as you’ll see in the video below.

One interesting thing that we’ve observed is that the chimpanzees seem to play wrestle more in the front rooms than any other location within the building. Perhaps it feels like a more private location for wrestling?