Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Diana

Pant-Hoot Tutorial for Virtual HOOT! 2020

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If you received our e-newsletter last week, the phrase “pant-hoot tutorial” might be something you recognize as one of the survey questions asked to get a sense of how you want to participate in the Virtual HOOT! gala event. If you didn’t receive the e-news, you can sign up on our home page or on this page – just scroll down to the brown block where it says “subscribe to newsletter”.

While 50% of respondents replied that they would not participate in a pant-hoot contest, there seemed to me to be enough interest to force, I mean, encourage, J.B. to film himself pant-hooting (see video above).

We would really love your submissions – it would be super fun to show the videos to the chimps for their reactions. Maybe they should be the judges! You can check out what the winner will receive and the details for easy submission on the Pant-Hoot Contest page of Virtual HOOT! 2020.

Another interesting finding from the survey so far is 60% of respondents voted that we should set our fundraising goal for the virtual event at the same amount we had for the in-person gala, which was $200,000. I love that enthusiasm, and I hope we can get close to that amount! Our auction committee decided to be a bit more cautious, though still incredibly hopeful, with a goal of $150,000. That would go a long way towards funding care for the year and could even add to our expansion funds so we can continue building the greenhouses into the winter.

We’re just starting to add auction items, and we have a lot more things in store, so keep going back to the site to check out what’s new in the coming days!

The date of the actual virtual event is September 12th and is free for anyone to watch and participate. Bidding on auction items is also open to anyone and begins September 2nd.

We are going to hold a Zoom Happy Hour for a limited number of people who will get to join the chimpanzees live for a drink before the virtual event begins. Registration for the happy hour just opened, so register today!

Okay, stop reading and watch the tutorial a few more times, then send us your best, funniest, or most creative pant-hoot!

Happy One Year Anniversary from Monica!

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If you’ve been following the sanctuary for any length of time, you’ve definitely heard the name Monica Best. She’s a generous donor who loves to encourage other generous donors by setting challenge pledges whenever we have a fundraising initiative. She played a large role in the expansion construction that’s happening right now. The sanctuary wouldn’t be what it is today without her support.

Of course she didn’t want the significant one-year anniversary of the arrival of Mave, Willy B, and Honey B pass without her sponsor-a-day acknowledgement and donation.

Monica has personally been through a lot these last several years and the chimpanzees and blog have provided some solace during tough times. I know many of you can identify with that.

I have been thinking a lot about the role of hope in our lives, both related to trying to help chimpanzees and getting through to the other side of difficult times, which is something we are all grappling with right now.

I found a quote that reminds me of Monica for a few reasons, and I thought it appropriate to share on this day that she has sponsored which was full of hope one year ago as the van pulled up to the sanctuary with three chimpanzees we barely knew:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.

― Emily Dickinson

To put it mildly, not everything has gone according to plan this last year, but so much of the hope for the new lives of Willy B, Honey B, and Mave has already been realized as we have watched them play, explore, and relax in their new sanctuary home.

There are more chimpanzees at Wildlife Waystation who we must hold hope for as we collectively work to help them.

The construction crew is currently toiling away at the continued expansion so that we can welcome another group of chimpanzees to the sanctuary with Mave, Willy B, and Honey B supervising their labor that will also provide those three with more space.

Watching that scene this morning, and knowing it is possible because of Monica’s support and the support of so many of you out there, I found myself full of hope for the future, despite the current moment of unpredictability.

Happy arrival anniversary! Thank you, Monica, for sponsoring today and for inspiring hope.

Willy B on Repeat and Highlights of the Day

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The video above is a pretty good follow-up to the snippet of Willy B that I shared within this video a few weeks ago.

I took the footage for today’s video last week, but didn’t want to usurp Foxie’s birthday so I saved it for today.

For a glimpse of actual happenings today, visit our Instagram page, and behold some highlights below from the breakfast forage on Young’s Hill.

Missy slacklining on fire hose

 

Missy dismounting from the fire hose, showing off the benefit of opposable toes.

 

Jamie was just scratching her face in that image above, but I like how it looks like she might be saying, “oh, geez, Missy”

Jody once again dominated the willow forage:

and Negra seemed to be just fine with our secret lettuce-for-breakfast-outside weight loss plan aimed to slim her down a bit:

For Shani Campbell

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A second sponsor-a-day for today is from Kery and Terran for their friend Shani Campbell in honor of friendship and life. Here is the lovely tribute they gave to us to share about Shani:

Today, we wanted to honor a beautiful person and celebrate not only the gift of life but friendship. Shani Campbell, beloved daughter, sister, wife, friend and cat mom. Many know her other half, who is the creator of Cowspiracy and What the Health. What they don’t know is how much this incredible woman had contributed to those projects. Shani is a legend in her own right, not only supporting and being hands on throughout her husband’s work but also as an activist. She’s a long time vegan, fierce advocate for human and non humans. Shani’s not afraid to stand up for injustice or even for that matter get arrested. Overall she is just an amazing and beautiful human being, who has taught us the true meaning of compassion and forgiveness. Happy 40th Birthday Shani!

The Great Watermelon Haul on Foxie’s 44th Birthday

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This video above of Foxie’s 44th birthday celebration has a little something for everyone. Well, except we did not get any photos or video of Mave or Honey B enjoying their watermelon boats. They did enjoy them, rest assured.

In addition to the watermelon bowl forage, which was a tradition began many years ago by volunteers, we also served smoothies (normally a breakfast-only thing) at both lunch and dinner. Foxie was appropriately appreciative.

Foxie’s was the first birthday we celebrated when the chimpanzees arrived in 2008. We knew her exact birth date because she was born in a laboratory and we had scant records of her years as a biomedical test subject that included her birth date, place of birth, and the number they assigned to her and tattooed on her body.

Those days must feel very, very far behind her today as she celebrated her 12th birthday in sanctuary.

What a gift to have all of these chimpanzees in our lives and to be able to give them good days.

Raise your watermelon bowl to many more!!

the tale of the snake

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If you, like Annie Chimpanzee, do not like the sight of snakes, beware that there are some photos of a snake in this blog post.

Today I was outside on the new side of the building while the door was open to the Courtyard. Willy B had been out once, but was back inside the building. Honey B was on the down slope of the chute, towards the door to the Courtyard.

This is actually significant. She has been avoiding that part of the chute, especially when the door to the Courtyard is open. Perhaps she’s making plans to eventually go outside. To acknowledge her progress, I went around to the other side of the chute to say hello.

While I was standing there, we both spotted a snake slithering by on the ground. The only kind of snakes we worry about around here are rattlesnakes, and I knew right away that’s not what this snake was. I just looked it up and it appears to be a yellow-bellied racer (thanks, Google).

Usually when chimpanzees see snakes of any kind, they emit loud alarm calls, but that’s not what Honey B did.

Instead, she whimpered and stuck her fingers through the caging, asking for reassurance. So, I gave her the back of my gloved hand to touch, told her it was okay, and that, surprisingly, was that.

I was keeping my eye on the snake, mostly because I didn’t want Willy B to get startled if he decided to go back outside into the Courtyard. I’m not exactly sure what my plan was to keep him from seeing the snake… maybe if the snake started to head into the Courtyard I would have called for Kelsi or J.B. to bring out something enticing so Willy B was distracted.

Luckily, I didn’t have to enact my (lack of a) plan, because the snake stayed in place as Willy B ventured back into the Courtyard and went about his business of being stunningly handsome.

Snakes don’t normally bother me; I don’t know why. But I will admit that this snake made me a little uncomfortable today. Not frightened, more a feeling of social awkwardness.

Perhaps sensing that I was watching him/her, my gaze was returned, and the snake remained looking at me the entire time Willy B was in the Courtyard.

Awkward, right?!

Soon, it was time for lunch for Willy B, Honey B, and Mave, so they all went back into the building and I busied myself with other things. Rather, Jamie busied me with other things, specifically walking around the hill while she collected cattails:

as Missy watched from a perch up high:

Side note: we are still limiting Jody’s activity while her sutures heal, so her cattails were delivered to her in the front rooms:

About 20 minutes later, I heard some alarm calls coming from the direction of the greenhouse. I had a feeling I knew what this was about…

Sure enough, Kelsi reported that the snake had found its way into the greenhouse and the chimpanzees on that side of the building were not reacting in the surprisingly calm manner that Honey B had earlier.

Annie in  particular REALLY DOES NOT LIKE SNAKES, and she was doing most of the alarm calling/screaming:

Fun fact: when the chimpanzees are screaming, Wilson, a pit bull / bull mastiff rescue who lives with me and J.B. on the property, howls. It is the only time he howls, but he does it reliably if he is within earshot of the chimps screaming. If they are merely pant hooting or food grunting, he lets that go.

Read the following as the sarcasm it was intended to be, and include the proper inflection for air quotes: If you are wondering why we allow a 100lb dog to sit on our picnic table, well I really don’t need your questions or opinions on “good” or “bad” dog behavior or whether establishing “rules” for dogs are important. Please, let me get back to the story.

 

So, I’m sitting outside listening to Annie seriously losing it and Wilson howling, and I’m picturing that poor snake, who really had no idea what she/he had in store for themselves today.

Some of the more brave chimpanzees (NOT ANNIE), will approach snakes and try to either throw them or whack them, or some combination of those moves. Foxie and Jamie are usually the two who take this upon themselves. Kelsi came back and reported that is exactly what happened and that the snake appeared to be dead because it was lying upside down and not moving.

The chimpanzees came to that same logical conclusion and left the snake to go do other things.

I went out to the greenhouse quite a bit later and saw the snake as Kelsi had described.

Then I watched as Missy approached it and poked it with something.

The snake was alive!

What ensued was predictable – another round of Annie screaming as Foxie, Jamie, and this time Burrito too, tried to dispatch the snake in whatever way they could.

I grabbed the snake tongs that we have for capturing rattlesnakes (we’ve only had to use them a handful of times in the last dozen years), and attempted to convince Jamie to coax the snake in the direction of the caging where I was waiting with the tongs. She looked at me quizzically and did not go along with this plan.

Kelsi attempted to pick up the snake with a piece of plastic tubing through the caging, but that too was not successful. Eventually, the snake got itself into a rather hidden place in the greenhouse and everyone calmed back down.

Jamie knew exactly where the snake was. I later saw her watching the spot where it had disappeared from a very safe vantage point at the top of the platform.

The day progressed, with Kelsi serving dinner to the chimpanzees in the greenhouse without any snake sightings or drama of any kind. After dinner, I was walking around the greenhouse to close the hill for the night, when I heard something in the underbrush.

Could it be?!

I closed Door Y and excitedly returned to where I had heard the rustling. I had to separate the plants to find him/her again, but there was no doubt this was my old steely gazed snake friend.

He/she slipped behind a railroad tie, wedged between that and the side of the building. It wasn’t easy, but I was finally able to lift him/her out and relocate the snake-with-nine-lives to the barn, where I hope he/she will make a nice home and not venture towards the chimp house again.

snippets of the day

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The video above shows a few things that some of the chimpanzees were up to during random moments of the day.

The willow and the cattails that the chimpanzees were enjoying grow wild on the sanctuary property. The cattle love to browse the willow too – creating some funny-shaped willow trees.

I didn’t get a photo of it, but, to my surprise, Mave really liked the cattails. She ate the brown flower first and then stripped and wadged the stem like Jamie was demonstrating in the video.

I hope everyone reading this had a good Saturday, even if it didn’t include wadging cattails.