Diana

Young’s Hill, the chimpanzees’ 2-acre enclosure, is treated a bit differently than the chimp house and greenhouse, which we thoroughly scrub and clean everyday. Sometimes toys get left out for a couple of days on the hill, which is fun because the chimps can discover them later.

A few days ago, during a forage, Jody spotted something that I was sure was a morsel of food that had been overlooked by the other chimps. She race-walked over to get it:

But when she picked up the object, I could tell that it wasn’t food at all. It was a “well loved” toy horse.

I thought Jody would quickly discard it and go back to her search for food, but she took some time examining it – all sides of it.

And decided to take it back to the greenhouse.

You just never know what treasures you might find in the wilds of Young’s Hill.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating Jody’s 39th birthday (though she may be older than that). It’s her 1,858th day of sanctuary (give or take a couple of days). Tomorrow will be special for Jody, but we strive to make every day full of adventures, treasures, and comfort. We love you, Jo Jo!

There are a lot of non-profit organizations doing incredible work who have wonderful supporters, but, let’s just collectively acknowledge that Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest supporters are the best.

Without volunteers, donors, and people telling their friends about the sanctuary, we wouldn’t be able to provide a home for chimpanzees. YOU make the chimpanzees happy everyday.

I’m in the midst of preparing for the Hoot! Gala – mailing out tickets, thanking donors, uploading items to our preview site, and getting sponsor ads ready for the Hoot! Passport.

I’m thinking about all of the people who are supporting the event in all these ways, and at the same time I know that there are volunteers all over Seattle and beyond working late nights getting the booths ready, making silent auction boards, picking up donations, inviting their friends to be guests at their tables, and organizing event volunteers. I am blown away by the time, the dedication, the heart, and the money that people put into Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Thank you all!

And speaking of time, dedication, heart, and money – go check out the Hoot! Gala preview site right now. I just uploaded a big batch of new items this afternoon, and have a few more to add in the next week.

Two that I’m excited about that are not yet on the preview site are a New Mexico getaway that includes a two-night stay at Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza and handmade, palm oil free soaps from the inspirational Brandon Wood of Make a Chimp Smile!

There are some really awesome Getaways (Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Leavenworth, and more); lots of Just for Fun items (a snowboard, an Owl Prowl adventure for 25, and your chance to photograph the chimpanzees with cool equipment and the expertise of professional photographers!), gift certificates to some of the best Restaurants in Seattle; Wine and wine tastings for you and your best friends; small batch distillery Liquor; Jewelry to die for (do people still say that?); and then there’s my favorite category (aside from Give a Hoot!) – Art.

Below are a few art items that are on the preview site. You can probably guess why I chose these. You really should check out all of the Hoot! items currently uploaded.

“Burrito Play” oil painting by Margaret H. Parkinson:

“Missy” graphite drawing by Nancy Lewis:

“Ms. Foxie” handcrafted artisan clay tile by Maggie Rascal Creations:

“Best Friends” photo transfer and acrylic paint on wood by Stephanie Perciful

“A Dream for Apes Mask #18” by Dominique Jacot

Now go get your tickets or make a Give a Hoot! donation!

Last October we were paid a visit by an elk, who we’ve since been calling Ellie. Learn more about that visit in this blog post. When the chimpanzees saw Ellie last fall, their immediate reaction was to defend their territory.

Ellie has been hanging out at the neighbors’ ranch for a while now, though she’s free to come and go. The last couple of days she has been visiting the sanctuary.

While Jamie tried to chase her off a few times, you’ll see in the video below that she’s becoming more comfortable with Ellie and perhaps trying to figure out if there’s a way to expand their relationship. The result was a little awkward.

I was going to write about the strangeness of captivity vs. freedom, what’s wild and natural, and what happens when humans become part of the equation in the lives of animals, but I’ll leave all of that pondering up to you.