Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Elizabeth

Case Files

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Name: Jamie
Nicknames: James, Boss Lady
Age: 39
Birthday: October 31st
Role: The Boss
Personality: intense, smart, watchful
What She Would Save in a Fire: her cowboy boot collection
Likes: law and order, long walks, pears
Dislikes: disobedience, boredom, unpredictability

Name: Foxie
Nicknames: Fox, Tiny
Age: 41
Birthday: August 8th
Role: The Peacekeeper
Personality: cautious, joyful, silly
What She Would Save in a Fire: her doll collection
Likes: fruit smoothies, backflips, bubblegum pop songs
Dislikes: green veggies, conflict, anything new

Name: Burrito
Nicknames: B, Mr. B, Bub
Age: 34
Birthday: January 6th
Role: The Obnoxious Little Brother
Personality: goofy, playful, socially awkward
What He Would Save in a Fire: all of the food in the fridge
Likes: eating, playing with caregivers, causing mischief
Dislikes: non-mealtimes, getting in trouble with the other chimps for causing mischief

Negra Gets Some Air

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Negra is the oldest chimpanzee here at the sanctuary, and while only a year or two older than some of the others, there is no doubt that Negra is the grandma of the family. She has a sizable belly, she’s a little bowlegged, she moves at a snail’s pace, and she has no patience for nonsense.

Negra prefers safety and comfort over adventure, and she is most comfortable indoors. She likes to find a sunny spot upstairs in the playroom where she can make a big, soft nest and nap or gaze out the window over the valley.

Today, though, Negra climbed out of her nest and joined the other chimps outside on Young’s Hill. Spring has been slow to arrive in Cle Elum this year, but now that the snow is finally melting and the sun is shining, the chimps are drawn outside more and more. Even Negra can’t resist the temptation.

To Each Her Own

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One of the most important things we offer to the chimpanzees here at the sanctuary is the freedom of choice. We provide the ingredients for a happy, healthy life, and the chimps take what they want and leave what they don’t.

Blankets are one of those ingredients. We put out so many blankets each day that there are plenty for everyone who wants them. Surprisingly, though, not everyone does.

Most of the chimps use the blankets we offer to build big, soft nests. The process of building the nest is just as important as the end result. They painstakingly wrap each blanket around their bodies or spread them out underneath them in just the right configuration. Sometimes they weave the blankets through or around other objects or structures.

This morning Jamie and Foxie were each “nesting” in their own way just a few feet from each other in the playroom, and the difference in their styles was apparent. They do have one thing in common: they like to have their favorite things nearby.

Foxie and a troll doll:

Jamie and a boot:

But that’s where the similarities end. Jamie likes to gather as many blankets as she can and twist and wrap them into a big, cushy circle.

Foxie, though, prefers the heated floor.

As much as it might make our own bones ache a little to see her lying on the bare floor, we appreciate that everyone has their own idea of comfort. Foxie makes her own choices, and we’ll always celebrate her in all her quirky glory.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

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It’s hard to predict how the chimpanzees will interact with the enrichment we offer each day. For Jamie, the absolute highlight of this week has been the new sand table featured in Tuesday’s blog post. Jamie continues to be thoroughly captivated by it. Yesterday we added some buckets of soapy water to the mix.

The Boss

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Most of the chimpanzees here at the sanctuary are pretty “low-maintenance”. Give Foxie some dolls and she can entertain herself for hours. Jody’s thrilled with a huge pile of blankets. All Negra wants is some peace and quiet and a patch of sun.

But Jamie is not easy to please. It would be fair to say that all Jamie requires is the unceasing, devoted attention of her caregivers almost every moment of the day. She might demand more of us – more time, more attention – than the other six chimps combined.

It’s hard to imagine someone with a personality like Jamie’s surviving decades in a research lab, where she wasn’t in a position to demand anything of anyone. The chimps experienced a lot of firsts when they moved here: fresh air, sunshine, good food, warm blankets, friends. But I think for Jamie, the ability to make humans do things for her is just as important.

It’s our honor to be bossed around by her.