Once in awhile we make bubbles for the chimps with a small drop of non-toxic dish soap. They seem to like how the bubbles feel in their mouths.
After Hours
After dinner each day, most of the chimps grab their blankets and bed down for the night.
Jody:
Negra:
But for Jamie, the day is just getting started.
Jamie likes to be in control. It’s hard to say whether this is a result of spending decades in a research lab where she was absolutely powerless, or whether this would have been her personality regardless of the circumstances she was born into, in which case it’s even sadder to imagine her stuck in a cage with no choices and no control over her life.
But not to worry; Jamie is making up for lost time. One of the ways she exerts her newfound power is by keeping the staff at work after hours. Before we go home each night, we close the door to Young’s Hill and make sure all the chimps are safe inside the building. As long as the door to Young’s Hill remains open, the staff are required to stay at the chimp house. Jamie is aware of this policy and will often run at top speed to throw her body into the doorway to prevent us from closing the door. This serves the dual purpose of buying her extra time outside in the evening, as well as extra time with her human friends/minions.
Until recently, Jamie has been the only one to take advantage of this “loophole.” She will keep her caregivers at work until 9 or 10pm some evenings, while the other chimps are snoozing away inside. But this summer Jamie has had some company during her after hours adventures. The other chimps are starting to see the appeal of warm, peaceful summer evenings outside.
Burrito:
Annie:
Year Four
In celebration of CSNW’s 8th Anniversary, we are taking a trip down memory lane. Today we look back on the chimpanzees’ fourth year at the sanctuary.
By the beginning of Year Four, we had a long-standing dream of expanding the sanctuary and giving the chimpanzees a spacious, open-air outdoor habitat, unlike anything they had experienced in their lives.
Young's Hill – The Dream from Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest on Vimeo.
By the summer of 2011, thanks to help from supporters Karen and Don Young and so many others, Young’s Hill was nearing completion.
The chimpanzees were able to watch the construction from the greenhouse, but it’s hard to say what they thought of it. We hoped that they knew it was for them. They were certainly curious.
As the big day approached, we all tried to predict how the chimps would react to the door to Young’s Hill being opened for the first time.
For most of them, this would be the first time in their long lives that they would feel grass under their feet and have an unimpeded view of the sky above. We guessed that they would probably be too apprehensive to stay outside for long on the first day, and that some of them would likely be too afraid to venture out at all.
We should have known not to underestimate them.
On the day that the door to Young’s Hill was opened for the first time, all of the chimpanzees showed astonishing courage by stepping eagerly into the great unknown. Watch video of their exhilarating first moments outside. It was an emotional day for the chimps and for all the humans who love them.
The opening of Young’s Hill set off a series of firsts for the chimpanzees that year. It was the first time they were sharing a habitat with other creatures, and they had to deal with a lot of strange noises.
Having lived in indoor or partially-indoor enclosures for their entire lives, they had never fully experienced weather or seasons. On Young’s Hill they encountered sun, wind, rain, and snow.
Despite their burst of courage and adventurousness on the first day, not everyone felt immediately at home outside. We saw the more confident chimps support and encourage the more hesitant individuals.
We all got chills seeing the chimps behave like a wild troop for the first time, now that they had a territory to patrol.
And we continued to be amazed as they stretched their legs and their horizons.
A Big, Joyful Day
We have a lot to celebrate today! Negra is turning 43, and it has been eight years to the day since the Cle Elum Seven stepped off the transport trailer and into their new home at the sanctuary. (If you haven’t already, check out Diana’s thoughts in this morning’s blog post here.) I think these photos from today’s celebration paint a pretty good picture.
Burrito:
Missy:
Foxie:
Jody:
Annie:
Jamie:
Jamie had an especially good day. At this year’s Hoot! gala, we auctioned off two pairs of fabulous white cowboy boots, procured and donated by auctioneer and friend of the sanctuary Laura Michalek. Maryam Salt, the winning bidder, is now the proud owner of one of the pairs, while the other is for Jamie, our resident boot enthusiast. Jamie was beyond thrilled when we presented her with this gift today. Thanks so much to Laura and Maryam!
As for the birthday girl, she has had a pretty perfect day. She partied hard:
Then rested up afterwards:
And later explored her wilderness:
Self-Care
We’ve been asked how the chimpanzees keep their nails short. For most of them, it’s the result of normal wear and tear, but Jamie has her own technique.
Burrito, Burrito Everywhere
We’re aware that some of the chimpanzees are overrepresented on this blog, while others are sadly underrepresented. The chimps vary a great deal in their sociality with caregivers and in their camera-shyness (or total lack of camera-shyness). Jamie, Burrito, and Foxie are very interactive with their human friends, so it’s usually easy to get photos of them, while Missy, Jody, Annie, and Negra are a bit more reserved.
I grabbed the camera today with the intention of getting some photos of one of the more underrepresented chimps for the blog today, but everywhere I went, there was Burrito. Sometimes you just have to give in to the inevitable.
Let us know which photo is your favorite!
Trying to peek at lunch prep in the kitchen:
In a play bow:
Just hangin’:
Kicking back:
Working the camera with a playface:
Then and Now
For lunch today, we set out a forage on Young’s Hill.
Life is so dramatically different for the Cle Elum Seven these days than it was just eight years ago. Gone are the days of climate-controlled, windowless buildings, hard surfaces, and cramped spaces. Life now is bright green grass, warm sun, gentle breezes, and roses for lunch.
Missy:
Jamie:
Negra:
Annie:
Foxie:
Burrito:
Jody:
