There is something endearingly childlike about Foxie. She is sweet (and sassy) and playful and full of joy. She sometimes stares deeply into her caregivers’ eyes, seemingly mesmerized. She loves her chimp family and wants everyone to get along.
Burrito enjoys his lunch
One of the unfortunate aftereffects of the anesthetic drugs Burrito received for his exam last Friday is that his stomach has been a little upset. For a guy who normally loves food above all else, this is the ultimate cruelty.
Luckily for Burrito, and for all of us who love to watch him love his food, his nausea seems to have all but disappeared. Here he is enjoying his lunch this afternoon. Turn your volume up and listen for his periodic low moans of contentment.
In Memory of Bryan Riner
Today is sponsored for the chimpanzees in memory of Bryan Riner by his wife Judy and son Dax. Judy says:
This day of sanctuary is in memory of my husband Bryan Riner. Bryan died on Thanksgiving Day 2014; today would have been his 76th birthday. Over the last two years of his life, he became greatly interested in chimpanzees after reading Roger Fouts’s Next of Kin. He had great respect, admiration, and love for each of the Cle Elum 7, and he immensely enjoyed following their exploits on your blog. And so today our family wishes to honor a wonderful husband and father and his seven favorite chimps – as well as all the staff and volunteers at CSNW who provide sanctuary to these amazing beings. Thank you.
Thank you Judy and Dax; we’re honored that you thought of the Cle Elum 7 on such an important day for your family!
Burrito
Lunch with the chimpanzees
Most meals at the sanctuary go remarkably smoothly considering we have seven hungry and eager chimpanzees to serve at once. Occasionally, someone swipes someone else’s food or a scuffle breaks out, but more often than not, peace reigns.
That’s not to say that all the chimps always wait patiently, though. In this video, you’ll see some of the ways the chimps get our attention during meals and tell the server to please hurry up – hand clapping (Negra), vigorous head nodding (Missy), and blowing raspberries (Foxie). This video is longer than most of the ones we post, but hopefully it will give you some idea of what it’s like to be present at mealtime at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.
Burrito and Becca
Burrito can’t get enough of playing with his human friends. This afternoon he kept volunteer caregiver Becca busy.
Important Rituals
Jamie has trained her caregivers well. She has created an entire routine centered on her many-times-a-day perimeter walks around Young’s Hill, and her human friends are required to participate in this routine fully. (For a video of the entire process from start to finish, see this post.)
After a perimeter walk, she usually meets her walking partner in the greenhouse, where she gives him or her a thorough grooming. Jamie leaves no stone unturned.
When she’s satisfied with her work, she asks us to put the boot we wore on our walk up against the caging so she can groom that.
After this, Jamie’s done with us for the time being, and we get a short reprieve before we’re summoned to repeat the process from the beginning.
