Burrito is happiest when he’s eating, but playing with a caregiver comes in at a close second.
6th Annual Love a Chimpanzee Day
We threw a big party this morning in honor of Love a Chimpanzee Day and Monica Best. Monica and her mom Linda don’t live locally, but they gave us some cash and told us to go buy all the chimps’ favorite foods for today’s festivities.
We decked out the greenhouse in streamers, which are a staple of any good party. Then we set out a forage of some favorites: leeks, bell peppers, green onions, beets, and fruit smoothie.
Annie:
Negra:
Jody:
Missy:
Foxie:
You’re the best, Monica. You always know how to make the chimpanzees feel loved. Happy Birthday!
The Folks Behind the Curtain
We’ve talked before about how much we rely on volunteer help to do what we do here at the sanctuary. Since last week was National Volunteer Week, we thought it’d be a good time to mention it again.
Volunteers are involved in every aspect of the chimpanzees’ care. Every good thing we are able to do for the chimps is made possible, or easier, by volunteers. They are dedicated, selfless, compassionate, and tireless. They are the chimps’ advocates and caregivers and friends. Their work is not always glamorous, but it always makes a difference.
Our volunteers work hard everyday to create a home where Jody and the others can kick back and put their feet up.
We are so grateful!
Foxie the Brave
In the three and a half years since we opened Young’s Hill, the chimpanzees’ two-acre outdoor habitat, the chimps have become more and more comfortable with the wide open space it provides. It didn’t happen immediately for many of them. After living for thirty years in climate-controlled buildings, touching nothing but steel and concrete, it takes time to adjust to the feeling of wind through your hair, or hot sun on your back, or rain. Not to mention how vulnerable and exposed they must have felt in such a huge space – it wouldn’t have been surprising if one or more of the chimps decided not to venture out at all.
But they did go outside, and they have continued to go outside on most days since we first opened the hill. They have gradually become more at ease with things that they wouldn’t tolerate in the early days, like wind and rain and cold temperatures. Almost four years later, they’re still making strides.
In the last couple of weeks, Foxie has been pushing the boundaries of her own personal comfort zone and spending more time alone on Young’s Hill. Until recently, she has stayed near the bottom of the hill, closer to the familiar chimp house, during her excursions outside. The other day, though, I was on a perimeter walk with Jamie and we found Foxie all alone at the very top of the hill, calmly and methodically exploring. I thought she might be relieved to see us, and join us on our walk back down to the chimp house, but she remained up there by herself, walking around in the grass. There are certain moments when one of the chimps surprises you in the best way, and that was one of them.
Today really feels like spring in Cle Elum – warm temperatures and a pleasant breeze – so we set up a lunch forage on Young’s Hill. Foxie was one of the last ones to remain outside after the others had gone back into the greenhouse with their food.
The Boss at Rest
Jamie can be a little high-strung. As the boss of the group, it’s her job to make sure everything runs the way (she believes) it should, and to make sure everyone’s behaving themselves.
But Jamie also knows the importance of rest. During quiet moments, she often takes the opportunity for a quick siesta before she’s called to attend to the next dispute.
Mood Swings
Jamie woke up on the wrong side of the nest this morning. From the moment we arrived at the chimp house and greeted the chimpanzees, it was clear that Jamie was feeling a little cranky. This isn’t terribly unusual, and we caregivers know to just give Jamie her space for a little bit until her mood brightens.
Once the chimps got some breakfast in their bellies, Jamie’s mood did brighten. By late morning, she was feeling a lot more mellow. Keri snapped these photos of Jamie in a quiet moment with one of her boots.
Downtime
Mornings at the sanctuary are a flurry of activity – the humans are busy cleaning the chimp house from top to bottom while the chimpanzees are playing with each other or outside exploring Young’s Hill. It’s not until early afternoon that we finally have a chance to sit down for a moment and regroup. It’s during this breather that we typically start thinking about what we’re going to post to the blog that day. Occasionally, we’ll catch the chimps doing something particularly interesting earlier in the morning, and we’ll stop cleaning for a second to run and grab the camera. But more often, our morning routine keeps us so busy that we don’t have time for paparazzi breaks, and it’s already one or two in the afternoon when we finally grab the camera and go see if the chimps are up to anything photo-worthy.
The problem with this routine is that early afternoon is siesta time, so we end up with a lot of photos of sleepy, lounging chimps.
Negra:
Jody:
Burrito:
