Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Considering that for most of their lives, the chimpanzees were so confined that they weren’t able to move more than a couple of feet in any direction, it’s incredible how confidently they use their space these days. Seeing them high up on the climbing structures on Young’s Hill never gets old.
Jamie:
Foxie:
Missy:
Jody:
Annie:
We’re continuing our series of blog posts on chimpanzee identification today with Jody. (If you missed the posts about Annie, Burrito, Foxie, or Jamie, click on their names.)
Jody is one of the larger females in the group, though not as muscular as Jamie. She has a very sweet face, with her eyes a little closer together than those of the other chimpanzees.
She’s missing parts of some of her toes due to old injuries. On her left foot, she’s missing the tips of her three middle toes (I couldn’t find a good photo). And here you can see that the second toe on her right foot is shorter than the rest.
Jody has distinctly pink nipples:
Her bottom lip is often droopy:
If there’s one thing Jody is known for, it’s her love of comfort. She spends a lot of time reclining. When she’s eating, she likes to lie on her belly:
We’re continuing our series of blog posts on chimpanzee identification today with Jamie. (Did you miss the posts about Annie, Burrito, or Foxie? Click on their names.)
Jamie is the boss of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, and she takes her job seriously. One of the first things you notice about Jamie is her strut. She walks around like she’s invincible. She has a solid, muscular body and such perfect posture that she often looks like a table: `
Her size is also somewhat imposing. She’s one of the larger chimps in the group. Here she is with Jody on the left and Missy on the right:
and with Foxie:
Jamie’s face is a lighter brown overall than some of the other chimps’ faces (compare the color of her face to the color of Foxie’s in the photo above), and she has a little bit of white pigmentation around her mouth and chin:
And of course, she is often carrying or wearing one of her beloved cowgirl boots:
I snapped these photos the other day of Jody nesting in the front rooms:
and they reminded me of an early photo of Jody, taken in the same spot, in one of her first nests at the sanctuary shortly after the chimpanzees arrived here.
I didn’t yet work at the sanctuary when the above photo was taken a little over five years ago, but I followed the blog closely as the chimps arrived from the lab and got settled into their new home. When I saw the first photos of them, I remember thinking how beautiful they were. Now looking back, they all look like ghosts to me. I couldn’t have imagined, seeing those first photos, what the chimps would become with a little good food, freedom, and love.
We often write about changes we’ve seen in the chimpanzees since their arrival from the research lab a little over five years ago. Physically and emotionally, they are different chimps. They are stronger, happier, and undoubtedly more alive.
But in many ways, they have held onto some parts of their old selves. One of Negra’s most enduring – and endearing – habits is to drape a blanket over her head like a poncho. It seems to help her feel secure in her ever-changing world.
September 2008:
October 2008:
April 2009:
December 2009:
May 2010:
July 2010:
March 2011:
July 2012:
September 2012:
February 2013:
March 2013:
September 2013:
This is Part 3 of our series of blog posts on chimpanzee identification. (See Annie’s and Burrito’s posts by clicking on their names.)
Most people can identify Foxie right away because she’s very rarely without at least one of her favorite dolls:
But there are other ways of identifying Foxie. She often walks with a rounded back:
You can also tell Foxie by her size. She’s very petite. Here you can see her next to Negra:
and next to Jody and Jamie:
And just for fun, see if you can spot one of my favorite Foxie quirks in the photos below.
This is Part 2 of our series of blog posts on chimpanzee identification. (For last week’s post on Annie’s distinguishing characteristics, click here.)
Burrito is the only male in the Cle Elum Seven, and he is probably the easiest chimp to identify. For one thing, he’s a guy:
People often comment that Burrito is “fluffier” than the other chimpanzees, and that’s because his hair is often pilo erect (standing on end due to excitement):
Unlike Annie, Burrito has lots of white coloration on his face:
He’s missing the top of his right ear:
And of course you can always tell Burrito by his charm:
