Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Ellen Brady-McGaughey

Love for Annie

by

Today’s blog is all about Annie! Annie is a playful chimpanzee who enjoys spending time with her chimpanzee friends, most notably with her best friend Missy.

Annie (L) Missy (R)

Missy (L) Annie (R)

Annie grooms Missy

Annie (L) and Missy (R) play

While Missy is high-ranking in the group, Annie is low-ranking, and does not have the same level of confidence as her closest friend. She is cautious and can be quick to become upset during moments of uncertainty or upset within the group. She spends much of her time either playing with her chimp friends (especially Missy!) or relaxing. Annie, also lovingly referred to as “Annie Bird,” has an endearing habit of making “bird noises” with her mouth while resting, usually with her hands covering her mouth.

Annie making bird noises

Annie is good at solving food puzzles, especially those that require tools (or will make her own food puzzles using her tools, she can be a smoothie bandit!), and is easy to please when it comes to meals as she loves just about all fresh fruits and vegetables.

Annie uses a straw to siphon juice from someone else’s cup! Tool use level: expert.

Annie on the move with a watermelon bowl.

Annie was born in 1974, possibly in the wild, and we celebrate her birthday each year on September 10th. We celebrated her 51st birthday this past September! Prior to making it to sanctuary, she was used in biomedical research, specifically hepatitis vaccine studies.  While in the lab, Annie had several babies, all of whom were taken from her and used in research themselves. While Annie did not get the opportunity to raise her own children, I’m confident that she would have been a sweet and attentive mother. Records indicate that she had seven children: Mariah, Virgil, Damian, Tobias, Petra, Abby, and Brooke. Mariah and Virgil live at Save the Chimps sanctuary in Florida, where Damian also lived until his death in 2011.

Mariah (photo from Save the Chimps)

Virgil (photo from Save the Chimps)

Damian (photo from Save the Chimps)

Tobias lived at Chimp Haven sanctuary in Louisiana until his death in 2014. Petra and Abby seem to have died at biomedical research facilities, and we have no records of what happened to Brooke.

Many of my favorite memories of Annie involve watching her interact with her chimp friends, and on some more rare occasions, her human friends. She is such a fun friend to have!

Annie plays with Burrito, who shows us a big play face.

Missy and Annie play

If this hasn’t given you enough to love about Annie, see Jenna’s post here for fifty more (okay, some may be repeats!) things to know, love, and appreciate about our friend, Annie. Thank you to Annie’s 14 current pals who support her and the sanctuary! If you’d like to become Annie’s pal, visit the link here!

Love for Dora

by

In today’s Valentine’s series I’ll be highlighting Dora! Dora lives with Cy, Terry, Gordo, George, Rayne, and Lucky. Dora is a social butterfly who brings the fun everywhere she goes! She is a small chimpanzee with a large personality. She is playful and silly, and when she’s not busy playing or grooming with her chimpanzee friends, she enjoys being tickled with a spoon by her caregivers, playfully poking her caregivers, or checking herself out in a mirror.

Honey B (L) and Dora (R)

Dora (L) and Rayne (R)

Up close and personal with Dora as she looks at herself.

Dora was born on June 6th, 1989 at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP). Her records say that her mother was Stella and father was Les. She has many half siblings, including Gordo who has the same father! When LEMSIP closed in 1996, Dora moved to Wildlife Waystation along with over 30 other chimpanzees. After Wildlife Waystation closed in 2019, Dora moved to CSNW with the rest of the “Lucky Six” on June 26, 2021. After arriving at CSNW, her group was later introduced to Willy B, Honey B, and Mave. While that introduction was ultimately not successful and the groups now live separately, Dora formed lasting friendships and still goes for visits with her friends Honey B, Mave, and Willy B.

Honey B (L) and Dora (R)

Honey B (L) and Dora (R)

Dora is best known for her friendship with Mave (together they are lovingly referred to as Mora, or Mora B when Honey B joins the mix) and her signature head bobble when interacting.

Mave (L) and Dora (R)

Mave (L) and Dora (R)

You’re most likely to find Dora relaxing upstairs in the greenhouses or spending time with her chimpanzee friends. When she’s in the same group with Mave, you can expect that Mave will not be far away from wherever Dora is.

Dora

Dora

Dora is also exceptionally good at food puzzles, only firehose knots still have her stumped!

Dora working on a food puzzle.

Dora is such a fun chimpanzee to know and love. Watching her interact with her chimpanzee friends is the best – she can get just about anyone to let loose and have some fun! As their group dwindled in numbers with chimps being added into the introduction, Dora and Gordo spent more and more time playing together. When the time came for Gordo to join the introduction, Dora joined Willy B’s group and everyone was so happy to see her. They followed her around everywhere she went, with everyone wanting to play with her. When she rejoined her group (plus George!), they too were happy to have Dora back and spent a lot of time grooming together. My favorite memories of Dora are of watching her and Honey B play and have so much fun together. Dora makes every day more fun for those around her, and I am so grateful to know her! If you’ve fallen in love with Dora and would like to support her, by becoming her pal, visit the link here. Thank you to Dora’s 6 current pals for supporting our fun-loving friend!

Mave (L) and Dora (R)

Dora

A Visit From Dora

by

Gordo recently joined the introduction group, leaving just Dora behind from Cy’s original group of 6. While Dora waits to join the introduction, she went to visit Willy B, Honey B, and Mave. In today’s blog video, see how excited everyone was to be reunited with Dora! Unfortunately Willy B gets overstimulated with Dora in the group long term and begins to pick on her, so she is now living with Mave until she is ready to join the introduction.