Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jackie

More party pics

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It’s official- Jamie-ween is my favorite CSNW holiday. We all had such a good day yesterday! Here are a few more pictures of the party in the playroom (and I promise, there is even MORE to come!)

Missy with the raisin-filled pinata:

There was some intense love for the pumpkin. It was 35lbs of deliciousness that lasted allll day long.

Negra:

Jody:

Burrito

Foxie:

Negra & Jody:

Jamie checking inside containers for goodies:

The juice was a big hit, as always.

Jamie:

Annie:

Burrito:

Burrito on the hill

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Like Foxie, Burrito hasn’t spent much time out on the hill since the first few days out. Although we don’t want to push anyone out there and want the chimps to go out in their own time and on their own terms, I found myself on a mission the last few days to encourage him out there… and what did the trick? Lettuce? no. Peanuts? nope. Dried Apples? nope, try again. It was chow (biscuits that are often given to captive primates to ensure proper nutrients. It’s a lot like dog food, but for whatever reason, the chimps really like it). Mr. B is pretty predictable sometimes.

Hill grass

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Grass has always been a favorite treat for the Cle Elum Seven, so it’s been interesting to watch their reactions to the grass on Young’s Hill.

Annie loves to eat grass, but seems very uncomfortable walking on it. I’ve been referring to her as our resident gibbon- she walks bipedally and holds her hands out a bit from her sides and her gait is almost more of a waddle than a walk. I can’t say exactly why she does this, but I’m sure it feels strange to walk barefoot on grass after years and years of nothing but concrete.

Jamie, on the other hand, is a natural out there.

And how fun is it to harvest your own treat!?

Missy and Jody:

Missy:

Jamie:

Back to the basics

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As exciting as all these posts are about the hill, since not everyone is going out on the hill all the time, it’s resulted in some blog posting-neglect of certain folks. So here’s a photo I took of adorable Burrito this afternoon hanging out in the greenhouse, just like “the old days”. He and Negra are definitely creatures of habit.

Full Speed Ahead!

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On day 1 of Young’s Hill, we saw a lot of wrestling from Annie and Missy (shocking, I know!), but since then, we haven’t seen a whole lot of playing on the hill, most likely because there has been so much to do and explore out there that they just haven’t “had the time”. Over the last few days, however, I’ve been noticing them get more and more playful. Chase has been a favorite game lately (apparently, even Gators make good chase partners!). I’m sure after watching the construction all summer, the chimps (or Missy and Jamie at least) have just been waiting for the opportunity to get up to a full speed run! But with 2-acres to explore, even just walking around is such amazing exercise for them. I’m sure they are sleeping like babies at night!

An accomplishment

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Jody’s adventures on/with the hill have been so exciting and fascinating to watch. After the initial excitement of the grand opening of Young’s Hill was over, Jody went back into the outdoor area and stayed there. She monitored the activities on the hill daily, often standing in the raceway tunnel waiting for everyone to come in, and closely inspecting folks upon their return. It took a long time, but once she gained the courage to go out- she went way out! She walked the entire perimeter, exploring every inch of the hill. It was spectacular to watch!

What really struck me while watching her out there was how much she looked back towards the building and the rest of the property. She really seemed fascinated to see parts of the property that she hadn’t seen before- including her home for the last 3+ years. I can’t imagine how strange it would be to live in a house for years and not know what the place looks like from the outside. And after all this time, it must be really satisfying to finally be able to see inside the barn or the garden in it’s entirety, the mountains in the distance, and even just further down the driveway…

I’m so inspired and in awe watching the chimps explore the great unknown and to see their amazing confidence and courage. It makes me not only proud of the chimps, but so proud of this sanctuary. The way I see it- it’s such a huge change from anything they’ve ever known that the chimps really have to trust us to feel comfortable out there. They have to believe that we are taking care of them and that we are still protecting them in this big open space. I feel so proud of our team when I see the chimps out there– and so grateful to our supporters! Just like Jody, it’s a huge accomplishment- we did it! It’s such an amazing thing and definitely something for all to be proud of.