Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

J.B.

Reassurance

by

As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been putting forages out on the hill to encourage the chimps to go out. Negra will do anything for lettuce, so we’ve been using trails of lettuce leaves to lead her across the log bridge to the lowest platform. Tonight she climbed to the top of the platform for what I think was the first time.

On her way back she heard something that startled her. Determined to stay with her lettuce, she sought reassurance from a caregiver from afar, and then from Jamie who approached from below.

Negra amazes me. Imagine the courage that it takes to venture out into the wide open after living 35+ years in cages scarcely bigger than your own body. I am thrilled to see her on that hill.

Missy

by

So far Missy is the star of Young’s Hill. She is completely at home out there and already has her favorite spots picked out. There’s the two structures connected by a fire hose ladder at the top of the hill, which provide a great vantage point:

Then when she needs to rest in the shade, she heads down to the hammock:

Many of you already know that Missy loves to jump. She’s already discovered the best place for that:

We’ve been putting out forages on the hill each morning to entice some of the more hesitant chimps to venture out. Negra came out three times this morning and even did some lounging under one of the platforms. Jody is still too scared to go out, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been able to enjoy the forages. This morning, we watched Missy walk bipedally down the hill with her arms full of food. When she got to the greenhouse, she dumped it all in the front of Jody and took only one piece for herself. Jody was very pleased.

A good friend

by

Annie didn’t go outside at all yesterday, but she must have been psyching herself up all night because this morning she was ready to bolt out the door. She made her way up the log bridge to one of the lower climbing structures and climbed to the top. After a few minutes of bravery, she was ready to head back to the comfort and safety of the greenhouse. That may have been enough for one day.

Missy has been a good friend these last few days. She is completely at ease on the hill, but she often waits by the end of the tunnel for Annie to join her before she heads out, knowing that Annie needs someone to rely on. But Missy is not going to deprive herself of enjoying Young’s Hill, so if Annie won’t join her, she heads out on her own.

This morning, Missy was by herself on one of the structures at the top of the hill. Back down in the playroom, there was a moment of tension in the group and Annie let out an anxious scream. According to Jackie, Debbie, and Lisa, Missy heard the scream and immediately ran full speed down the hill to the building and into Annie arms.

Day Two

by

I would never have guessed in a million years that Burrito would be this comfortable hanging out on Young’s Hill. He is walking around like he owns the place!

Jamie spent the day today checking things out, while Missy is just kicking back and relaxing on top of the structures and in her hammock.

Despite the fact that everyone went out yesterday, some have shown more caution today. Negra has been out twice, but not very far and not for long. Jody came out briefly but was not ready to let her guard down. And Foxie and Annie have yet to venture back out.

Yesterday was a complete surprise. Today is more like what we expected. This is a huge change in their lives, and they will each become comfortable with it in their own time and on their own terms. I don’t think it will take them very long.

Burrito
Jamie
Missy
Missy

 

Into the great wide open

by

In the comments section of a previous post, Michelle asked, “I’m interested in learning what their possible reactions might be to the wide open outdoor spaces that they will encounter, are you anticipating any anxiety from them and how will you deal with it?  I’ve read how many of the chimps released in Florida at the sanctuary there have some pretty stressful reactions to natural spaces, any ideas you can share with us on how it might go?”

As Debbie mentioned in her response, we do anticipate that some of the chimps will initially be hesitant to walk out into the wide open space of Young’s Hill. To help them overcome their fears, we built a fire hose hand rail so that they might feel anchored to something familiar as they venture out. We also built a walkway made of logs for those who might be anxious about grass underfoot. Both of these structures lead to a nearby platform, which resembles the platform in their current outdoor enclosure.

We hope that these things will make it easier for the chimps to take those first steps out into the unknown, but of course, they will do things at their own pace. Some will head out as soon as we open the door, while others may need some time. And some may just need the right incentive, like a field full of frozen watermelons (I’m looking at you, Burrito)….

Fence Training

by

We’ve made a lot of progress on Young’s Hill recently and it looks like we might be able to wrap things up in just a few short weeks. It’s hard to believe that the chimps will soon be wandering around their new, two-acre enclosure.

With construction in the final stages, it was time for us to begin fence training with the chimps. To do this, we built a small section of temporary electric fence just outside of the greenhouse, which the chimps can reach through the caging.

Teaching the chimps about electric fencing before letting them out onto Young’s Hill is important for two reasons. First, it is much safer for the chimps to learn about the fence in controlled conditions. The temporary fence ensures that their first contact with the wire will be with a fingertip and not some other, more sensitive, part of the body, and that they will be standing safely on the ground when they receive the shock. Second, the temporary fence allows us to separate the negative experience of their first shock from the experience of going outside for the first time. Because the temporary fence is just outside of their current enclosure, the chimps are able to retreat to a safe and trusted part of their home if they feel scared.

We began fence training on Monday. The chimps are naturally curious, and anything new in or near their enclosure becomes the object of intense examination.  Jamie, of course, was the first to touch the wire. She screamed and jumped back. The other chimps came to see what was going on. As far as we know, the Cle Elum Seven have never experienced electric fence before, so the other chimps didn’t seem to know what to make of Jamie’s reaction. Soon after, Jody and Foxie both touched the wire. While Jamie stayed outside and kept an eye on the fence, Jody and Foxie retreated to the doorway.

Burrito was next to approach. He fiddled with the fence, touching the insulators and the post itself.  Since we started this project, I had toyed with the idea of touching the fence with the chimps watching me. I mostly wanted to know what the chimps were going to experience, and I also thought it could serve as an additional opportunity for the chimps to learn about the fence. So, with Burrito in front of me, I touched my hand to the wire. This goes without saying, but the chimps are a lot tougher than me. While they screamed and ran away, I screamed and fell down. My knees literally buckled. While the shock was unpleasant to say the least, it only lasts 1/1000th of a second, and before you know it, everything is back to normal. But you have learned that you never want to touch the fence again.

Unfortunately, Burrito did not learn the lesson that I tried to impart, and he too received his first shock. By this time, the chimps were starting to understand what was going on. Missy, Negra, and Annie kept their distance. But later in the day, Annie’s curiosity got the best of her, and she touched the wire. The following day, Negra did the same. Missy still hasn’t touched it. It is possible that she learned from watching the others. The temporary fence will remain live until Young’s Hill is ready, in case she does want to learn for herself.

To be honest, I was dreading this part of the project. No one wants to see their friends upset. But it went as well as we could have hoped for and the chimps seem to understand and respect the fence, and no one has been traumatized. In fact, Foxie has been more playful this week than ever! Now that the training is out of the way, we can focus on the day when the chimps will experience the great outdoors for the first time.