Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

J.B.

Laughter

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The chimps were in such playful moods yesterday! I could hear laughter coming from the playroom, so I grabbed the camera and caught Foxie and Jamie in a 10-minute long game of “steal the troll”. Thankfully, Foxie won in the end and the troll was returned to its rightful owner.

What a difference a day makes…when we came in this morning, the group had clearly been fighting and they had that look that says We can’t wait to take our frustration out on you, J.B., when you serve us breakfast!. Needless to say, I got drenched. But that’s what I’m here for!

Annie’s first birthday

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This Thursday is Annie’s birthday! We don’t know the actual day of Annie’s birth, so we picked a date for her. And because we hadn’t picked one by this time last year, this will be her first birthday at the sanctuary.

So even though she’s turning 35, you can wish Annie a Happy First Birthday!

Here are a couple of photos of the soon-to-be birthday girl, taken this afternoon.

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Burrito and a Superhero

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I’ve heard from some readers that Burrito doesn’t get as much attention on our blog as the other chimps, so here are a few recent photos of the big man hanging out and enjoying his chow.
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In this photo, Jamie was just moving her bed from the hammock to the platform, but she looked like she was about to rescue someone.

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Nap time

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Most chimpanzees that have been raised by humans have trouble negotiating the chimpanzee social world. Jamie is lucky; she somehow managed to escape a decade in entertainment and two decades in research with a pretty good understanding of how to be a chimpanzee. That understanding, combined with her cleverness and strength, has helped her become the most dominant chimpanzee in her group.

But she has not left behind the human world that she grew up in. Jamie craves human attention. Usually this is positive, such as when she plays or grooms with her caregivers. Other times its negative, like when she “hazes” new volunteers to be sure they know their place. But sometimes she simply wants to be near people. Today, while I played with Foxie, Jamie came down the stairs and into the front rooms with some sheets. She quietly made a nest next to me and fell asleep.