Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

J.B.

Two Years with the Lucky Six

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Can you believe it? Today we celebrated the 2nd anniversary of the arrival of the Lucky Six—Cy, Lucky, Terry, Dora, Rayne, and Gordo—from the Wildlife Waystation. As you probably know, the Lucky Six are now part of a group of nine, along with Willy B, Honey B, and Mave, and together they enjoyed a party complete with young coconuts and Gatorade ice blocks.

The day was also sponsored by Rose Mankowski in memory of her mother:

My Mom, Irene Mayes, would’ve turned 96 today – June 26, 2023 – but she died in August 5th, 2022. Irene loved primates, especially chimpanzees, since she was a little girl. Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom.

Thank you, Rose, for honoring your mom in this way.

Today’s festivities took place in the playroom, greenhouse, and on the Bray. The chimps screamed in excitement as they watched us put out the forage and treats. As the party began, both Rayne and Terry grabbed what they could on their way out the door and made a beeline straight for the Bray, where a giant Gatorade ice block awaited them.

Within minutes they were joined by Gordo, Lucky, and Cy, who also brought their treats outside.

While Lucky did get to enjoy the ice block, she actually seemed to delight in the turnips as well. For a chimp, there’s nothing better than liking food that the others aren’t as interested in.

Ever the explorer, Rayne set out for the other climbing structures on the Bray and ate her way across the habitat.

Terry also went for a walk through the habitat and was rewarded for his efforts with a second coconut.

While the others were outside, Honey B, Mave, and Dora cleaned up the forage inside and in the chute.

Willy B was very happy to have gotten a coconut for himself. There was just one problem…how the heck do you open these things?

Do you bite them?

Smash them?

Not long after the party began, a thunderstorm rolled in, with one particularly loud clap of thunder catching Gordo by surprise.

The rest of the gang took their loot back inside and we closed off the habitat for their safety.

Earlier in the day, the chimps on Jamie’s side had their own party to celebrate their neighbor’s arrival. While they don’t live with the Lucky Six, the presence of another group next door amounts to an ever-evolving soap opera to which they are all glued—and that’s worth celebrating, too.

Negra:

Burrito:

Jamie:

Foxie:

Missy:

Annie:

Grooming Party

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For whatever reason, the chimps in Cy’s group like to congregate in the front rooms to groom in the late afternoon. Sure, the Bray is open to them but why groom outdoors in a 2-acre habitat when you can pack together like sardines in a tiny indoor space?

Ah, but the chimps generally know what they are doing. Maybe there’s something about the forced proximity that contributes to the process. After all, this is one of most important aspects of chimpanzee social life. These are the moments that build trust and solidify relationships. This is Willy B saying sorry for being a jerk and Mave saying she respects the boss. This is Dora saying that she and Honey B can fight and still be friends and Terry saying that he just wants to be one of the boys.

Monitoring a newer group of chimps 24/7 can be exhausting but listening to them teeth clack, lip smack, and blow raspberries as I sit in the foyer writing the blog certainly brings a sense of calm, however fleeting. There will always be fights, but the work they do during these lazy afternoons will help them get through whatever is to come.

Another Day on the Bray

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Despite this being one of the hotter days this year, the chimps in Terry’s group spent a considerable amount of time on the Bray. One of Terry’s favorite spots is on Ryan’s Lookout, where he is often joined by Rayne and Gordo. Cy even made the trek out to the Lookout the other day! Here’s Terry:

Lucky continues to enjoy her time outdoors but she prefers to stay off the grass whenever possible, which somewhat limits how far she will go. Today she found a way to sit near the ground without actually sitting on the ground.

Foraging for nuts is a little more difficult when you can’t touch the ground but she found a way. She then climbed up to crack them open with Terry and Rayne.

Rayne was reluctant to part with her new favorite book so she took it with her as she hiked around the Bray.

Eventually she set it down and took a walk with me to to the top of the hill.

She’s very interested in the Young’s Hill side of the things…I’m sure she will be excited when both groups are outside at the same time. As far as that goes, we’re just giving Dora a little time to see if she wants to explore the outdoors further without the added pressure of six chimps hooting and hollering at her from the other side of the fences.

Gordo likes to tag along when Rayne explores the Bray. He gets a little nervous when they venture to the farther reaches of the enclosure.

When they reached the top of the hill, Rayne spent some time taking in the view. Gordo waited restlessly for her to head back.

This was, for me, the closest I’ve come to joining any of the new group on a patrol. Once the groups are in their outdoor enclosures at the same time, I’m guessing that Rayne, Gordo, and Terry will do this more regularly. And I’m hoping that Cy will put his magazines down long enough the join them—you know, him being the alpha and all…

Or maybe, as it is on the other side of the fences, the girls will just have to take the lead.

The Most Popular Girl on the Bray

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Lucky is one of the less social members of her group. While the others play and groom together, Lucky can often be found quietly perched on a bench overlooking it all or scooting across the floor in what we call her “blanket car.” Just like humans, some chimps tend towards introversion.

But on the 6th day of her group getting access to their new outdoor habitat, called the Bray, Lucky decided that she would make herself at home out there. And that has earned her a lot of attention from some of her group mates.

In fact, grooming Lucky is the hot new trend on the Bray. In typical Lucky fashion, she doesn’t reciprocate all that much, but she does however allow herself to be thoroughly groomed. This afternoon, she was joined by both Rayne and Gordo for a grooming session in the shade of the first platform.

Rayne inspected her arms.

And her feet.

Her back.

And inside the ears.

This amount of attention must be overwhelming for Lucky. Hopefully she can find a quiet place to nest overnight so that she can recharge and prepare for another day in her newly busy social calendar.

The 5th Annual Running of the Cows – and more Bray photos!

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If cows had a national holiday, this would be it.

A little further down the mountain, Cy’s group continues to explore the Bray. Here are a some photos from the past few days – you’ll notice that there are a lot of Rayne, and that’s because she spends more time out there than anyone else. We were so happy when she decided to take her lunch out for a picnic this afternoon. While some of the chimps are still a little nervous—and Mave and Honey still have yet to go out—the group is doing really well overall with this new aspect of sanctuary life.

Willy B and Gordo:

Terry:

Gordo and Terry:

Rayne:

Cy:

Welcome to the Bray

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(or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Step on Grass)

It finally happened. Cy’s group stepped out of the chute and entered the Bray.

It was a very different experience than watching the Cle Elum Seven enter Young’s Hill for the first (or even second) time. It may be because the Californians are a newer group than the Seven were at the time, or perhaps it’s because the Waystation chimps had spent more time outside of cages when they were young (and, as noted in a previous comment section, as adults in some unauthorized cases). In any case, while there was less hugging and screaming as they entered the habitat, watching them explore was every bit as emotional.

Willy B’s transformation from fearful and agoraphobic to Conqueror of the Bray is a testament to the power of friendship. Every minute we spent worrying while integrating his group with Cy’s was worth it to see him follow his friends out into the grass.

You’ll notice that Honey B, Mave, and Dora did not join their friends outside yesterday. That’s OK. I believe they will soon, as they will also benefit from Rayne’s confidence and the boys’ leadership. But if it takes longer, that’s OK too. They will get there in their own time.

Our most heartfelt thanks to all of you who made this day possible, especially to our friend James, in whose memory the Bray is named.

A Morning Stroll

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Very few things appeal to Negra more than sweet spring grass. There’s an abundant supply just outside the greenhouse door, so she doesn’t have to travel far for her favorite seasonal treat.

This morning, however, she was also inspired to take a leisurely stroll around the hill. As you might guess from her rather pale complexion, Negra is a lover of the great indoors. She likes to wear her bed like a turtle’s shell, poking her head out only when she hears the food grunts that accompany the presentation of meals. But once in a blue moon she gets a bee in her bonnet and sets out to explore some of Young’s Hill, just for the sake of exploring.

It’s funny to watch her inspect her surroundings as she ventures into relatively uncharted territory. Huh, how long has this tree been here? (Uh, ten years, Negra).

As I stood at the very top of the hill watching the others play beneath the pines, Negra sat somewhere near the halfway point, appearing to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of venturing further afield:

(#of pine branches to snack on) x (lovely view of the river) / (energy expended) x (time not spent in bed) = ?

After a few minutes of pondering, Negra appeared to have decided that the only logical course of action was to return home, wrap herself in blankets, and save her energy for the next morning, at which point she could reconsider her options with the benefit of a good night’s sleep.

Negra’s friends also took advantage of this beautiful spring morning.

Foxie:

Burrito, Foxie, and Annie:

Burrito: