Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jenna

Reflecting on my Favorite Things

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Today is my last blog as a full-time caregiver! I have been fortunate to be working the last 4 years here at CSNW. As I contemplated my next chapter, it was a high priority for me to stay in the Pacific Northwest so that I can transition into a volunteer caregiver role and keep these special chimps a part of my life. I have built such amazing relationships with the chimps here and I will continue to cherish them, just in a different role.

For my final blog, I wanted to share my favorite thing(s) or a special memory I have with each of our chimpanzee residents.

Cy:

Cy is just the most amazing guy ever. He has a heart of pure gold and is the easiest guy to love. He loves interacting with his caregivers, as much as he loves reading his magazines! He really knows how to make us caregivers feel loved and special.

George: 

George has come so far since he arrived last May. He is the most gentle groomer (he still only grooms his caregivers), even more so than the most gentle groomer, Terry. I love how excited George is about every meal, every celebration, and every new thing in sanctuary life. I can’t wait to see where he is a year from now!

Missy:

Missy is the most athletic 50 year old in the world. This morning, I watched her run down Young’s Hill at full-speed. I can’t believe she never ages. She never slows down and lives her life to the fullest. Also, tomatoes. 🍅

Honey B: 

Honey B is the most unpredictable chimpanzee resident! She always has something she’s up to and is wildly intelligent. My relationship with Honey B has been up and down over the years. Sometimes, she is the most enthusiastic groomer and is wildly excited to groom my new scab. Sometimes, she invites me to come over and screams in my face! It makes all the good moments with her that much more special.

Gordo: 

Gordo is such a funny guy. He makes new caregivers work to build a relationship with him, but once you know his subtle cues, you’re in! It’s game on. My favorite thing about him is when he starts laughing mid-game of chase. It’s so sweet.

Rayne: 

Rayne is such a sweet and highly respected chimp by her peers. She is a calm, stable presence and a friend to all. My favorite thing about Rayne is when she’s enjoying some really good food, she rubs her toes together.

Burrito: 

Burrito is the most easy-going, happiest chimpanzee I have ever met. He loves life and never misses an opportunity to have fun! Whether it’s by himself and playing with an enrichment item or inviting a caregiver to play chase with him, he is always having the best time. He is also the easiest chimp to make laugh. Some chimps really make you work for a laugh, Burrito just offers one up.

Negra:

There’s many things I love about Neggie, but something that absolutely melts me is when she greets others with an extended arm (like in this picture above). It’s a gesture not many of the chimps do, but Negra almost never misses an opportunity. These days, when we go in to say hello to her in the mornings, she will be tucked into her nest and her arm will fly out to greet us. ❤️

Jamie: 

Like with Honey B, my relationship with Jamie has been up and down – which is okay! Jamie really makes me work hard for the good moments. It’s worth it; nothing is better than grooming or breathy panting with her. The nice moments with Jamie are that much more special because they are a rare occurrence.

Dora: 

Dora has the sweetest eyes in the world! She is also very goofy, but in a poke-the-cup-out-of-your-hand kind of way! My favorite thing about her is how she bobs her head when she walks bipedally to approach another chimp. It makes me chuckle every time!

Mave:

My favorite thing and the most relatable thing about Mave is her will to lay down, no matter the activity. Eating her lunch? Laying down. Grooming with friends? Laying down. Sun bathing? Laying down. Playing with friends? Laying down. Interacting with caregivers? You guessed it, laying down.

Terry:

Terry is the most intricate groomer, by far. It feels like he’s actually cleaning your skin of debris, like chimpanzee nature intended. He is gentle and oh so sweet. That freckly face.

Annie: 

One of my favorite memories I have had with Annie:I came back to the chimp house after a long vacation, and when she saw me, she stopped what she was doing to run over and offer a kiss to the back of my hand. She normally doesn’t do this, so it felt like a big deal to have this interaction with her. It felt like she had noticed I was gone and was happy to see me back!

Willy B: 

Oh, Willy B. I could write a dissertation on the complexities of sweet, Willy B. My favorite thing about him is that every time he sees his reflection (in a mirror or a phone camera), he makes the same face to check out his teeth. However, I have seen him do the same face when he is watching YouTube videos before, almost as if he believes he’s looking at his own reflection (or that’s my interpretation anyway). That wasn’t you, Willy, but I appreciate your consistency!

Foxie:

My favorite thing about Foxie is her youthful spirit. She turns 50 this year and even though her hair shows more silver than before she is still her spunky, silly self. She treats every doll like it’s her first. I love when she gets a doll back (from a fresh cleaning), she immediately pulls it to her chest to hold close.

Lucky:

Oh, my sweet Lucky! I have a trillion favorite memories with Lucky. I will never forget when I was out of work for a back injury, every time I came for a visit, she would grunt loudly when she spotted me and come running over immediately. She always made it a big deal for me to be back and I will never forget how much that meant to me!

Jody:

I had only been a caregiver at CSNW for a year when we lost Jody. However, Jody had the sweetest eyes and the most peaceful presence for her group members. I loved how she popped cherry tomatoes and the juice would fly everywhere. ❤️

Neggie and Missy’s Play Date

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With Negra living apart from the rest of her group, we have been having group members join her throughout the day. Usually one of the other chimps is waiting to join her before breakfast and it makes it pretty easy on us caregivers to facilitate this.

This morning, Missy was not shifting and I took it as an opportunity to have her join Negra. She immediately joined Neggie and extended her arm to her as a greeting. After breakfast, they startled wrestling and we got to witness the sweetest play session! It was such a delight to see them play together. These type of moments feel even more special right now because of Negra’s health.

❤️❤️❤️

Welcome to the Art Gallery

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Step into our latest art gallery at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

Art piece #1, “The Boss Babysitter”. Model: Jamie

Art piece #2, “The Keys”. Model: Gordo

Art piece #3, “The New Man” [featuring volunteer Charlotte]. Model: George

Art piece #4, “Nest is Best”. Model: Negra

Art piece #5, “Lips Don’t Quit”. Model: Terry

Art piece #6, “Tools of the Earth”. Model: Lucky

Art piece #7, “The Mirror [Abstract]”. Model: Dora

Spoiled for Choice

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10 months ago, George arrived at the sanctuary. Now, he lives with six other chimpanzees full-time and lives an entirely different life.

The other day, I caught George in an epic play session with Dora, which led to one with Gordo, then Rayne, then Cy, then Gordo, then Cy, then Rayne….. and so on.

George was truly spoiled for choice.

Love for Lucky

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Where do I begin when describing someone who means the world?

Lucky:

Prior to George’s arrival in May 2025, Lucky was our youngest chimpanzee resident. Lucky was born on November 6th, 1991 at the Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP).

Not a confirmed story, but a LEMSIP employee once said that Lucky was named “Lucky”, because she had a twin who didn’t survive birth, therefore Lucky was the “Lucky one”.

Lucky at LEMSIP in the nursery: 

Lucky lemsip

Her mother was Sally and her father was Herbie. She is full siblings with alpha male, Cy, and half siblings with her bestie, Rayne, as well as Honey B.

Dora, Lucky, Cy (L to R):

Lucky lived at LEMSIP for about 5 years, until the laboratory closed down in 1996, sending Lucky and over 30 other chimpanzees to Wildlife Waystation (WW) in California. Lucky, among many of our other chimpanzee residents, lived at WW for the next couple decades until its closure in 2019. With WW’s closure, there was a huge task of finding new forever homes for many groups of chimpanzees, which led to the “Chimpanzees In Need” campaign, that people like Jane Goodall advocated for. Through the “Chimpanzees In Need” campaign, CSNW helped rescue Willy B, Honey B, and Mave in 2019, then Cy, Lucky, Gordo, Dora, Terry, and Rayne in June 2021.

The group of the “Lucky Six” advertised in the Chimps In Need campaign (top L-R: Cy, Dora, Gordo, bottom L-R: Lucky, Rayne, and Terry): 

Lucky is a low-ranking female in her chimpanzee group. However, with a very stable group and a gentle leader like her brother, Cy, it does not seem like Lucky cares about her low status. Lucky loves spending time with her best friend (and half sister), Rayne, who takes her under her wing. Lucky loves to groom her group members, as she is more of a groomer than a girl who wants to play all the time. Lucky is quiet and introverted. She is loyal, observant, and doesn’t care for drama. She only gets upset with others if they target her.

Lucky and Rayne’s friendship is one we don’t highlight nearly enough. They nest next to each other, sit next to each other at meals, groom with each other, explore The Bray together, and swap foods with each other. Something that really stood out to me was how protective Rayne was of Lucky during the George introduction. Rayne, Cy, and George were already living together for weeks beforehand. When it was time to finally add Lucky into the group (towards the end of the introduction), Rayne would make sure she was always nearby Lucky. If Lucky moved outside, so did Rayne. If Lucky went upstairs/downstairs, so did Rayne.

Lucky and Rayne in nests right next to each other, as they prefer: 

Lucky (L) and Rayne (R) out on The Bray together:

Lucky (L) and Rayne (R) grooming: 

Rayne and Lucky’s new fun way to travel:

Lucky is probably one of our least picky eaters at the sanctuary. She very rarely declines a vegetable. She also loves enrichment items, such as this peanut butter pinecone and gum!

Lucky working on a peanut butter pinecone for her evening enrichment: 

Lucky will savor gum for HOURS. Unlike Rayne, who already swallowed her gum. Most chimps swallow the gum right away, but not Lucky! 

Despite Lucky being introverted and preferring her alone time, she loves her people fiercely.

Lucky kisses the glass: 

When I started at CSNW four years ago, Lucky was the first chimp I connected with. On one of my first days, I walked by Lucky and when she saw me, she let out a big grunt, leading into a breathy pant, which is true Lucky fashion (check out the newest video at the top of today’s blog for an example of this). She still does it to this day when she first sees me. She will stop what she is doing and run over to say hello. I can always tell when she first spots me because I will hear her exaggerated grunt. When she is really excited to see someone, she also shakes her head back and forth, with her tongue out, while breathy panting. She truly gives the warmest welcomes ever.

A couple years ago, I got a portrait of Lucky tattooed on my arm. I feel deeply connected to her and now she will be with me forever!

Photo reference for the tattoo:

Lucky currently has 9 pals! Thank you so much to her current pals for the symbolic sponsorship. If you have fallen in love with sweet Lucky today, you can help send her into double digits! Become Lucky’s new pal here! Thank you so much for your support.

Chimpanzee Strength

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A horror movie, Primate, came out in theaters a few weeks ago, telling the story of a pet chimpanzee that turns “rabid”.

1) The chimpanzee in the film is fully computer-generated imagery (CGI). That is a win!

2) Even though it is a fictional horror film, it is just another example of why primates should never be pets and it should be banned in all 50 states.

At the sanctuary, we often get asked about how much contact us caregivers have with the chimpanzees. We never ever enter their enclosures with them and we only have protected amounts of contact through the caging.

For example, we can interact with them through the mesh and allow them to groom the back of our hands or elbows. We can do this safely by not putting our hand or elbow against the caging but allowing the chimpanzee to fully extend their fingers to meet us. In this position, we can safely interact with the chimpanzees without the possibility of being grabbed.

This is just one example of safe interactions we have with the chimps. You may be asking, what is the need for such extreme safety?

Chimpanzee strength is the answer.

I have heard every number of the sun in the phrase, “chimps are 1-8x as strong as humans”, as it seems like every source states a different number. However, the takeaway is chimps are much stronger than humans, because of the different muscle mechanics. They can lift and throw things with ease, easily climb and hold up their entire body weight to swing on a firehose or brachiate through the trees or enclosures.

For example, the chimps often throw barrels and tubs in their displays. With ease, the item goes flying across the room, making a loud noise (which was the intended goal). I could also throw a barrel or tub if I wanted to, but 1) it wouldn’t go flying across the room the way they do it 2) I would have to lay down after with a heating pad. The human body isn’t built for such a task.

Here is an article I found if you want to read more about different fiber makeups between chimpanzees and humans! Here is a former blog post by J.B. about chimpanzee strength as well.

 

Intimidation, Caregiving, and Preferences

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Elizabeth asked, “Is it intimidating when you first start working with chimps? How do you move pass that if so? (Watched a blog video of chimps descending from the top and kicking caging at caregivers)”. 

Chimpanzees are large and intelligent individuals. When they display (a series of threat behaviors), it can be quite intense, especially for new people and visitors. However, it is best to come into a chimpanzee caregiving role with a healthy respect and understanding of their strength and abilities, opposed to being straight fearful. Captive chimps notice fear and will pick up on that and use it to their advantage for a reaction.

Chimpanzees are territorial by nature. New chimpanzees and new people on sanctuary grounds are something the chimps are quickly quite aware of. During this time, the chimps (particularly the high-ranking chimpanzees) will almost always display, making their presence known to the newcomer, and showing them this is their home. Displaying can look different by individual, but typically the chimps’ hair will be pilo-erect (standing on end), and they will be loud, often banging, hitting, kicking, or throwing items. The chimpanzees often pair their display with vocalizations (a long, loud pant-hoot that starts quietly until it reaches a climax). Most of the time, after the displays, the chimps will begin to relax and then will go back to their normal activities.

My advice to someone who is incredibly fearful of chimpanzees would be to look more into chimpanzee behavior so they know more what to expect and the element of surprise wouldn’t be so overwhelming. The chimps also need to get used to someone’s presence so they may display at a new human for awhile before they get used to them. The chimps won’t often display towards someone they’re used to seeing, like their caregivers, unless there is another factor at play, such as group tension.

Cy pant-hooting while banging on a tub for maximum noise during his display: 

Kathleen asked, “Do any of the chimpanzees have a preferred caregiver?”. 

There is not a clear cut answer here, as we will truly never know what the chimps are thinking. However, I do believe that some of the chimps have caregivers they prefer more than others. Some of the chimps I couldn’t even guess who their preferred caregiver is, as they treat many caregivers the same and love them all (like Burrito, Cy, Terry). Some have several caregivers they seek out for grooming or play. There are also chimps that are indifferent enough about many caregivers, I also couldn’t guess (such as Negra, Missy, Mave, Dora). There are also some chimps that make their dislike for someone more known (such as Jamie whom spit her lunch time med cup in the back of my hair – it is crusty as we speak). And, on the rare occasion, some chimps have one caregiver they look forward to seeing the most and it is quite clear (example being Foxie and caregiver Katelyn). In my experience though, many of the chimps appreciate us full-time caregivers by showing us they noticed when we were gone on a vacation and they greet us when we come back (these are my best moments with Jamie, Annie, Negra, and Honey B).