Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jenna

To Shift or Not To Shift

by

Shifting occurs when caregivers are moving the chimps out of one space and into another, in order to clean the enclosures. We shift the chimps every morning, two to three different times so that we can clean every space. Our cleaning routines typically stay the same so that the chimps know what to expect. However, one of the many beauties of sanctuary is the fact that we don’t have a true schedule of where the chimps have to be at certain times (such as a zoo, where they may need to be on exhibit by a certain hour). While we have an ideal daily cleaning schedule in mind (typically from 9:30am-1pm), the chimps can say yes/no to our plans at any time.

After our first round of cleaning, we always put out a forage with greens (cabbage, lettuce, sometimes radicchio). While the chimps love greens, sometimes the forage alone isn’t motivation enough to shift. As we have discussed in many blogs before, Honey B is probably our #1 hold out (meaning she is less likely to shift with her group than anyone else), Negra is probably in the number 2 position, with the occasional Foxie, Dora, and Mave as runners up. While the cleaning day certainly goes by faster if all the chimps shift on-time, we don’t force anything. If Honey B doesn’t want to shift with her group, for example, she isn’t required to, and we will work around her while she hangs out alone or with team Mora when they occasionally don’t shift. Negra, on the other side of the chimp house, also has days where she prefers to stay in her warm, cozy Greenhouse nest and won’t shift back into the Playroom so we can clean the Greenhouse. Again, that’s okay and we will try at another time or the following day. Surprisingly, despite all of these ladies who always seem to question, “To Shift or Not To Shift?”, we manage to clean every space the majority of days!

The only times that we would absolutely need them to shift is in emergency situations, such as a rattlesnake or unusual bad weather. In emergency situations, caregivers would bring out high value foods (e.g. grapes or berries) to get the chimps attention and ask them to move to x enclosure or to vacate x enclosure (depending on the situation). We practice recalls regularly, so the chimps are familiar with the recall process and it should run fairly smoothly.

Today was a rough day for myself + the camera. I present to you the one photo that turned out…

Negra and the hair on her brow ridge:

The 5 Great Apes

by

In addition to providing daily pictures/videos and updates about CSNW’s residents, our blog can also be educational. I hope the blog readers can take away something every time they read it, even if it’s just something new about one of our residents.

Can you name all 5 of the great apes? I have intentionally placed the hardest ones last, as people usually can’t name more than the first three.

Let us know how you did!

1. Gorillas

© Ann & Steve Toon/Getty

Gorillas share 98% of DNA with humans. Gorillas are the largest out of all primate species. They are classified as “critically endangered”.

2. Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees share 98.8% of DNA with humans (the closest living relative). Chimpanzees live in Africa, in both the savannah and rainforests. Chimpanzees are classified as “endangered”.

3. Orangutans

Orangutans share 97% of DNA with humans. Orangutans live in the rainforests of Asia. All orangutan species are classified as “critically endangered”.

4. Bonobos

Bonobos share 98.7% of DNA with humans (our other closest living relative). Bonobos also share 99.6% of DNA with chimpanzees. They are often referred to as “the smaller chimpanzee”. Bonobos are found in Africa, only south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Bonobos are classified as “endangered”.

5. Humans

Timeline (dating back to 65 million years ago):

 

Skeletal Comparisons:

50 things to know, love, and appreciate about Annie!

by

We are just 5 short days away from Annie’s 50th birthday celebration! Not all chimpanzees reach 50 years old, so this is something extra special to celebrate! We only have Negra in the 50’s club at CSNW, but next week, Annie will be the newest and second member!

I thought today I would give you a crash course on Annie, for anyone who is new to our blog, or for those who pop in/out.

Here are 50 things to know, love, and appreciate about Annie Chimpanzee!

1. Annie was born in 1974. We celebrate her birthday on September 10th, but we are not sure of her real birth date and believe she was born in the wild. She could already be 50 for all we know, but let’s not focus on that…

2. Unfortunately, Annie spent the first few decades of her life in the biomedical research industry at Buckshire Corporation in Pennsylvania. Annie was used in hepatitis vaccine studies as well as produced many offspring (potentially 7). Annie’s babies were taken from her each time.

3. Annie, as well as her fellow group members, arrived to sanctuary on June 13, 2008. Annie has been here at CSNW for over 16 years now!

4. Annie lives in a group with Jamie, Negra, Burrito, Missy, and Foxie. Jody was another member of their family but unfortunately, passed away last year.

5. Annie is a low-ranking chimpanzee in her group. She is submissive towards the others and let’s them take priority before her.

6. Annie’s best friend and go-to girl is Missy. Those who have known Annie/Missy for a long time say that Annie has gotten so much more independent over the years. She used to not be able to go anywhere without Missy. She still is with Missy A LOT, but she seems to be able to do much more on her own now.

7. Annie watches Missy out on Young’s Hill from inside if she doesn’t want to go out there with her. She always keeps an eye out for her. She is devoted.

8. “Annie bird” earned her nickname by making bird noises with her hands. She does this regularly while laying on her back, completely relaxed.

9. Annie is a sweet and gentle chimpanzee. She likes to give caregivers gentle kisses to the back of their hand in the morning and sometimes gives them a gentle tickle to the hand in the morning as well.

10. Missy is higher ranking compared to Annie. Since she is lower-ranking, Annie never takes it personally if Missy has to pull rank.

11. Sometimes, Annie gets a little nervous to play with other chimps. Foxie and Annie sometimes can misinterpret each other. However, that never discourages Annie from playing with her group members.

12. Annie values grooming with her group members. She takes it very seriously.

13. Despite Annie being low-ranking, she almost never gets wounds. Knock on wood.

14. Annie loves drinking from straws.

15. Like many of our chimpanzee residents, Annie is a breakfast smoothie enthusiast.

16. Annie is not a very picky eater. She loves so many fruits and veggies, it’s hard to narrow down her favorites.

17. We believe Annie has an allergy to mangoes. We take the allergy very seriously and keep mangoes quarantined in our clinic when we have them. The other group gets mangoes for birthdays occasionally, but Jamie’s group (where Annie lives) does not.

18. Annie walking bipedally (2 feet) is epic. She will walk bipedally out on the Hill when the grass is tall or when she is foraging.

19. Annie is friends with everyone in her group, including alpha female, Jamie.

20. Cucumbers aren’t a unanimous favorite in the chimp house, but Annie loves them.

21. Annie sometimes goes to the top of Young’s Hill to forage by herself.

22. Annie enjoys watching TV when it’s on.

23. Annie loves to eat grass out on Young’s Hill. Today, in fact, she was late to breakfast because she was doing just that.

24. Annie has very unique ears that are higher up on her head. It makes her easily identifiable.

25. Annie is easy-going. You know those people that are just happy to be there? That’s Annie.

26. Annie often lays in a “happy baby” pose (what caregivers call it).

27. Annie makes amazing nests. It is so sweet to watch her build nests. She is so focused and looks so relaxed.

28. You can tell when it’s almost summer because Annie will start sporting sweatbands around her waist. Surprisingly, she doesn’t do this year-round.

29. Annie loves all enrichment puzzles. She loves everything with peanut butter, or nuts. She’s not picky.

30. She likes when caregivers have painted toenails. She likes to groom their toes with a tool, but she’s a little rough with it.

31. Annie has perfectly long nails. It looks like she shapes them.

32. Annie likes men with beards. We once had a visitor with a beard and Annie was mesmerized.

33. Annie is a pretty quiet gal. Except when she’s scared. Then, she screams and screams.

34. Annie’s upper arm hair looks cape-like.

35. Sometimes, Annie will want to groom her caregiver’s hands but then she just proceeds to poke them softly, instead of grooming.

36. Annie’s anxiety is simultaneously a superpower because she is able to read chimpanzees and humans very well.

37. A lot of Annie’s play sessions are her just smacking others with her long arms.

38. Annie loves to watch the boys in Cy’s group out on The Bray. Although, they make her nervous.

39. Annie is in fabulous shape. You would not believe she is about to be 50 years old.

40. She’s growing more confident every year.

41. She is not a fighter, she’s a lover. Neggie too!

42. She loves any kinds of baked foods.

43. She is very observant and usually the first to spot a snake nearby.

44. Annie and Missy make their nests next to each other.

45. Annie will steal food if the opportunity presents itself (e.g. if someone leaves their food unattended, she will grab it and see if anyone saw).

46. Annie always looks out for Jamie during meals (due to the dominance hierarchy). She is constantly scanning even if Jamie isn’t in the room.

47. Annie likes to eat snow during the winter. She likes when the caregivers bring snow into the enclosures for them.

48. Annie loves to eat sunflowers.

49. Annie washes the hair on her head with the lixit. We can always tell afterwards because her hair will be spiky.

50. Annie is the sweetest, most gentle chimpanzee. We are so lucky to know her. Happy almost 50th Birthday, Annie!

Tune in next week (September 10th) for her actual birthday celebration!

Please check out our Wishlists here to help us prepare for upcoming events!

Let’s groom!

by

Grooming is an important part of being a chimpanzee. Chimpanzees spend a majority of their day grooming, either themselves or each other. Not only does it help one be clean of dead skin, dirt, plants, debris, bugs, etc., it also helps build and maintain friendships and social relationships.

As we have discussed many times before, Willy B is an awkward chimpanzee. It seems like he doesn’t know what to do in many situations. However, one thing he has down is grooming. He grooms with the boys in his group the most, but can often be seen grooming with Rayne or Mave. Check out today’s video to see Willy B focused on grooming his group members! I threw in some footage of a current funny mystery we have going in the chimp house, as well. I’m curious as to who you think is the culprit.

Photos from today:

Cy grooming Volunteer Lizz

Cy portraits. Are you kidding me?! Look at this guy!

Gordo piloerect:

Gordo not piloerect:

Missy’s 49th Birthday!

by

Today is Missy’s 49th Birthday!

Unlike previous birthdays for Missy, today was chilly and rainy. However, that didn’t stop the chimps from foraging out on Young’s Hill!

If you aren’t familiar with Missy’s interests, she is our tomato enthusiast. She had at least one form of tomato for each meal so far today. As we speak, caregiver Ellen is making a tomato-based soup for all the chimps to enjoy at dinner. I know Missy will be over the moon!

Happy Birthday to our tomato-lovin’, tree-climbin’, athletic, graceful, birthday girl, Missy! I can’t believe she is 49 years old today. She ages so gracefully. 

Photos from today

Annie foraging:

Foxie climbing up a structure:

Foxie moving grass out of her way, but looks like she’s doing karate:

Jamie on top of a structure:

Missy and Annie sitting on the artificial termite mound:

Missy enjoying a juicy tomato:

Missy:

Negra:

How Caregivers Take Photo/Videos of the Chimpanzees

by

Learning how to take photos/videos of the chimpanzees can be a nerve-wracking task. As caregivers, we generally avoid being close to the caging unless doing a chimp interaction. Therefore, learning to be close to the caging safely while trying to get great photos/videos for the blog, initially had me feeling out of my comfort zone. So much goes into it, hence why I thought it’d make an interesting blog!

Step 1: Getting comfortable being close to the caging in a safe manner while handling a very nice camera or phone

The first thing caregivers have to overcome is getting themselves comfortable with being close to the caging. It feels wrong and quite vulnerable at first, but it gets easier over time with more experience of reading chimp behavior and assessing situations (more on that in Step #2). It took me several weeks to get comfortable with the combination of being close to caging + holding the camera + snapping a clear photo, and it took me even longer before I was comfortable with getting close enough to get the caging physically out of all of my photos.

This was one of my photos on my very first blog! I was happy with the quality of the image but of course, the caging obstructs the photo because I was too far away. It all takes practice and time.

Step 2: Getting a quality photo or video while assessing and reading chimp behavior for your own safety and camera safety

Let’s jump forward to when the caregiver is comfortable with being close to the caging, holding the camera, AND snapping a quality photo on a nice camera (it’s harder than it may seem). Now, caregivers must begin to be aware of where each of the chimps are located in the enclosure, what they’re doing (activity-wise), and analyze their behavior. Thankfully, chimpanzees aren’t always good at being discreet. Sometimes, they’ll turn to look at you and the camera or give you a quick side-eye, then go back to what they were doing. For some chimps, that’s them telling you they don’t care that you are there. For other chimps, that’s them assessing the situation and now they may try to surprise you with a jump scare and/or poke very shortly.

Context is also important here. Obviously, if things are tense among the chimps or they seem agitated, putting a camera up to the caging may not always be a good idea. Chimpanzees are pretty good at showing how they emotionally feel (between vocalizations, gestures, and physical tells). I can always tell when Jamie does not want me to be taking a photo or recording her. It’ll start as a long stare from Jamie. If I don’t notice or ignore it, she may get up and charge the caging. That’s an example of a clear message Jamie is giving to me to stop what I’m doing and potentially even go away.

What’s also interesting is that different caregivers may have better luck taking a photo of a specific individual than another would. I’ve noticed that there are certain chimps who will always try to poke my camera if they’re around (cough Rayne cough Foxie). They may not do that to every caregiver, but they do it to me, so I have to take that information and keep it in mind so that I can continue to be safe. I’ve also picked up on the fact that Burrito does not try to scare me when I’m taking photos or videos of him, but he sometimes does to others. There’s also chimps who would never poke a caregiver’s camera (sweet Terry). The chimpanzee and human relationship is just another factor to consider.

As you can tell, a lot goes into capturing a simple photo of one of our residents. That is why some days we have nothing to show for it (ahhhh!) and we have to deliver with some good video footage! However, I think that’s why it makes it all that more sweet when we are able to capture an amazing shot of one of our residents to share with you all! It literally feels like an achievement to me at times.

Thank you for loving our photos and videos we post! Thank you for being here!

Foxie trying to poke the camera:

Honey B up close to the camera:

Annie with some blurry caging:

Lucky up-close:

One last thing!

You may have seen reviews of the docuseries Chimp Crazy this week. Thank you for those who filled out the survey from Diana’s blog post about the series. The first episode airs this Sunday, August 18th, on HBO and streams on Max at 10 p.m. PT.

The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW), along with a special guest, will be hosting the discussion of the first episode. Join us on Tuesday, August 20 via Zoom at 6:00 PM PST/9:00 PM EST to explore Episode 1: Monkey Love. We will be discussing the contents of the episode as well as some history around the use of primates in entertainment and the pet trade, the legality of owning primates as pets, and the Captive Primate Safety Act. Register to join this discussion.

We understand that there may be scenes in the series that could be difficult for primate welfare advocates to watch. Our goal is to provide a space where people can openly share their thoughts and learn more about how they can help these remarkable primates.