Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jenna

Stay Awhile

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Stay awhile! If you do, you might experience some beautiful, sweet, and/or relaxing moments.

I have noticed that the best moments of my day are when I spend time with the chimps and not rush to move on to my next responsibility. You may be thinking that I am stating the obvious, but our chimp house is BUSY and there is always a to-do list item waiting to be checked off. Sitting down and taking in your surroundings with Negra (like in the video) does not happen nearly as much as it should. Whether it be gazing into their eyes (like you will see with Cy in the video above), quietly watching them eat, witnessing an amazing play session, grooming together, or just spending time together separately, taking the time to be intentional with the chimps is so important. When I have stuck around, it almost always leaves me in a better mindset than I was going in. I’ll never regret those moments either. Enjoy today’s video of when I “stuck around”…

Photos from The Bray today!

Cy:

Lucky:

Gordo and Rayne – A Series:

BONUS! Yesterday, many trees got planted on The Bray. Keep in eye out for them in future pictures! Shout out to all the staff who aren’t pictured that put in work (cough Chad cough Grace)!

Look at these photographs

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Today has been a busy, busy day in the chimp house! I managed to get some photos today and hope you enjoy them!

Cy:

Foxie was out on Young’s Hill this afternoon when it started raining. Her and her Blueberry doll hurried in.

I tried to be artistic here taking a photo of Honey B behind the leaves that frame the chute.

Lucky:

Mave (let’s ignore the troll mask in the background nearly ruining the photo):

 

 

Days with Dora

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Dora is a busy girl. I quickly found that out yesterday when I began to record her for this blog idea I had. She is constantly on the move! While I only captured some highlights from her day, I hope you get the dose of Dora you have been wanting! She’s pretty special.

Laying to Rest

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This weekend, we will lay Jody to rest at the sanctuary, her home for the last fifteen years. Now, she will forever be with her chimpanzee family (Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Missy, and Negra). It brings us humans great comfort to know she will be physically here with us, even though she is gone. If you missed J.B.’s blog post about Jody’s departure, I will link it here.

The memory of Jody is everywhere.

When I pass by Front Rooms 2 and 3, I am reminded of her naps in those rooms. Sometimes, she would graciously get up and gather her blankets, as she knew we were hoping to clean the front rooms next. When I serve cherry tomatoes to her group, I am reminded of how Jody popped each one with her front teeth and then ate it. Sometimes, the juice would squirt in various directions and it made me laugh every time. When I look at Young’s Hill, I am reminded of seeing her foraging with her group, collecting all types of foods. She would do this certain walk that only Jody could do, when she was exceptionally proud of herself. When I look at lilacs, I see Jody. Since Jody has been gone, I’ve noticed myself taking in my surroundings more, looking for the beauty in things around me. I know that may sound bizarre that it took Jody’s death to make me do this, but when I see something extra beautiful, like a beautiful tree in full bloom, I think to myself, “Jody would love that”.

Today, some beautiful edible flowers that Kelsi ordered arrived and we knew we had to spread them out for Jody’s family. Nobody loved flowers as much as Jody. We spread out the flowers in the Greenhouse, as well as filled the pools with diluted Gatorade and floating orchids.

Annie

Jamie

Negra (L) and Foxie (R)

Burrito

Annie

Burrito

Burrito and Jamie

Foxie (L), Burrito (center), and Missy (R)

Negra

Negra with one of Foxie’s dolls in her pelvic pocket

Burrito and volunteer Krissy playing

Foxie

We love and miss you, Jo!

Continuing on…

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Many have reached out to ask how the rest of Jody’s group members are doing following her passing. I am happy to report that they seem to be handling it well. Of course, it is evident that they feel the loss of Jody, as she was an important member of their group, but they are okay. They are continuing on with their daily routines, which I personally think is crucial in the grieving process. They are all doing the things they enjoy the most, such as reading books, playing, nesting, etc. Grieving and continuing on with life can occur simultaneously.

I know many blog readers enjoy reading our blog as a positive escape. While our blog content is typically positive or fun/silly in nature, I know with the loss of Jody, it has not been. I apologize if you feel the heaviness. We hope you understand as we inevitably continue to mention Jody in the coming days/weeks/months. I don’t think any of us want to stop talking about her yet.

 

Laughter

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Mave and Dora (“Mora” as we like to call them) are the ultimate besties. I overheard Dora laughing SO LOUD before breakfast and ran to catch some footage. Mave making Dora laugh is so fun and sweet to watch! Enjoy today’s video of Mave and Dora. Sound up for all the laughter!

Bonus photos from today!

Gordo is so photogenic:

Cy:

Terry and Honey B grooming:

Dora lounging:

 

 

Bonding with our Newest Caregiver

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One of the most rewarding and fun aspects of being a caregiver is building the relationships with each of the chimpanzees. Our newest caregiver, Sabrina, has been working hard on creating bonds with the chimps. One of the best ways to form friendships with the chimps is participating in their favorite activities, such as grooming or playing chase. As you will see in today’s video, Sabrina is doing just that! Enjoy 🙂