Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jenna

How Caregivers Take Photo/Videos of the Chimpanzees

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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.

Energizer Bu…rrito

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Burrito has energy all day, every day. He is fueled from seemingly, his zest for life, and is always up to constant shenanigans. I have cracked the code on how Burrito has all the energy in the world! The answer is something you wouldn’t expect…. Annie has been pumping him with air in the morning! Check out today’s video to see this funny play session between Annie and Burrito! It’s pure gold.

Burrito and The New Big Blue Ball

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Recently, we were donated another giant bowl and big ball! Thank you to all of our donors!

These larger items are used as furniture in the chimp enclosures so they get a ton of usage! Burrito was especially jazzed to see the new items, which you will see in today’s video!

Photos of the day

Terry

Annie

Dora

Lucky

Rayne

Rayne yawning

 

Disclaimer: We’re not sure at what point in Rayne’s life she lost her two front teeth! This is how we’ve always known her.

 

Hey, speaking of wish lists and generous donors…if you’d like to help supply the sanctuary with food, enrichment, medicines, supplies, and other necessities, please check out our Christmas in July drive and help empty our wish lists!

Gordo’s 36th Birthday!

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Today is Gordo’s 36th Birthday!

We celebrated by having a lunch forage of his favorite foods, including a fan favorite that we save for special events, mangoes! Along with the forage, we included small, individual smoothie cups because they’re one of Gordo’s favorite things. Caregiver Ellen also made an oatmeal based “cupcake” for the chimps (you’ll see them in the video) consisting of oatmeal, banana, peanut butter, chow dust, sugar-free vanilla pudding as frosting, with a raspberry on top! The chimps absolutely loved them.

Gordo is a special guy and we hope he had the best day! If you’re new to our blog, I wrote a blog back in February about Gordo’s personality and all of his unique quirks. I will link it here!

Gordo probably thought it was Christmas today with his party and all the boxes we gave him! Since July is a month full of celebrations, we are inviting you to celebrate by emptying our wish lists for Christmas in July!
We are excited to introduce two new wish lists to choose from. First, we have partnered with Jerrol’s, a family-owned shop that has been in nearby Ellensburg since 1947. Rolf and Jessical at Jerrol’s have helped us create a custom wish list that we will be adding more items to as we discover what we can source from them instead of Amazon, and they will deliver gifts right to our door at the sanctuary – how great is that?!
We were also just approved to have a Chewy wish list! We will be able to get some supplements and toys for the chimpanzees and cows directly from Chewy now.
We aren’t getting rid of our Amazon wish list entirely just yet, and we’ve added more items to that list too. Thank you to alert blog readers who have already purchased fun items from Amazon for Christmas in July. You all are the best!
Our hope is to empty all of those wish lists by the end of this month so we can stock up on some staples and treat the chimpanzees to new and fun food puzzles and toys. Thank you for being santas and helping us celebrate Christmas in July!

A Day in The Windy City

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Some may know Chicago as the “Windy City”, but if you’ve ever visited or lived in central Washington, you know Cle Elum or Ellensburg could also be in the running for that title too! Central Washington is the windiest place I’ve ever been. In many of today’s clips, you can hear the wind ripping behind us and even see Annie’s hair blowing. Despite it being so windy, it was an absolutely beautiful day with the high being in the 70’s. It is supposed to get in the 90’s next week so we’re enjoying the cool wind while we can! Don’t forget to watch today’s video (above), there’s a play session of Jamie and Foxie in there that’ll make your heart burst.

Some photos of the day!

Annie’s proper form for her “bird noises” (so you can practice at home if you want):

Dora eating apples at breakfast:

Foxie received a new Strawberry Shortcake doll this morning and this was her during the lunch forage:

A new doll vs. a well-loved one:

Foxie and Missy at breakfast:

Negra in her Greenhouse nest:

Amiable Annie

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Annie is the second oldest chimpanzee at the sanctuary. She will turn 50 years old in September! She is low-ranking in her group, as she is very timid. She doesn’t want to upset Jamie, the alpha, by stepping out of line.

Annie’s best friend is Missy, but she also is often near Burrito. Although, Burrito is her shadow when she is swelling so that’s not necessarily her choice to be near him 24/7. Annie is a calm, quiet female chimpanzee but very sensitive. She hates drama and conflicts with her group members, although conflicts are perfectly normal in chimpanzee society.

Annie loves all foods and eats just about anything. She is one of the least-picky eaters we have around here!

One of my favorite things about Annie is how she bipedally walks through the grass. She bends her long-arms so the grass doesn’t touch her and then uses her arms to help move her along. It makes me laugh just about every time.

Annie makes bird-sounds with her mouth and hand when she is resting peacefully.

Annie isn’t super human-oriented, but she is very sweet to her caregivers and will offer them a kiss from time-to-time or a gentle hand touch.

Annie:

Kelsi and Cy:

Raspberries are growing! Jamie’s favorite time of year.

Terry:

Terry and Willy B:

Chimpanzee Stereotypes

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There are many stereotypes out there about chimpanzees. Anytime I tell someone that I work with chimps, it is almost a guarantee they bring up something about bananas or poop-throwing in their response. Today, I am weighing in on these stereotypes!

Bananas

Do chimpanzees love bananas? Yes. Do chimpanzees love bananas more than every other food? No. Do chimpanzees only eat bananas? No.

Chimpanzees love bananas, but they love fruits in general! We serve the chimps at CSNW a variety of fruits and veggies and they all individually have their favorite foods. While bananas are a well-liked fruit, apples, pears, melon, or oranges, are equally as liked. I’m not entirely sure why we as a society have latched on to the pairing of primates and bananas, but it shows up in movies, greeting cards, toys, etc. Weigh in below on where you think this stereotype originated!

Foxie eats banana:

Honey B eats banana:

Poop-throwing

I have worked at two ape sanctuaries and out of about 90 apes (orangutans and chimpanzees), only three chimpanzees threw feces. As you may or may not know, Jamie is our only poop-thrower at CSNW. And one is plenttttttttty. Chimpanzees don’t normally throw feces in the wild, but it is seen in captive settings. There are other primates, such as howler monkeys, that are known for throwing feces.

Jamie throws feces at new staff members or volunteers, when they are doing something that she doesn’t want them be doing (whether that be playing with Burrito, scrubbing toys, or simply existing). She doesn’t throw feces as much at her long-time human friends, such as J.B., Diana, or Kelsi, so her newer friends get the brunt of it.

I don’t want you to think less of Jamie because she throws feces. Instead, think about it from the perspective of her trying to control an environment that is run by humans.

Jamie:

What other stereotypes are out there about chimpanzees? Let me know!