Katelyn

April is here and much to our and Missy’s ever-loving delight, zooming season has returned!! It’s a month with no resident birthdays, but as you know, we are a partying bunch. Here are just a few things we are looking forward to this month!

Missy’s son, Josh, is celebrating his 38th birthday today! Josh, along with his sister, Honey B, was born at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) and as one of the youngest babies at the time, thankfully made his way to Wildlife Waystation where he lived until their closing. Josh was among the group who have now called Center for Great Apes their beautiful sanctuary home since 2021! Josh is thriving at CGA and he and his buddy, Ewok, seem to share the role of alpha in their group. He sounds like the loveliest guy. (photo courtesy of Center for Great Apes):

Josh’s beautiful mama, Missy!

On April 3rd we, along with people the world over, will be wishing Jane Goodall a happy 91st birthday! Dr. Goodall is in the midst of touring as she focuses on “hope, resilience, and the power of collective action.” There’s nothing I can add here to what’s already been said about this amazing human. She remains an incredible inspiration at a time we so deeply need it and we’re so thankful for her continued dedication and reverence for our beautiful world and all those we share it with.

This is my favorite photo of her. “Jane Goodall. Self Portrait”, taken in Gombe in 1962 (courtesy of the Jane Goodall Institute). Prints of this image are actually available through a joint campaign between the Jane Goodall Institute and Vital Impacts gathering the work of 90 female photographers together in celebration of Jane’s 90th birthday last year and the critical conservation work they do. 100% of the proceeds go to support of the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program.

On April 12th the chimpanzees will be celebrating a welcoming of spring! There are so many amazing things planned! Spring is always such a joyful time here at the sanctuary. (And everywhere?!). A few favorite photos from celebrations past:

Jamie and her beloved mini-peppers:

Willy B:

I know Betsy and her family are dreaming of warm pasture days ahead:

A favorite Jody photo! Spring will forever bloom with thoughts of this beloved chimpanzee woman. Endearingly known as “Farmer J0” for her master forager skills, spring (and of course, Jamieween) really was her time of year:

I’d be remiss not to mention that this month ends with the second year since Jody’s passing. So present does she remain in all our hearts and days, so palpable is her absence for her chimpanzee and human family alike, that sometimes I still find myself looking for her. I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

Many of you may be aware that her group enjoys watching their television, particularly Burrito, Jamie, Foxie, and Annie. Burrito asks us to turn on the CSNW YouTube videos almost daily, with very specific demands for those of the neighbors (Cy’s group)! I say “demand” because he in fact will let us know in no uncertain terms by banging the caging or spitting at us that he’s not interested in any ol’ video AND that we better hurry it up! As soon as he sees an “acceptable” video he settles down for his “stories”. I think these appease him when the neighbors aren’t visible for his spying pleasure from the windows. 🙂

One day a while back, after they first started watching these regularly, some of us heard Burrito and friends “hooing” at the TV. When we went to see what they were talking about, it was a video with Jody. My heart froze. At first I was worried it upset them. But I see now when we’re watching TV together and it happens to come on, their eyes are glued to the screen. Burrito sits up and hoos, swaying excitedly, Jamie and I nod at one another, Foxie looks at me, sometimes nodding, sometimes smiling, always reaching her hand out to rest her fingers on the back of mine as her eyes drift back to the screen. I don’t share this to make you sad, though I know it will make your hearts twinge, but to include you in what our remembering and missing of our beloved Jody sometimes looks like in her family’s lives. Just as what missing loved ones looks like to us all. We can’t wait to celebrate Jody and all our mothers here next month.

Next up will be our annual celebration of Love a Chimpanzee Day on April 23rd, the wonderful invention of supporter extraordinaire, Monica!  Read more about the history of this fun day in this post Diana wrote last year.

Negra:

Gordo:

Missy:

Another favorite photo, Burrito!:

Happy April, Happy Birthday to all celebrating one, and Welcome Spring! We could never thank you enough for being here with us through all the seasons in the chimpanzees’ and cows’ lives!

March is a whirlwind of sorts. A time of awakening, celebration, community, honoring, and hope, even if we have to look for it in the smallest of things at times, across the world. Here in our tiny part of the world, we are waking to birdsong and light now. The robins arrived the other day by at least a hundred, their cacophony of song from the treetops like a deep breath. Snow turned to rain at least on that day, temperatures have gone from barely creeping above freezing to stretching into the 50’s most recently, herds of deer and elk are on the move, and unbelievably, the first marmots were spotted. And the chimpanzees are anxiously eyeing Young’s Hill and the Bray, taking some soggy steps to the nearest structures, and enjoying the occasional sun in the greenhouses. Even the cow ladies are more on the move.

I have a cherished place in my heart for this time of year and the enchanted blur that is Mardi Gras and Carnival season, which culminate on March 4th. It’s a liminal time rising out of the quiet and stillness of winter to, well, the exact opposite. I can’t help but envision the humans and chimpanzees marching together in a second line around Young’s Hill and the Bray. We’d most likely be covered in mud and snow, but what a thought, right?!

Speaking of grand celebrations, the wildly handsome and all around wonderful guy, Cy, will be turning 35 on March 12th! He holds the entire birthday month to himself. As he should. Cy is one of the most special beings you could meet. He holds a presence like no other.

As the amazing leader of his group, we’d be lost without him. But it’s probably safe to say the feeling isn’t entirely mutual as Cy truly cherishes his time to just relax in peace and enjoy his beloved magazines and movies. His job is not the easiest, so fair enough.

In his office 🙂 :

And beloved St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th leads right into, dare we say it, spring, which arrives on March 20th! As far as winters go here, it hasn’t been nearly the hardest. But somehow, everyone I speak to (including myself 😉 ), even hard core winter fans, seem to be anxiously awaiting spring this year. And who can say for certain, but based on some of the chimpanzees’ light-hearted behaviors of late, I feel like they sense it nearing as well.

As many of you know, true spring arrives when Negra emerges from her winter nest in search of spring grass to eat. It’s such an anticipated event, seeing this joy of hers, which turns to this joy of ours, that it typically gets broadcast across the radios.

Sweet Annie:

And we also have Daylight Savings time on March 9th, which I only mention here because it means the sanctuary schedule also springs forward one hour. We choose to adjust our schedules with the time changes to give the chimpanzees the opportunity to have the most of the daylight hours. And for you, our wonderful and loyal blog followers, this might mean the blog posts popping up a bit later as well.

Thank you is never enough, from us to you. We are so grateful for your steady and gracious support of the sanctuary residents and for helping us create lives where their days hold more than the past, without worry of the future. We’re wishing you every good moment possible in the new season ahead.