Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Katelyn

Sunshine, flowers, and greens

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Today the chimps’ appeared to get a memo that a fresh crop of wildflowers had sprung up on Young’s Hill overnight. Or maybe Missy was the memo. As soon as everyone spotted her running down the hill with a bunch of flowers they suddenly spread out and started foraging for wild greens for themselves. At one point everyone was walking around bipedally through the tall grass picking flowers one by one to carry back to the greenhouse to enjoy.

The wild mustard is starting to grow as well which is a real summertime favorite:

Foxie, Annie and Jody:

Jody and Missy enjoying their dandelions:

Annie was a purist and chose to just eat sweet spring grass, enjoying her solitude in the sun:

Happy Birthday, Celia!

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Today was sponsored by Brian and Amy Freyermuth who are honoring their niece, Celia Holden, on her 14th birthday! Brian and Amy shared this wonderful message about Celia:

“A vegetarian since she was 9, Celia is a fantastic companion for everyone around her no matter their age

A gathering of friends

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Thanks to so many amazing supporters we had a hugely successful and exciting evening at our annual HOOT! gala in Seattle last night! We can’t wait to share more of the details with you!

And if you saw the blog yesterday, you’ll know that while the humans were celebrating in Seattle, the chimps were, of course, having their own celebration here with a festive forage.

In typical day-after-the-party style, the chimpanzees have been relaxing and lounging today, while throwing in an occasional stroll around the hill. But the excitement returned when they received a visit from an old friend. Keith LaChappelle, the founder of the sanctuary, was here to attend HOOT! last night and stopped by with his family to say hello to the chimps before heading home. And the chimps could not have been more excited to see him! As soon as Keith walked in, the chimp house echoed with hoots and hollers and everyone was anxious to greet him.

But perhaps one of the most excited, was Burrito. The chimps had a nice long visit with Keith and Burrito followed him around the entire time. When it eventually came time for Keith and his family to leave, Burrito was glued to their every move, silently following them from inside the chimp house as he watched out the windows:

Burrito was actually softly hooting as he watched his friend heading across the driveway. I’m not going to lie, this is about the time I couldn’t help but tear up a little over Burrito’s sweet self.

To each of you who made HOOT! 2018 the amazing success it was and for all those who help to ensure that the chimps are thriving for all their days forward and are the momentum behind our vision for the future of the Bring Them Home Campaign for Expansion, you are a gift and an inspiration. From our hearts, thank you!!

And if you were unable to attend HOOT!, but would still like to contribute to this incredible celebration of homecoming and sanctuary, you may still do so here.

It’s a hootin’ good time!

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Tonight’s the night! It’s our annual gala and auction, HOOT! While staff, volunteers and many of our fabulous supporters are in Seattle gearing up for an evening of merriment and celebration, the chimpanzees, meanwhile, have been having a hootin’ good time in Cle Elum.

Our dear friend (and former staff), Keri, arrived with fresh rhubarb, chives and lilacs from her garden which added to the amazing Hoot! party extravaganza. Also on the chimps’ party menu were strawberries, purple cabbage, sweet potatoes, snap peas, leeks, watermelon, sparkling cider, and one pineapple top!

Jody, among the flowers:

Jody, Annie and Foxie enjoying the treats in Jamie’s kitchenette while she was busy gathering ALL the grab bags for herself. Maybe this is something akin to their version of the Dessert Dash we hold at the gala each year?:

Annie enjoying coconut:

The entire beautiful forage was scattered with lilac flowers and Foxie took it upon herself to “hoover”all of them up. Notice her trademark rubbing her toes together as she does this – the ultimate sign of a happy Foxie:

(Toes!)

Conveniently, the flowers happen to be stuck in coconut water, hence the tongue!

My favorite, with the petals on her lip 🙂

To each of you supporting the chimps in all the varied and generous ways you do, be it supporting HOOT!, attending HOOT!, volunteering your time with us and the chimps, following the chimps’ lives on the blog, sharing their stories with others, sending gifts and donations, well, the list of compassion and generosity is endless really, and from our hearts to yours, we’re so grateful to you! It gives us hope for humankind. It not only ensures the chimpanzees continue to thrive in their lives here, and thrive they do, but gives us all hope for the chimpanzees still awaiting their time in sanctuary, something all of you are helping to make possible through celebrating with us tonight, be it near or from afar.

We couldn’t have come this far for the chimps without you. And just imagine what we can accomplish together for so many others. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of our chimp family!

The conifer connoisseur

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As you’ve probably seen previously on the blog, Jody is one of our most adventurous eaters. Wild greens, flowers, bamboo, she loves it all and seemingly the wilder the better!

Yesterday Anna wrote about Negra enjoying some Ponderosa pine tree browse that J.B. recently put out on Young’s Hill for the chimps to find. It took Jody mere moments to find it and haul huge branches back to the greenhouse to enjoy, in classic Jody style, while lying on her belly and taking in the view. It’s been a particularly big hit with a few of the chimps, but I think Jody has moved on to qualify as Honorary Conifer Connoisseur.

Apparently pine needles make for good wadging material:

I love the pine needle in her hair. 🙂

Happy Birthday, Kayla!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Bernice Schick in honor of Kayla on her birthday!

Bernice, thank you so much for thinking of the chimpanzees in celebration of Kayla! We are always touched when people so compassionately include the chimpanzees in their lives.

Kayla, all of us here at the sanctuary hope you have the best birthday yet filled with all that makes your heart happy!

Adventurous-hearted Annie:

The wild wildflowers

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May is our most stunning time of year here at the sanctuary. Spring suddenly explodes in a kaleidoscope of birdsong, wildflowers and neon green grass. It only lasts a few short weeks before the sun bakes everything brown, but all of the primates relish every single glorious day.

Every morning while the chimpanzees are having breakfast the lead caregiver for the day walks the perimeter of Young’s Hill (sans Jamie) to ensure that the outdoor habitat is secure to give the chimps access to. It always feels strange to be out there without the boss lady, but it’s one of the most peaceful and beautiful times of the day, watching the sanctuary wake up:

As the sun rises over the hill these redstem stork’s bills cover the sanctuary in fields of pink. By afternoon they pull their tiny shades to the hot sun and you’d never even know they were there.

Our friendly neighborhood elk, Ellie (aka Buttons, locally) doing her best to stick to all the shady spots:

Foxie and her Doras took a leisurely stroll by themselves this morning, weaving in and out of the tall, spring grass:

We have three tiny American Goldfinch couples singing their hearts out all the live long day this year. They are so vivid they look like flying dandelions when they take flight from the grass.

For as far as the eye can see the hillsides are covered in balsamroot:

Birthday lady, Jody, promptly made a nest in front of the barn doors where the cool breeze wafts through the chimp house. She seems pretty pleased with how 43 looks so far:

The bleeding heart blooming outside the frontrooms is filling the chimp house with the most beautiful scent right now. In the upper 80’s, it’s by far the warmest day we’ve had this year and the chimps are sprawled in every direction, dozing in the afternoon breeze, only the sounds of swallows zipping and zooming and chittering. It’s a good day.