Katelyn

Glitter baby!

December 3, 2014 by Katelyn

Thanks to all of our amazing supporters, Foxie is the lucky recipient of many troll and Dora the Explorer dolls. Without fail, each new “baby” makes her day (and subsequently the humans’ day as well). She recently received this wee glitter troll and as one might imagine, she was particularly enamored with this flashy little guy:

Shortly after receiving her new friend, I found Foxie in the greenhouse full of joy and laughing all by herself (well, not by herself, she did have the troll tucked in her hip pocket):

Look at this huge play face!

And the piece de resistance…notice glitter troll on top of Foxie’s upside-down bum!!

Good times, in classic Foxie-style.

Pedicures, chimpanzee-style

December 2, 2014 by Katelyn

It was 10 degrees when we arrived at the sanctuary this morning and much of Young’s Hill was covered in frost. Our days have been stunningly bright and cold. The contrast of walking into the very warm chimp house to find the chimpanzees safe, comfortable and enjoying the sun from their nests makes this time of year all the more enchanting.

As you are probably aware by now if you follow the blog, Jamie is not a fair weather chimpanzee. She manages to make the most of each day regardless of the season and this usually means several walks around her beloved Young’s Hill. As we headed up the hill today we were greeted by a doe and her fawn:

Despite the cold temperatures, Jamie quickly made the decision to take a minute to chase off the intruders before resuming our walk:

After three laps Jamie decided the perimeter had been successfully secured and was ready for a break to warm up. As you might imagine, all the walking around Young’s Hill that Jamie does can be tough on a girls feet. If you’ve ever wondered how the chimpanzees’ care for their nails, Jamie decided to give herself a pedicure this afternoon and shows us how it’s done:

The fact that Jamie can spend her days walking around Young’s Hill, defending her home against “marauding” deer/eagles/hawks, and then return to the chimp house when she chooses and relax in a cozy nest and groom herself is a big part of what sanctuary means for her. As you might imagine, it means something different to each of the chimpanzees’ just as our own freedoms and choices do to us. Every single minute of their day, every choice they make, every comfort they enjoy, is a gift made possible by you. And we couldn’t be more thankful.

Today, Giving Tuesday, is a wonderful opportunity to help non-profits out through your generosity and compassion. If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out the #GivingTuesday video that Diana sent out earlier today to see more of what your support means to the chimpanzees and how you can help ensure that every day is a day of sanctuary for them.

On the 7th Day of Giving Thanks

November 27, 2014 by Katelyn

We are the sum of all of our parts. For the past six days we have been sharing our gratitude for all of the amazing humans and organizations who give their support to the sanctuary in a myriad of ways. Each and every person we’ve mentioned, and I am sure so many more who we may never be aware of, has made the sanctuary and the lives of the chimpanzees what they are today. And for that we could not be more thankful.

On this seventh day of giving thanks, we want to share our gratitude for the heart and soul of the sanctuary and all that we do, the chimpanzees themselves. Words could never fully express the respect, admiration and love we have for Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Negra. We are thankful for the unique personalities that each of the chimpanzees share with us. The joy and laughter they bring to our lives and for making us smile every single day. We are thankful for the gift and privilege of their friendship and all that they teach us about forgiveness, strength, courage, healing and choosing to live each moment to the fullest. For being themselves, always, and allowing us into their world so that we can share that with others in the hope of helping other chimpanzees and primates. And honestly, I suspect I speak for all the caregivers when I say we are even thankful for the flinging of feces and spitting of saliva. How could that be possible? Because it’s one more moment that they get to express themselves just as they are knowing they will be respected, cared for and loved just the same.

We are profoundly thankful for each of the chimpanzees’ indomitable spirits and their ability to heal, forgive, and allow humans into their lives, in spite of what our species has done to them. Not because this makes us feel better or because it justifies in any way what they have experienced, but because it allows them some sense of peace and comfort and to experience life more on their terms, as it always should have been for them.

We are thankful for beautiful Annie’s sweet, gentle spirit and her new found ability to stand up for herself and her friends when it really matters to her. For her growing independence, courage and comfort in her own skin and the sense of freedom we hope this brings her after so much anxiety and fear. And for “Annie-bird” noises as she whistles into her hands and clapping her feet together which mean she’s relaxed and happy, raspberries and foot stomping when she gives us the gift of her attention, and to bear witness to the amazing friendship she has with her best friend, Missy.

We are thankful for Burrito and the heartwarming charm he so willingly shares with us just by being himself. For his place in a family of chimpanzee women who love him despite his boisterous displays and lack of appropriate chimpanzee etiquette and provide him a safe place in which he can figure out what it means to be the only guy among six ladies. And for the sound of his food squeaks echoing throughout the chimp house at meal time, for play faces, play stomps, play bows, and blanket tosses when he is feeling particularly playful.

We are thankful for Foxie and the sheer joyful exuberance she greets each day with. For the innate sensitivity she shows toward her fellow primates, human and non, and her ability to make all of us (even Jamie) feel better just by being herself. For the growing courage she finds to explore Young’s Hill in awe and for her ability to trust us when sharing her “babies” with us, knowing she will never have anything she loves taken from her again. And for back flips, pirouettes, kisses given while hanging upside down, the willingness to gaze into our eyes, her toes (!) and the toe tickling that comes with those toes.

We are thankful for Jamie and her astounding intelligence, willpower, and creativity. For the opportunity she finally has to call the shots and be loved and respected exactly as she is in each minute of the day. For walks around Young’s Hill and for the immense honor it is to accompany her on her perimeter walks and be included as part of her troop. And for “upside-down-Jamie-on-a-barrel” because it means she is happy, do-it-yourself Jamie who takes charge of her home, that she now feels safe enough to take naps and actually close her eyes and rest, and happy groans of pure joy when she receives a new pair of boots.

We are thankful for Jody and what she teaches us about the value of comfort, relaxation and taking care of oneself. For her ability to now spend each minute choosing exactly what feels best for her. For the sheer joy she receives from foraging for every wild plant she can find on Young’s Hill, for the way she “holds the door” and gathers everyone up until she makes sure all the chimpanzees have come in for meals, for her “dinosaur” groans when she is particularly happy about something she’s eating, for “happy baby” poses while lounging in her nest, for sometimes poking us when she’s feeling saucy, and for her earnest gazes and endearing “butt-bounces” when greeting us.

We are thankful for Missy and the fact that she finally has the choice to run to her heart’s content in every direction she can on Young’s Hill, laughing as she passes you by. For the athletic prowess which brings her so much joy after so many years living in a small cage with no room for her spirit to move. For her ability to wake up each day with so much joy that she and her best friend, Annie, play chase, wrestle and laugh like crazy before they are even fully awake. And for the leaping, spinning, swinging, jumping, and climbing. And for the way she gets us to “chase” her to the garden to ask for summertime tomatoes.

And we are thankful for Queen Negra and her ability to find joy and a position of respect in the companionship of her chimpanzee and human friends after years of solitude and depression. For the absolute pleasure she receives from the simple things in life like a nest made of sometimes over 30 blankets, the sun on her face, and days spent nesting peacefully by her window as she watches the valley below. And for hand claps when the servers are too slow, straw thrown in our faces when she really wants to get her point across, head nods of approval when we dance for her, the absolute joy she receives from night bags and for nuts and seeds on her belly as she enjoys those nightbags.

On this Thanksgiving Day and always, we are ever grateful to all of you who provide hope, love, home and sanctuary to these seven chimpanzee people. We couldn’t possibly hold more love in our hearts for them and to know they are safe, loved, respected, and able to finally make choices in their lives is the best gift we could ask for. Please know that you all, in whatever form your support is given, make a difference in their lives. From all of us at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

The chimpanzees’ Thanksgiving Day celebration is getting under way now so be sure to tune in tomorrow to check out the fun!!

In memory of Carlene Garza

November 19, 2014 by Katelyn

Today we would like to honor the memory of a wonderful friend of the chimpanzees, Carlene Garza, and share a little of her life with you. How do you sum up a life in a few words? A valid question of course, and perhaps an impossible one to answer. But sometimes, even a small insight to a person, be it a kindness they offered, the way they chose to live their life, or the others whose lives have been made better for having known them, can show you just how big their spirit is and speaks larger than words ever could. Carlene was a long time supporter of the chimpanzees and followed our blog on a daily basis. Sadly, her family shared with us that she recently passed away after a long illness and we have been profoundly touched to learn of the impact the chimpanzees had on her life. Her husband, Joseph, graciously shared Carlene’s feelings about the work we do and the chimpanzees:

“Carlene became interested in the plight of chimpanzees’ in this country after viewing a documentary on the subject. She then went online to see what else she could find and stumbled on your website. When she got done reading the story about your sanctuary and the biographies of each of your charges, she was hooked. She visited your site and connected to your animals through Facebook and hardly a day went by that she did not check-in to see what they had been up to and new from the office. She had her favorites of course, Burrito, Foxie, and Jamie, but circumstances prevented us from supporting your great work in the manner we had wished. When Carlene became ill and we knew that there was no recovery, Carlene had asked that I do something for her friends at CSNW. I promised her I would do what I could. Carlene’s passing came way too soon and I decided that in honor of my dear wife, I would ask that family and friends make a donation to CSNW in memory of her. The success of this campaign has grown beyond my wildest dreams and I know that somewhere my wife has a big smile on her face because she was finally able to help her friends at the sanctuary. My hope is that periodically family and friends will think about Carlene, remember her cause and continue to support your work there at the sanctuary.”

We are deeply touched by Carlene’s story and are honored to have received many donations for the chimpanzees as a result of her and her family and friends. And they continue to come in!

Carlene and “the first love of her life,” King:

As if the Garza family has not been generous enough, Joseph also requested that he be able to send Carlene’s cowboy boots to Jamie as a special gift. Well, in perfect timing they just arrived and we couldn’t wait for Jamie to see them! After a quick safety inspection, we asked volunteer caregiver, Sandra, to model them for Jamie’s surprise. Jamie usually wants to immediately inspect new boots, but this time she immediately wanted Sandra to wear them for a walk around Young’s Hill!

Upon their return, Jamie was ready to take a closer look at her gift:

Jamie loves to groom her boots after they’ve been out for an adventure:

Jamie asked for the boots after this photo and we passed them through the safety chute to her where she promptly held them to her forehead, a moment of pure boot love. Then she disappeared with them to the very top of the greenhouse where she built a nest with them. I couldn’t climb quite high enough to get a clear photo, but you can just make out the tips of the boots under her chin:

Joseph, we cannot thank you and your family enough for all you have done for the chimpanzees. We are incredibly moved that you would choose to make their lives better and at a time when you have suffered such immeasurable loss. Please know that the chimpanzees lives have been made better as a result of your and Carlene’s incredible generosity, along with that of your family and friends. And the life of one who has made the lives of so many others better, is a life to celebrate. We are honored to celebrate Carlene’s memory with you today. From all of the primates at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, we send you our deepest gratitude and wish you the comfort and joy that Carlene has shared with so many others.

Joseph kindly shared Carlene’s obituary with us. If you would like to learn more about the live of this beautiful woman, you may do so here.

Ice cold determination

November 12, 2014 by Katelyn

It is a beautiful, sunny day at the sanctuary, but looks can be deceiving. We’ve only made it up to 27 degrees with a wind chill of 15. It’s very still and quiet outside and even the birds seem to be hunkered down out of the cold.

“Negra’s Valley” that she loves to watch over from her nest and the view from Young’s Hill:

If you are new to the blog, Young’s Hill is the chimpanzees’ 2-acre outdoor enclosure and the chimpanzees have access to it year round (providing the voltage on the electric fence stays in our established security perimeters). While the chimps don’t care to spend a lot of time outside in extreme temperatures hot or cold, the option is there as their choice to make. And if you’ve been following the blog for awhile, you know that it takes some pretty significant weather conditions to keep Jamie from her Young’s Hill perimeter walks. But today was not one of them. Jamie has walked (or more accurately, ran) around the hill with her caregivers five times in these temperatures!

All the other chimpanzees spent their day nesting, grooming, and playing in front of every available sunny window so everyone stayed nice and toasty. And it took awhile to “warm up” enough outside before even Jamie would brave the hill:

Here a caregiver is offering to go on a walk with Jamie and she sees her favorite boots:

She spent a few minutes pondering but decided she was up for it:

There was a lot of poking her head out the door to test the waters so to speak, but once she set her mind to it she was off! Which meant the caregivers had to run to catch up with her! Jamie has a will and determination unlike anyone I know. Head into the wind, she wasn’t deterred:

We passed a herd of deer at the top of the hill, but Jamie had no time to bother with them:

Once we got to the other side of the hill where we were less protected from the wind Jamie decided we needed to pick up the pace. And I have to say I agreed. We ran all the way back to the greenhouse and warm blankets fresh from the dryer:

In extreme temperatures we trust Jamie to make her own choices about going for walks or not. That said, given her determination we closely monitor temperatures, and Jamie, to make sure she stays safe and healthy. Rain, shine, snow or wind, Jamie makes the most of each day in sanctuary. And we couldn’t be happier to be running along side of her.

Happy Birthday, Larissa!

November 8, 2014 by Katelyn

Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Larissa Madrigal! Today also happens to be Larissa’s birthday and she shared that there was no better gift than “helping our genetic superiors!”

What an incredibly generous thing to do on your own special day, Larissa. Thank you so much for caring about the chimpanzees and making their lives better! From all of the primates here at CSNW, we hope you have a fabulous birthday!!

Foxie’s morning face(s)

November 5, 2014 by Katelyn

Early morning in the chimp house is one of my favorite times of the day. Generally speaking, the chimpanzees almost always wake up in a good mood, happy to see the humans, and engaging in a lot of crazy, happy play with one another, even when they are still half asleep. I always find this to be a beautiful example of what life in sanctuary can provide the chimpanzees. The peace and contentment to roll out of their nests each day in joy. This is usually followed by some pretty loud and boisterous displays at which point the humans retreat into the kitchen to begin breakfast preparation (and avoid incurring the potential wrath of the boss, Jamie). But those moments beforehand can offer some fun and special moments with each of the chimps.

Despite not yet being fully awake, Foxie was in a particularly goofy mood this morning and chose to be late for breakfast in order to allow me to take some photos of her.