Burrito is pretty irresistible. He also tends to be a bit shy at times. When he is feeling playful he will often initiate play with his caregivers by biting on a toy or a firehouse as he shyly looks in our direction. If he is feeling particularly playful he will add a foot stomp and a head nod in for good measure. One of my favorite moments is when I go out to the greenhouse to see what the chimps are up to and upon first sight, Burrito grabs something to bite on, stomps his foot at me and takes off running for a game of chase, laughing all the way.
A Few of Negra’s Favorite Things
Two of Negra’s favorite things are looking out over the view of the valley and eating fresh, spring grass. It fills us with delight this spring to find Negra feeling more and more comfortable venturing outside onto Young’s Hill, often all on her own. Despite being the middle of spring, we have been surprised by snow showers the past couple of days here in Cle Elum. As a result Negra was very reluctant to get out of bed this morning and I can’t say that I blame her. At one point I caught her looking out her window at the heavy snow showers and pulling the blanket back over her head. It took JB reminding her that another favorite of hers, peanuts, were on the menu before she decided to join everyone for breakfast. Thankfully it didn’t take long for both the sun, and Negra, to come back out again.
Twin Doras
During Foxie’s decades in biomedical research she was used as a breeder. We know of five children that Foxie gave birth to, two of whom were twins. It’s heartbreaking that Foxie was not given the opportunity to raise any of her children. Since arriving at the sanctuary she seems to have found a special affinity for her beloved troll dolls and more recently, Dora dolls. When Foxie chooses to join us for a walk around Young’s Hill she can often be seen carrying one of her many dolls on her back just as chimpanzee mothers do with their children in the wild. It’s a bittersweet glimpse into how life should have been for her and each of the Cle Elum Seven. While we can never know for sure what Foxie is thinking about her “babies” it makes my heart happy to see she has found something to call her own.
Mirror, mirror
Thank you to North Portland Yoga Community!
Today was sponsored by Sweethome Teacup. She shared this message: “This day is special because I am able to give to the chimps through collecting donations from the North Portland Yoga Community. I hope the chimps are at ease, curious, and content today.” Jody is our natural yoga expert:
Thanks for always thinking of the chimps, Sweethome!