Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Katelyn

In memory of Bill aka “Twister”

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Nicki Walters sponsored this day of sanctuary in memory of her late husband, Bill (aka Twister 🙂 ). She shared this beautiful message about today:

“This was the day that I met the man who would change my life forever. Although he is not longer with us, he lives on in so many ways, one being the Twister Structure for the Chimpanzees to climb. He received so much joy from watching these amazing creatures and getting to know them through the incredibly personal, beautiful and funny stories those who care from them share almost daily. I find it a bit kismet that there is now a Willy B who seems to be a big beautiful guy who likes to keep the peace of which was also my Bill. Through the roughest of times, these lovely beings provide me joy and strength and that is one great way that Bill’s spirit continues on. So I want to recognize all the caregivers that do so with such dedication and care to each personality and thank them for sharing in a way that makes us all feel a part of the magic they are creating for the apes and for us. Thank you for brightening my and Bill’s day on so many occasions, and giving me a way to honor Bill in such a special way.”

Mave and Willy B:

Nicki, thank you so much for continuing Bill’s legacy and giving us the opportunity to share in your memory of him. It’s been amazing to see the adventure, courage, curiosity and joy the chimpanzees have received from the Twister structure. We’re sending you all the good thoughts today as we celebrate Bill and his wonderful heart.

Learn more about Bill and the history behind this incredible gift for the chimps here.

Annie:

Jody:

Jamie:

The business of being a chimp. And the business of being a human.

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Someone once said to me upon hearing of some particularly stressful aspect of our work (I don’t even recall what, I think we were preparing for a medical intervention for one of the chimpanzees), that they were “surprised.” They thought we all “just stood around holding hands and singing Kumbaya.” Ah. A once soul felt call for divine intervention from oppression and suffering taken from its suspected origins of the enslaved ancestors of the Gullah Geechee people in Georgia, to its then soft-voiced folk appropriation in the name of peace and solidarity, now used more often as an eye-rolling, head-shaking, somewhat barbed reference to considered…naivety? Cockeyed optimism? For many reasons, I wasn’t sure whether to be curious or annoyed. I think I fell somewhere in the middle, which is where I suspect the comment was meant to land.

My thoughts have snagged on that barbed memory these weeks as we navigate the pure, undiluted stress, exhaustion, joy, fear, and well, reality, of introductions with the chimpanzees. I think we’ve all hinted to these expected and unexpected challenges in varying degrees in our blogs lately. Diana spoke beautifully and openly to this just the other day in her blog post. And I think one of the biggest personal challenges for most of us, certainly for me personally, is the aspect of personal responsibility. Knowing intellectually that we are making the best decisions we can for the chimpanzees doesn’t negate the weight on your heart for being one more human controlling their lives, putting them in situations that aren’t easy for them, that cause unavoidable stress, fear and discomfort, and probable injury.

Chimpanzees are loving, gentle, sensitive, joyful, nurturing, creative, highly emotional and intelligent beings. And they can also be violent and unpredictable faster.than.you.can.blink.an.eye. Literally. Even toward their friends. It’s the business of being a chimp. (Also a human, I might add). And as a side note, reason No. 189 chimps aren’t pets and never ever should be. But in the end, I envy chimpanzees and their nature of unapologetically expressing exactly what they feel at any given time, then promptly sorting it out and moving along. It’s also the business of being a chimp. (But not so much a human, I might add).

So while our chests clench and we hold our breath as we witness the chimps scream, fight and come up against their own comfort levels, fears and social skills, we also hold our hearts as we witness increasingly amazing moments. Like arriving in the morning to see Honey B and Negra playing a slow game of chase upstairs. Or watching Jamie and Mave become increasingly inseparable as we marvel at Jamie’s ability to finally forge a true bond with someone of her own species. Or seeing Honey B reach out to Missy for reassurance after a fight, watch Missy place her hands gently on Honey B’s arms as Honey B held her mouth to Missy’s brow and then, see Missy slowly take Honey’s arm and wrap it around her back in an embrace. My hand flew to my heart, I teared up over that one. Even though it meant something different to me than them, me knowing their mother-daughter connection, it was no less powerful or moving. Especially seeing the distance they’ve come going from avoiding one another completely to more often than not being seen playing chase or just sitting quietly with one another. Or to see dear Annie who spent the better part of the first week of introductions screaming at the top of her lungs, intensely breathy-panting and grunting at Willy B while grabbing his feet in some socially awkward over-the-top play and reassurance gestures while huge, massive Willy B sat quietly wiggling his feet, letting her be herself.

We have a long way to go and some more tough days ahead. But I am so proud and in awe of Mave, Willy B, Honey B, Jamie, Jody, Foxie, Burrito, Missy, Annie and Negra. And I’m proud and in awe of the far-reaching team of humans standing in the wings, doing everything we can think of for the chimps and holding the space, trusting they’ll figure it out. Trusting we will all figure it out.

The chimps spent the better part of this day quiet, lounging in the sun, grooming, resting and eating. Not a lot of which was done within camera range. But here’s Willy B enjoying the view from the top of the toasty greenhouse:

And Foxie peeking over her doll, nap interrupted:

Beautiful Jamie

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The seven chimpanzees are pretty busy these days trying to keep up with/spy on/display toward/get excited over the happenings of the new neighbors. And when nothing much seems to be happening with the new neighbors, the seven are quick to stir the pot, if you will, anxious for responses from Mave, Honey B and Willy B. They haven’t been as interested in spending their usual amount of time with the humans or other typical activities.

Lately, Jamie has even been forgetting to collect her boots from the chute at night! So when I saw her sitting in the front rooms in an as of late, rare, quiet moment I had to scurry down the hall with the camera. (I am laughing and shaking my head as I type this because while everyone else is in bed for the night, Jamie is at this very second, repeatedly kicking the “howdy door” and hooting and screaming at the top of her lungs attempting to elicit a sign of life from her neighbors who are all quietly tucked into their nests for the evening and choosing to ignore their loud and unruly neighbor).

They are who they are. And we love them all the more for it.

Happy autumn everyone!

For Carrie and the chimps

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This magical day was sponsored by Sylvia Gandolfo in honor of Carrie Miller:

“Happy Autumnal Equinox to Carrie (Miller) and the chimps as the beauty of fall surrounds all of you.”

Many thanks to you, Sylvia and Carrie, for helping us celebrate this most wonderful time of year! Happy autumn hoots from your Pals, Burrito and Annie. 😉

Have a beautiful day!

Silly B:

Annie:

Change

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I don’t think a day goes by at the sanctuary right now without significant change of some sort. Learning behaviors and personalities from new chimpanzee friends, seeing new behaviors with long-time chimpanzee friends, new areas for chimpanzees and humans to access and former ones temporarily closed off, new procedures and protocols, new ideas, new volunteers and interns for autumn, scheduling changes, and even, well, things like one minute someone has their ear and the next, they don’t. Change, expected and unexpected, is always occurring, just on a more obvious level these days. And now, on this last official day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, we seem to have moved straight ahead into autumn. (Though in my book, I’d be thrilled with nine months of autumn).

I think as humans, or at least as this human, we often expect, or at least prefer some things to remain the same, predictable. But even though we celebrate things such as the transitions of one season into the next, if we’ve been paying any attention at all we’ve seen all the tiny every day things that lead us ahead into the next phase of life. With breaths of fresh air, new inspiration, new beauty to appreciate, new beings to love.

The chimpanzees last day of summer was a cool, rainy one here. It worked out well enough as they were all busy supervising the many humans working hard to expand their outdoor habitats which will be bringing new experiences to them in the days to come. Along with hopeful new friends and family when we soon begin introductions. Always changing, always growing.

The evening air is filled with the slowing song of crickets and frogs while the dark of night is increasingly alive with geese calling as they pass overhead on their way south. The chimps are all tucked into their blanket nests for the night, I suspect milling over their own thoughts and anticipation of change. May your hearts be as full from the beauty and bounty of summer as you’ve helped the chimpanzees’ to be, as you listen to the last sighs of summer rustle the changing leaves of autumn.

I had these photos of beautiful Foxie saved to share with you, which just happen to be pre-ear biting incident.  She’s still just as beautiful. 🙂

In memory of Ronald & Betty Kreuscher

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Today was sponsored by Ronalyn Huenergard who shared this note about her gift of sanctuary:

“Just to remember my parents and hope they know their kids and their kids are just fine.”

Thank you, Ronalyn, for remembering your parents with such compassion and thoughtfulness. We appreciate your gift and the difference it makes for all who call the sanctuary home. May you and your family have a day filled with comfort, love and joy.

Mave:

Foxie:

Jody:

Negra: