Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Kelsi

First Snow of the Season

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We got our first real snow of the season last night. The chimps were very content eating snow and nesting in a cozy warm nest, or in Honey B’s case a cozy table cloth. We can not tell you why, but she loves this table cloth! Speaking of comfort, there are just a few hours left in our third annual Comfort & Joy Quid Pro Throw Online Auction! We are still working to meet our goal and we need your help. Two exciting items were added this morning to round out the event! First, a personalized CSNW jacket for you that features the Cle Elum Seven’s favorite comfort & joy items. Second, a Fill the Fridge For the Holidays category! With the holiday season fast approaching, we need your help to fill the fridges and make this festive season extra special.

Thank you to everyone who has participated, your support is the backbone of the sanctuary! We couldn’t do what we do without every single one of you. Bidding ends at 6pm PT tonight (11/20/24), but keep an eye out for Bid Wars! Happy Bidding!

Honey B with her table cloth:

Rayne made a cozy nest on the bench:

And Lucky enjoyed one of her favorite things, GUM, though you can not tell in the pictures that she is chewing it:

Jamie enjoyed her snowy day with a cozy nest, a good pair of boots, and a show about wildlife:

All Hail the Regal Queen!

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Regal is a word that often comes to mind when I think of Negra. Negra’s presence exudes a quiet power that captivates everyone who meets her. She is not only respected among her group, but she is a symbol of strength, resilience, and grace. Negra may not be the the loudest or most active person in her group, however she is valued for her wisdom and calm demeanor. She has truly earned her title as Queen within her family. No matter how Negra decides to spend her day- nestled in a warm nest built of so many blankets you can barely see her, sitting in the warm sun on Young’s Hill, or simply enjoying a bag of chow, it is all done with the luxury and elegance she deserves.

Negra yesterday in the portrait studio:

Negra foraging on a sunny, but chilly fall day:

Just for fun let’s have a few more regal moments with Negra:

Don’t forget to check out our Comfort & Joy Quid Pro Throw online auction! We have some amazing items of Negra, including the beautiful blanket of Negra in the sun or the very popular Negra porcelain ornament. You can even bid on items for the chimps, like the wearable nesting blanket for Negra, of Negra!

A Jamie Walk

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In the spirit of Jamieween, this blog will be all about Jamie. I think we all know how much I adore Jamie. She is such a complex individual. But the thing I admire the most about Jamie is how self assured of an person she is.

As Chad and I were cleaning the Playroom Jamie requested, well first, she demanded the last of the raspberries growing in our gardens. Once the raspberries were gone she requested I put on a boot and go for a walk. I like to call it a Jamie walk. A Jamie walk is when you drop everything and go, even if it means leaving Chad to clean alone. This happens to Chad a lot when we clean together, but he gets it, it’s a Jamie walk! It’s important to remember that Jamie makes the calls, she decides how fast, how far, if we walk or if we drive along side her, wear a boot too small, wear a boot 4x too big, carry a book, and even who can join the walk (chimps or human).

I remember back to my first couple of years of working here, when Jamie would request a walk with me, multiple times a day. Most of the time, she wouldn’t mind when other chimps like Burrito joined or if I brought a volunteers to join us! But there were many times when I would bring someone along and she would turn around and go back inside then request a walk shortly after, this process would repeat until you unfortunately left the other person behind, but you can’t deny what Jamie wants for her walk! Or when she would hide in the culvert to wait out chimps who tried to join us on our walk. These days, I often find that she doesn’t mind people tagging along, especially Burrito.

Over the years of walking with Jamie they have adapted and changed. However, her intent has never changed. Jamie may not do 15 walks in a day anymore, we might not always be sprinting up the Hill as often, but the walks we do go on are quality time with a friend. Walks are a cherished time to spend with the chimps.  Jamie is a very remarkable individual and I have always felt honored each time she has asked me to join her for a walk. Walks with Jamie always feel like a special time to slow down and appreciate this job and the unique experience that this is. Watching the chimps explore Young’s Hill or the Bray makes my heart swell with joy, especially when it adds so much value to their lives, especially for a chimp like Jamie.

Make sure to tune in for Jamieween tomorrow!!!

Around the Corner!

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Can you believe our favorite time of the year, Jamieween, is just around the corner? There is a whole bin filled up with new boots and books, all just waiting for Jamie’s big day. Thank you to everyone for donating gifts for Jamie’s 47th birthday! She is going to be very excited when she sees all her new boots!

With the big celebration coming up, Jamie needs her rest, so she snagged Negra’s nest in the green house:

A taste of what’s to come!

Bonus of Negra in her greenhouse nest this morning:

And DON’T FORGET!  We want you to help us choose the cover photo for our 2025 CSNW Calendar! You can vote once every 24-hours through the end of October, with the poll closing at 11:59pm PT on Jamieween!

Chimps Chimp

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I thought that today I’d talk about the chimps’ human vs. non-human relationships and their personal preferences. Avid blog followers often hear us use the phrase “chimps chimp.” We use this phrase to explain a chimp like Missy. For example, though Missy does have human relationships, she seems to prefer to be surrounded by her chimpanzee friends (which we love). While other chimps, like Burrito, specifically seek out their caregivers for many interactions.

It is important to acknowledge that every chimp has a different background. While some of the chimps were raised in labs, others started their lives as pets. Those like Jamie and Burrito, who were owned by humans, tend to be more human-oriented. Despite this, we always want to encourage the chimp’s relationships first. For example, if we walk out to a greenhouse and see all the chimps grooming, we will walk away and come back another time, so we don’t disturb the grooming session.  Again, there are a lot of different factors that go into why chimps choose who they want for their company. The special thing about sanctuary is that the chimps are provided with as much choice as we can possibly provide, and choosing who they want to spend time with is one of them!

Jamie:

I think it will come as no surprise that Jamie is more human-oriented. Jamie does have close relationships with her group-mates, especially Burrito, but she is often looking for a caregiver to go on a perimeter walk with.

Missy:

Missy, like I have mentioned before, is more of a chimps-chimp. Missy is the closest to Annie, but she does seem to have strong relationships with everyone in the group. Missy does seek out caregivers every once in a while for a game of chase or tug-a-war, even some grooming! When Missy does seek you out for any interaction, it feels like a huge honor that you drop everything for!

Annie:

Annie leans a bit more chimp oriented. Annie’s closest friend is Missy. However, Annie will seek out caregivers sometimes, especially when she has a tool and groom her caregivers toes!

Foxie:

Foxie is a little of both. Foxie does spend a lot of time with her chimp friends, especially Burrito. However, Foxie does really enjoy playing with her caregivers! It usually involves entrusting her caregivers with a doll. As well as us holding an doll, throwing a dolling, or playing troll-ski!

Burrito:

Burrito might be pretty obvious. He is very human-oriented, play all day! Burrito is always looking for a caregiver to play with, especially to run around Young’s Hill with. However, Burrito does have good relationships with his group members and can even get the most serious chimps like Jamie to let out her silly side.

Negra:

Negra is hard to describe. I can’t say she sways one way or the other. She is well respected in her group and has strong relationships with all the chimps, but everything is on her terms and that goes for humans too. She will interact with who she wants when she wants. When she does decide to play with her chimp friends she is rougher than people would expect!

Mave:

Mave would be described as a chimps-chimp. She has always been very invested in her chimp relationships. Mave was a magnet to Dora and it has been that way ever since we integrated the two groups. Mave is still loyal to her friends Honey B and Willy B, but she spends a lot of time on her relationship with Dora. This year in particular I do find Mave seeking a rare game of chase with her caregivers, grooming, or giving more kisses out. So maybe we are growing on her :).

Honey B:

Honey B can be described as leaning towards more human-oriented. However, as her relationships grow in the group of nine, it seems like Honey B does seek out her chimp friends more, which is huge! As a caregiver, that is the hope to provide more social enrichment! However, Honey B also seems to like her alone time, which I can’t blame her for.

Willy B:

Willy B is definitely a chimps-chimp. Though he can be a troublemaker and start drama in the group, Willy B does seem to value his male relationships, especially Cy. Willy B also loves his friend Rayne, who seems to really get him.

Cy:

Cy is interesting because I think he wants to be more human-oriented, but is duty bound in his role as the male leader. Cy is well respected in this group and is seen in a lot of the grooming trains in the greenhouses. Cy really does love seeking out his human caregivers for a game of chase or grooming. Terry might be Cy closest chimp friend.

Gordo:

Gordo is another interesting one! I don’t think we consider Gordo either one. He is more peripheral – watching from the background. Gordo does likes to go out onto the Bray and watch the girls on Jamie’s side. Gordo is usually seen spending time with Dora, Mave, and Terry.

Rayne:

Rayne is a chimps chimp, she is very socially savvy! Rayne has a lot of strong relationships with everyone in her group. However, she does like to spend time with her caregivers grooming or sporadically playing chase.

Lucky:

Lucky seems to be more human-oriented, but with specific humans. She is slow to warm up to most new people. Lucky is known to put new caregivers through a hazing period. She is probably closest to Rayne, but also likes to have a little alone time.

Terry:

Terry seems to be a chimps-chimp, but loooooooves his human caregivers! Terry, like Cy, is often in the grooming trains throughout the day. Terry spends lots of time with all the girls. He is one of the girls 🙂

Dora:

Dora shocked us all! Dora is a chimps-chimp. Dora is now a social butterfly. Everyone wants to spend time with her. She spends a lot of her time with Mave, Honey B, and Gordo who she was closest to when she first arrived. When Dora first came to CSNW, she seemed to be a bit more closed off, but has really seemed to flourish in the group of nine.

Mave’s Day of Berries & Dora!

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Today is Mave’s 35th Birthday! We celebrated Mave with paper boats full of berries topped with vegan whipped cream and of course a banner of Dora, her favorite person! Mave is one extraordinary chimpanzee. We have always described Mave as a laid back gal, she can be known as the peace keeper, and she is also know to be a little more of a serious chimp at times. For the most part, I think her friends find her to be a calming presence, however Gordo might not agree. Mave can also be described as very loyal to the individuals she holds most dear. Mave had lived in a small group for a long time. We can’t say for sure that the group of 3 (Mave, Honey B, and Willy B) necessarily chose each other, but they most definitely are loyal and have a bond with one another. However, during the introductions process, one of the highlights for me was watching Mave grow in her friendships and have more choice in building different relationships. Mave and Dora chose each other and it was the coolest thing to watch because Dora was also known to be reserved and a little more in her own world before introductions. I think that Mora or even Mora B has really helped Mave come out of her shell and that everyone’s quality of life was enhanced. We observe Mave laugh more, play more, and do things that make her get our of her comfort zone, like venturing out into the Bray! Life is just better with Mora!

Cheers to the very beautiful and magnificent Mave:

Mora: