Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Kelsi

Love for Cy

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Diana kicked off our Valentine’s series with a beautiful tribute to Nutmeg. And today I would like to highlight someone very important to this sanctuary, Cy. Cy is a pivotal individual in his group. Not only is he the alpha, but he is a phenomenal leader who keeps the peace and makes sure everyone is safe. Cy is not just a leader by strength, but he shows his strength in his kindness, his friendly attitude, his charming demeanor, being a loyal friend, accepting of others for who they are, and to top it all off he has a great personality too! With all of these attributes, I think you can see why it is easy to fall in love with Cy!

I mean, look at him!

Cy was born at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) in 1990. His records say that his father was Herbie and his mother was Sally. That means he is a full sibling to Lucky and a half sibling to Rayne and Honey B as well as numerous chimpanzees at other sanctuaries, including Binky at the Fauna Foundation in Canada. When LEMSIP closed in 1996, Cy went to Wildlife Waystation along with over 30 other chimpanzees. When Wildlife Waystation closed in 2019, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest continued our planned expansion to make a home for another group of chimpanzees in need. Cy arrived with the rest of the “Lucky Six” on June 26, 2021.

Cy is best known for his love of gossip magazines, specifically People! Sometimes when a chimp isn’t shifting, we may offer them something like juice to shift over. Cy on the other hand, is not easily persuaded by food. However, show him a People magazine and he will come running!

Something you may or may not know about Cy is that he has a real soft spot for rom-coms, specially anything with Stanley Tucci! Cy is also known to alarm call to what he deems as dangerous animals in books, such as: cows, rhinos, hippos, pigs, elephants, and giraffes. Often someone in his group, like Rayne, Terry, or even Gordo, will come to the rescue and grab the book or the scary page.

Last year Ellen threw an amazing birthday party for Cy with the theme of Stanley and gossip magazines!

Cy is most likely to be found lounging in a Greenhouse with a magazine in his signature position, laying on his back with his legs up.

Cy’s signature relaxation position:

Something that gets Cy out of bed in the mornings is a game of chase with his caregivers, followed up by a few sweet kisses or grooming the back of our hands. He gets so excited every morning, he runs down that stairs and bursts into a game of chase!

Cy is one of the most captivating and earnest chimps I have ever met. To be in his presence is a privilege, but the thing about Cy is, he is humble and a very gracious friend to everyone he meets. Cy doesn’t seem to realize how amazing he is, he is just excited to have you be a part of his life. I sometimes can’t believe how lucky we are to have a chimp like Cy here at the sanctuary. He is a calming presence for his group except for when he sees a dangerous animal in a book, though I guess that just means he isn’t afraid to be vulnerable with his group, but back to my point, Cy is gentle and he is patient. I have so many favorite memories of Cy because of just how kind of a person he is. But I think the real testament to Cy as a person and leader has been watching him help George learn how to be in a group. Cy is always by George’s side helping and protecting him when needed.

Cy currently has nine Chimpanzee Pals. Thank you for supporting our kind-hearted friend! If you’d like to become Cy’s friend, you can become his Pal here: https://chimpsnw.org/you-can-help/be-a-chimpanzee-pal/

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Not Your Typical February

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I can’t believe the weather we’re having. Now, I am not a cold-weather person; my ideal weather is a dry 80-degree day, so you won’t hear any complaints from me. But it’s 45-degrees with no snow on the ground in February? It’s just a little baffling!

I am not sure what this means for our summer, however, it has been wonderful for the chimps to be able to get outside.

Lucky:

Terry with his key:

Gordo:

Cy playing chase on the Bray:

 

Snapshots of a Winter Day

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Today was a beautiful winter day. The chimps spent most of their time exploring outside and lounging in the warm greenhouses. We’ll let the photos do most of the talking!

Negra was the first out this morning:

Annie:

Foxie took one of her dolls out for a stroll:

A little traffic jam this morning with Foxie and Burrito:

While Annie and Burrito decided to commute together:

Dora drinking some Gatorade out of a bowl in the cozy greenhouse:

Lucky enjoying the warmth of the greenhouse:

Gordo grooming his foot:

Gordo laying down in the greenhouse:

Later, as he was laying Rayne came up and started grooming him:

And a side profile of sweet Cy, we played a slow game of chase in the greenhouse:

Lucky Seven

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As some of you may have noticed in J.B.’s blog last Monday, we added Gordo into the intro group! With Gordo joining the group, that left Dora as the final remaining member. While Gordo adjusted to his new group, Dora and Mave spent the entire week together so Dora wouldn’t be alone, because nothing is better than a little getaway with a friend.

As of this Monday, we took the final leap and officially added Dora to the group. So far, things have been going smoothly. Throughout the few days they have been together, Dora and George have shared some really lovely small moments together. In fact, as I write this, I just watched Dora approach George and offer brief reassurance after the group had a minor disagreement.

Of course, this is only the beginning, and where the real work begins. Now that everyone has been added to the group, they’ll need time to figure out their dynamics and learn how to navigate conflict together. Still, I think it’s incredibly important to celebrate the wins, big or small.

When I reflect on the George I met in May, I still can’t quite wrap my head around how brave George really is. Coming to a new place, meeting new caregivers and volunteers, exploring new enclosures and outdoor spaces, and then joining a group of chimps! George has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. I truly don’t think there are words that can express how proud we are of him, but I am in utter awe of how courageous this little chimp is!

Little Moment with Annie

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Annie is one of our quieter chimps. She doesn’t ask for much attention from her caregivers, not because she doesn’t enjoy it, but because Annie is truly more of a chimp’s chimp. I’ve written before about how some chimps naturally gravitate more toward people, while others find their comfort and fulfillment primarily within their chimpanzee group. When we talk about those differences, we also recognize the fact that many of our residents didn’t get to live natural lives, and some grew up with humans.

What matters most to us is that Annie gets what she needs from her group, which she does! Seeing chimps maintain strong, healthy relationships with one another is always a priority here. We are constantly encouraging chimp-to-chimp interactions because those bonds are so important, which is why if we are interacting with a chimp and another chimps joins, we will remove ourselves if they chimps are engaged with each other.

Because Annie gravitates more to her group, interactions like today feel all the more special! It is a gentle reminder that trust can look different for every chimp, and that honoring who Annie is means celebrating both her independence and the moments she invites us into her world.

Pasta Party Part II

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Yesterday, our fun-loving friend, Burrito turned 43 and I still can’t quite believe it! Burrito is someone you want to get to know and have in your life, which is why his zest for life is so infectious. It explains why everyone on the other side of the building was having so much fun celebrating his birthday, even though they may not live together! Please enjoy the unseen footage of the other groups celebrating Burrito’s birthday!

A Simple Way to Welcome the New Year

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I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year than spending time with friends! The chimps spent most of their day spending time together, which is our favorite kind of day, or should I say, almost everyone. Willy B got a room full of bouncy balls, and well, he was occupied for the day. I mean, it makes sense, they bouncy so erratically! It’s every enriching, for Willy B, for his group mates, let’s just say they are very tolerant.

Spending time with chimps teaches you a lot, but I think a big take away heading into this new year is finding small wins and little joys that fill your cup up. Even if it’s just carving out time to groom with a friend. Or maybe in our case spending quality time with the ones we hold dear.

I was looking through my folder and came upon this photo of Jody. I labeled the photo in 2019- Jody kind eyes. It felt like a photo that needed to come out of the vault. I hope you all have a wonder and safe New Year’s Eve!