Kelsi

Moments We Come Upon

December 30, 2025 by Kelsi

Instead of writing about the day, I thought I’d share it visually. These photos offer a glimpse of what we might come upon as we are passing by the chimpanzees on a typical day.

Mave eating lunch:

Sweet Mavey nesting:

Cy playing a game of chase at lunch:

Rayne nesting in a hammock:

Little Honey B:

Honey B in her beloved front rooms:

Spending time with Terry:

Lucky enjoying her lunch in the green house:

We can’t forget, teeny tiny Foxie. This lighting for some reason is my favorite. Just the silhouette of Foxie and her tiny troll doll.

Through Cle Elum and High Water

December 10, 2025 by Kelsi

As Chad mentioned yesterday, the Yakima River has been absolutely raging thanks to the atmospheric river sweeping through the region. Today felt just a tiny bit less dramatic, the water receded a bit, and we even caught a few glimmers of sun, but the storm definitely isn’t finished with us yet.

Regardless of what the weather decides to do, caregivers still have to make it in, and the chimpanzees still need their meals, enrichment, and all the usual comfort. So we do what caregivers always do- plan around whatever nature throws at us and find a safe way to get to the sanctuary.

Luckily for the chimpanzees, they remain blissfully unaware of any river drama. While the humans were swapping road-condition updates like we were running a small weather station, everyone inside was having a perfectly lovely day. A little sunshine peeked through the clouds, letting everyone soak up the warmth before cozying up in their nests.

Even we humans stepped outside to enjoy the sun for a minute. Can you tell it’s winter? One beam of light and suddenly we’re all sunflowers.

Cy eating baked onions:

Cy in a nest:

Sweet Georgie:

Jamie this morning, cozy in a nest:

Negra enjoying her persimmons:

Snow Snack Season

November 26, 2025 by Kelsi

Yesterday marked the first real snowfall of the year, and for the chimps here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, that can only mean one thing, it’s officially snow snack season! Each winter, the chimps demand snow delivered to them whether they have access to their outdoor space or not.

Missy, in particular, is a snow fiend and insists on having snow all day long. So, today we filled up buckets with fresh snow and drizzled sugar-free flavoring on top. The whole chimp house seemed excited about the treat, even George! At first, Cy had to show him the ropes a little, but once George gave it a try, he was hooked and seemed to enjoy the snow snack just as much as the others. Snow snacks are just one of the many ways we help brighten their days during the colder months!

Rest, Nest, & Recoup

November 19, 2025 by Kelsi

Blankets are great, but have you ever nestled into a giant pile of paper? Cy and George have been obsessed with nesting in giant rolls of paper lately. They love to make their nest with a whole lot of paper and incorporate a few blankets, in front room 7 were they both can see what the humans are up to and catch up on some much needed rest.

Introductions have been going very smoothly, but they can definitely wipe you out! So today Cy and George are taking some well deserved naps before we head into a few more days of introductions for the week!

Cy:

Georgie:

Bouncy Ball Mayhem & Mystery

November 12, 2025 by Kelsi

Willy B has always had an undeniable love for enrichment that makes a lot of noise such as slinkies, boxes, and his new love, bouncy balls. When he gets a hold of the bouncy balls, chaos ensues- bouncing erratically, rolling around, and a whole lot of noise. When Willy B’s group goes into the mezzanine we often give him 1 or 2 through the food chute, if he doesn’t have one already. It seems to be pure joy for Willy B! Recently, the bouncy balls have been mysteriously appearing outside the enclosures. And because we could not catch anyone in the act, we caregiver started coming up with our own theories!

Could it be that Willy B’s exuberant play is causing the balls to bounce through the gaps between the ceiling and the mesh? Some believed he was launching them with such intensity that they were escaping entirely, defying physics in the process.
Others theorized that the balls might be slipping out through the food chute, carried by the force of Willy B’s powerful throws.
But there was also a strong suspicion that his mischievous friend, Honey B, might be the true culprit, secretly tossing the balls out and enjoying the mayhem from afar.

At last, the mystery was solved when we watched Honey B on the security camera this morning. In the beginning, it seemed like she just wanted a little peace and quiet away from Willy B’s wild bouncing sessions, but as you’ll see in the video, she ended up having a lot of fun with those bouncy balls herself!

With Willy B’s 35th birthday just around the corner, we’d love to fill his space with all kinds of new bouncy balls to fit the theme of his birthday party “Bouncy Ball Mayhem”. You can help make his birthday extra special by adding to his collection through our Amazon and Chewy wish lists. Let’s make sure he has a chaotic birthday!

George’s New Roommate!

November 5, 2025 by Kelsi

As Ellen mentioned the other day in her blog, the next step in George’s integration process is to have Cy join him. Well, as of yesterday, Cy is officially George’s roommate! And so far, as far as roommates go, they’ve been nothing but respectful of each other. The transition has been incredibly smooth.

They’ve shared meals, shifted for cleaning, and even had an overnight together—all without a hint of drama (which we can’t say for the groups surrounding them!). Cy has already done an amazing job showing George his dominance, but in true Cy fashion, that dominance comes with a lot of patience and guidance.

Cy showed a bit of chimp politics by politely stealing chow from George, which George didn’t make a fuss about. Since Cy loves magazines, they’re considered a high-value item for him. There was a moment where George was looking at a magazine when Cy displaced him so that he could look through the magazine first, moments like this send a message that Cy gets first dibs on certain items. George has also tried taking what seems like lower-value food from Cy, and Cy has let him have it, so far. Cy is known for letting others in his group steal from him occasionally, but if it’s something he really wants, like corn, he draws the line and has no problem correcting them.

George is a really smart guy and seems to understand what Cy wants or values most. Everyday, we are also more and more impressed by George and his social skills! So far, these two seem to be getting along swimmingly, and it makes us really hopeful for their future together.

The Privilege of Her Company

November 1, 2025 by Kelsi

Yesterday, we celebrated Jamieween, one of our biggest holidays of the year! As Jenna mentioned Jamie runs this place, so of course we go all out! And because she runs this place, I wanted to dedicate another blog to her.

I think many of you know by now that I absolutely adore Jamie and love any opportunity to celebrate her. There are countless reasons why she means so much to me. Jamie is wonderfully complex. I often share stories about her silly side or the moments when she’s especially sweet, but I also recognize that not everyone gets to see that part of her. Jamie can be a bully, stubborn, and even a little manipulative at times—but those traits only add to her depth. I love that she’s tough and unapologetically herself. She’s not vulnerable with everyone, and I’m not sure what draws her to certain people, but I’m forever grateful and deeply honored that she chose me. It’s something I will always treasure.

Yesterday, I came in to prep food and help organize the party while everyone else was cleaning. I greeted Jamie with a “Good morning and Happy Jamieween!” before diving into party prep — starting with a blood orange mocktail, among other treats. Once the drink was ready, we thought Jamie should have the first taste, and she gave a food grunt of approval! She seemed so excited, and I think she could tell her celebration was coming soon. Without missing a beat, she requested that I put on a boot and join her for a walk.

As we set off, Burrito, Missy, Annie, and Foxie came along too. But as we began to climb up the steeper part of the hill, everyone took a different path, leaving just Jamie and me to walk together. Walks with Jamie have become less frequent lately — though don’t get me wrong, she still spends plenty of time outside patrolling and exploring. It’s just been a while since we’ve done one of our classic ten-plus laps around the Hill.

Maybe it’s because we staff members have more to do these days as the sanctuary continues to grow. Or maybe when we expanded the Hill, it changed her routine a bit. It could even be that she’s just busier now — with more humans and more chimps to manage, there’s a lot happening compared to when it was just the original seven. We may never know exactly what changed, but that only makes me more grateful each time she asks me to go for a walk.

These are some of my favorite kinds of walks — just Jamie and me, meandering together. This one felt especially meaningful, a walk just for the two of us. I had forgotten my phone, so there were no photos or videos — it was truly just her and me, in the moment.

Walks with Jamie feel sacred to me. They’re a privilege. Being asked to join her feels like the highest compliment — that she wants me, specifically, to share her presence (and trust me, you know when she doesn’t want you to be in her presence!).

JB recently wrote a really beautiful, reflective blog about Jamie and her after-hours walks, that really resonated with me. He was so right, when Jamie wanted to go for her ninth walk in the blistering heat or her third stroll of the evening, we might’ve been thinking about all the things we still had to do, or even looking forward to settling into our own nests for the night. But nowadays, I find myself feeling the opposite — I’m the one wanting to ask her, “Maybe just one more?”