Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Annie can often be described as sweet. I find myself calling her “sweet Annie” all the time around the chimp house. I mean, just look at her.
Annie is usually with her best friend Missy or making “sweet” bird noises. Annie is a pretty gentle chimp overall. Do not get me wrong, she can get rough and tough too! Like when she tries to groom you. Annie loves bare feet. She will groom caregivers’ toes with a tool, and due to her excitement, she is far from gentle!
These three chimps are seriously funny! Honey B was climbing, swinging, biting on all the fire hose. It is amazing how she can balance on that fire hose! Mave and Honey B were tangled up in enrichment (not literally of course) or each other! As you will see in pictures below or the video, they are always up to something or finding new ways to use their enrichment. Mave found a red headband. She was flipping upside down on fire hose and putting it on to wear. And Willy B just wanted to join them in all their shenanigans!
Honey B:
Mave and her red headband:
Willy B:
We are so fortunate to have so many amazing volunteers. They are always willing to jump in no matter how big or small the task is. Today, we tackled a big project and all of our awesome volunteers came to our aid! We were trading out the old wood chips in the Green House for some fresh new wood chips. This is no small task, though it is a satisfying one! We do this at least once a year depending on how long the chips last. However, we do change out the heavily soiled areas more often. But, it takes quite a few helping hands!
Here they are hard at work:
Here is the what the Green House looked like after!
Meanwhile, Jamie took a break from supervising to make a nest and relax a bit.
Jamie was actually really in the mood to have her photo taken.
Foxie came to say hello.
And left her doll for Jamie.
After, the Green House transformation everyone went out onto Young’s Hill for a perimeter check.
Even Neggie came out to soak up the sun.
Mave also found a comfy place to nest.
Willy B just wanted to play chase all day. Sorry it’s a little blurry, we were in mid-chase!
I have never had a dull day since chimpanzees have entered my life. When I tell people what I do for a living a large part of the conversation is dedicated to the chimp’s personalities, their past, what we do to care for them, and hopes for their future. I can never say for certain what is waiting for me when I walk through the door in the morning. I always say no two days are the same and it is never dull! I love that about working with chimps. They have a plan of how they see the day going, just as you and I do. Sometimes the chimps are just silly and having the best day, some are the opposite, but most days are everywhere in between.
This morning I walked in to greet Honey B, Mave, and Willy B. Honey B came down so enthusiastically from the Mezzanine. She was breathy panting and seeking reassurance. That is when I noticed her fanny pack. I love walking in and not quite knowing what to expect. These three are so fun to get to know and they just keep getting sillier as the days go on!
After cleaning was done Honey B came across a beach towel that happen to be a very summer-y feel to it. Which, I like the summer vibes she was putting out! Honey B had it with her all day, she wore it around like a shawl or had it dragging behind her.
Mave was in a playful/sweet mood. She wanted to spend time grooming and tickling. When I took my phone out to capture a phone she started to look at herself, make silly faces, and inspect her teeth.
Neggie was soaking up the sun.
Missy, Burrito, and Foxie were wrestling in the Green House.
Eventually, it was just Missy and Burrito in the wrestling match!
Later in the day Jody, Jamie, Burrito, Missy and Foxie all decided to go on a walk when the wind took a break.
And little Miss decided to race.
Not everyone may be in the photos today, but it was a busy and silly day for these chimp. Maybe for the humans too.
Today was so windy it could, quite literally, push your car off the road. However, wind means spring is coming to Cle Elum! I personally can’t wait, but Burrito is going to have a hard time not having snow delivered to him every morning. We don’t know what will happen when the snow runs out, but I’m sure the chimps will be as happy as the caretakers when the sunny days arrive.
The raceway entrance is where the green house meets Young’s Hill, and it has some of the best natural lighting throughout the day. It is where I have captured some of my best photos of the chimps. Today, Foxie and Annie were in and out of the green house and Young’s Hill quite a bit, because, well it was so beautiful.
Annie and Foxie:
Foxie:
Annie:
Honey B is incredibly funny. She loves big brown paper, like, A LOT! Today we put out a bunch of paper for Honey B to roll around in. Paper was also a theme yesterday for Mave and Honey B. They were wrestling, Honey B was flipping upside down, and they had the best play faces. I hope you all are having a happy Wednesday! Please enjoy this video 🙂
