Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Kelsi

Perfect Portrait

by

Yesterday, I caught Foxie, Annie, and Negra each in the portrait studio (front room 4). For those who may not know, front room 4 always has exquisite lighting for taking portraits. However, the true test is if the chimps will sit there long enough for you to run and grab the camera before they leave! Luckily, all the girls stuck around long enough to snag a few pictures.

I love being able to capture portraits of the chimps because it’s a snapshot of their personality.

Foxie can be sweet, silly, and serious all in one sitting:

Negra’s series captured her excitment of chow:

And often in Annie’s photos it captures her shy but curious side:

It’s moments like these that remind me how lucky we are to witness the beauty and individuality of these chimps. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to share these moments with all of you.

 

 

 

George’s Reading Corner

by

As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, George seems to really enjoy flipping through books and magazines! Yesterday, we gave him a magazine about baby animals, a few books about apes, and even lent him one of Jamie’s books about tattoos. George absolutely loved the baby animal magazine and was thrilled to see even more books waiting for him.

Each time he received a new book, he carried it into Front Room 7 to settle in and flip through the pages. He often used his feet to hold the book open, making it easier for him to turn the pages. It was a joy to watch his curiosity and enthusiasm as he explored each new read!

Getting to know George has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Each new discovery helps us learn a bit more about what he enjoys and what sparks his interest. We’re excited to continue exploring with him and uncovering even more about his likes and dislikes as we go along!

Quiet Moments & Loud Voices

by

Today was jam packed with cleaning, staff and volunteer training, George explore the green house, and a whole lot of chimpanzees vocalizing! While chimps are quiet by nature, when they decide to make noise, they really make themselves heard. Currently, the chimp house is almost silent with chimps napping or grooming each other, which is a stark contrast to this morning, but that’s chimps for you!

Despite the commotion, there were still some sweet, quiet moments worth sharing. I did manage to capture a few peaceful photos of George and Jamie, as well as a few photos of Foxie thoroughly enjoying an avocado snack with her doll from yesterday!

A photo series of the sweet, handsome, and sleepy George:

Jamie napping:

Photo series of Foxie and her doll eating avocado:

 

 

 

 

Portraits in Passing

by

As we move through our days, we often capture little moments in passing. By the time our lead day comes around and we sit down to make the blog post, we’ve usually gathered so much content that some images end up left behind. Sometimes they don’t quite fit the week’s “theme” and other times, there’s simply too much to include. Today, I wanted to share a few portraits I took today, along with a small collection that’s been sitting on my phone, waiting for their moment.

Cy:

Foxie:

Negra:

Neggie in a nest series:

It’s hard to get portraits of Missy, she is always on the go. However today I was able to catch a moment of her sitting still:

Check out our Wish List, it’s one of the easiest and most impactful ways to help. We’ve just added a bunch of items, and every contribution goes a long way in enriching the lives of our residents!

Honey B Turns 36!

by

We wanted to say thank you to Paulette Wrisley for sponsoring the day in Honey B’s honor!

Today we celebrated the one and only Honey B’s  36th birthday, and true to form, she kept us all on our toes! She started the day by discovering a lock that was supposed to hold her enrichment boards to the mesh caging. While we prefer to keep the boards securely fastened, it’s not threat that she has it—but Honey B doesn’t need to know that, so let’s just keep it between us. She was clearly very pleased with herself, and honestly, it brought a big smile to our faces.

We filled Honey B’s day with all her favorite foods and treats! In the morning she had a forage of tiny brown bags filled with popcorn, raisins, and a very light drizzle of honey! For her big birthday party, we served plates of pasta with a homemade roasted pepper and onion sauce, non-dairy decaf frappuccinos, and a small forage with cherries, snap peas, radishes, and mini peppers.

Being around Honey B is never dull—she’s clever, curious, and always finding ways to surprise us. It’s truly an honor to know her and share in her unique and spunky spirit.

Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s blog, where we’ll share highlights from the group celebration—like George loving his pasta!

George eating pasta:

Happy Pride Month!

by

This blog is dedicated to our volunteers, Primate Awareness Network (PAN), and the walking participants. We could not have done it without your help!

Though my main role at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is a chimpanzee caregiver, but I am also the Outreach Coordinator. I help organize the Summer Visitor program for our donors, as well as organize table events year-round. We participate in many tabling events in hopes to share our mission, educate people about the chimps, connect with potential donors, and maybe even spark interest in new volunteers. However, my personal favorite events are when we get to be engage with our community. As a closed-to-the-public sanctuary, we often fly under the radar, even in our own backyard. Because of this, being a part of something like the Pride Parade is so meaningful to us! We love being able to show up and support.

Last year was our first year we participated at the Kittitas County Pride parade. We only had a handful of people and carried a sign while handing out stickers, but it had a big impact on us. Experiencing the parade for the first time actually made myself and a few others emotional, rounding the corner of our downtown to see hundreds of people cheering in support. That moment made me feel such a deep sense of pride for our little town, and it reminded me how powerful community can be.

This year, we wanted to do more! With the help of our volunteers and PAN (Primate Awareness Network) we were able to build a float and get more people involved! We would not have been as successful without their creative minds, time, and effort. Personally, one of my favorite moments was having all the volunteers come over to my house the night before, to plan how we wanted to decorate our float. They all got to work right away making hearts and troll dolls out of cardboard while painting them to represent different flags. The team worked until sun-down and then showed up at 9:30 am the next morning to finish decorating! Their dedication is truly inspiring. What touched me the most, though, was how deeply they cared—not just about representing the sanctuary, but about showing up for the LGBTQ+ community. Their energy, compassion, and commitment make me incredibly hopeful for the future.

Being part of Kittitas County Pride reminded us just how powerful it is when we all show up for one another.

The night before:

Day of parade:

Benny (JB & Diana), Birdie (mine), Poppy and Tucker (Erin)

Our crew:

Downtown:

A Day Full of Laughs and Little Moments

by

Today was a pretty busy day for humans and non-humans! As you will see in the video, there is not better way to pass the time than playing and spending quality time with an old friend. Foxie and Burrito spent quite a bit of time laughing and playing with each other while we cleaned their Playroom. Their friendship always warms my heart. Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, George had an exciting moment, received access to the chute again! Click here to watch the video of George using the chute for the first time! It was a big spectacle, especially for  Cy’s group, who had the best view and were very curious observers.

I’ll be honest, it was a bit noisy throughout the chimp house today (but hey, that’s life with chimps!). Eventually, things settled down, and George got to enjoy some peaceful solo exploration of the chute. Every day brings something new, and today was full of connection, curiosity, and a little bit of chaos—the best kind.

Click here for today’s video!