Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
I love that a stop at Twister is now a part of the regular routine for Jamie, while she patrols the perimeter of Young’s Hill.
After leaving Twister, she resumed her walk around the inside perimeter of Young’s Hill.
Here are a few bonus photos of Jamie on Twister, taken last month.
Sometimes you just have to have flowers for the sake of having flowers. These sunflowers caught my eye this morning (they were in my garden) and I thought they could bring a little sunshine to the chimps’ day today.
Jody looked at the flowers and then did a taste test.
After eating a few, she took one with her out onto Young’s Hill and dropped it by her feet as she focused on eating her primate chow at breakfast.
Jamie checked them out too.
Each day the Cle Elum Seven continue on their journey to recovery from their former lives in the laboratory. In some ways, it’s hard to believe they’ve been at the sanctuary for over eight years now. Thinking back to the early days and years (and looking at photos from that time), it really hits home how far each of them has come on their own journey. As the days blend together into years, we have witnessed their individual transformations as they break through the shells of their former selves and continue to test the boundaries of what is comfortable to them.
Take Burrito for instance. Even as recent as a few years ago, he really preferred to stay on the ground to forage and explore, unlike Missy, who climbed everything in sight. But more often these days, he can be found climbing and spending time on top of the highest structures scattered throughout Young’s Hill.
Just this morning, he climbed to the top of this structure, walked out on the beam, sat for a minute looking at his surroundings before climbing back down. He’s not quite as graceful a climber as Missy, but he’s getting there.
The chimps’ transformations are only happening because they’ve been given the opportunity to live the rest of their lives in sanctuary. They’ve each been given a chance at a new life, one in which they so much deserve. And it’s only been possible, because a whole world of people (including you), have taken each of them into your hearts. Because of you, Negra now feels comfortable to venture to the top of Young’s Hill to forage, alone. Because of you, Jamie and Foxie have an endless supply of boots and dolls to call their own; Annie feels safe and secure enough to spend time alone enjoying her surroundings. Because of you, Missy can run (let’s face it, it’s more of a full-on sprint), leap, balance and climb to her hearts content. Jody has blankets aplenty to build elaborate nests with. And finally Burrito. You’ve given Burrito the time he needed to feel secure enough to climb to new heights this year. More and more, we’re seeing him on top of the various structures scattered throughout Young’s Hill; something his former self spent very little time doing.
I love watching the chimpanzees forage for the food we spread throughout Young’s Hill (the chimps’ outdoor enclosure). Each chimp has their own strategy. Jody usually gathers as much food as possible, as quick as possible, before heading back to the Greenhouse to eat.
And Foxie tends to eat as she goes and makes multiple trips throughout the day to look for more food. She seems to abide by the slow and steady method of foraging.
She ate beets and chow on round one…
…carrots on her second round…
…and potatoes on the third round.
Finally, she took some time to take in the views from the top of one of the structures.
Following a routine each day allows for the chimps to know what to expect next. We start by serving a snack in the morning shortly after arriving. Then we clean the Greenhouse portion of their enclosure and once that is done, we finish serving breakfast. Sometimes, instead of serving meals, we mix it up by spreading the food around the various enclosures for the chimps to forage. Either way, the chimps know that when we are finished cleaning, locking up and going through all of our safety checks, they will get access to the newly cleaned area. Shortly after breakfast, they are given access to Young’s Hill (their outdoor enclosure). Following this routine helps the chimps make their own decisions about participating in meals and how they would like to spend their time (staying indoors or exploring Young’s Hill, for instance).
This morning, Jody seemed to be on a mission after breakfast was done. Knowing that I would open door Y (the door leading from the Greenhouse to Young’s Hill) after breakfast, she sat right by the door waiting. As soon as I did, she went straight for a mound at the top of the hill and I followed her (from the other side of the electric fences, of course) to see where she was headed.
Turns out, the mound at the top of Young’s Hill is still full of tasty wild plants, despite the yellowing foliage. I watched her pick some of the plants and eat them individually and then witnessed her “stripping” some of the other plants. She placed her hand at the base of the plant stem and drew upwards, stripping the plants of their leaves and then stuffing them in her mouth. Watching this reminded me of the videos I’ve seen of wild chimpanzees stripping termites off of the blades of grass they used to dip into holes in termite mounds. (The termites pinch the blades of grass and hold on as the chimpanzees pull the grass from the mound. Then the chimps eat the termites using their hands or mouths).
I love that this lady seeks out wild “snacks” on Young’s Hill.
Mornings in the chimp house can be pretty exciting. Today, everyone was in a good mood! Watch the video to see what all of the chimpanzees were up to, while the Greenhouse portion of their home was being cleaned.
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for close up photos of the chimpanzees. There’s something about seeing every little detail of their faces that draws me in, captivates me and has me wanting to know more about them. Close-ups show every little fold of skin, every freckle, every speck of color in their eyes that help tell them apart from one another.
For instance, take a look at Missy. What do you see when you look at these photos?
As much as I love these close-ups, I also love the zoomed out photos; the ones where I have to take time to find the chimpanzee “hidden” among the bamboo and grass or on the various structures on Young’s Hill. I find that the zoomed out photos also help tell the story of each chimp, their preferences, their abilities and their character, that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to tell from a closeup. I also find these types of photos help to convey just how far they’ve come since finding sanctuary at CSNW.
For example, the following photos show Missy’s ability to tightrope walk with precision balance and her preference to explore the highest of heights that can be found on Young’s Hill. She’s certainly come a long way from the windowless basement where she lived prior to coming to CSNW.
Of course, these photos and videos wouldn’t be possible without the kindness and generosity of our supporters! Thanks to all of you who have donated time, money, expertise and purchased items off of our Amazon wishlist over the years and most recently for our “Christmas in July” celebration! Your help has literally made all of the difference in the world, helping us to share photos and videos of the Cle Elum Seven with supporters from around the world! And a special thank you goes out to whoever purchased the new computer that now sits in front of me (please let us know who you are since there was no gift receipt with it)!! The new computer will allow us to expand on what we do, plus enable us to make videos of the footage we gather with our new (to us) GoPro cameras.
