Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Sabrina

Clever, Beautiful, Independent: Meredith!

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Today is Meredith’s 8th birthday! She is celebrating with her bovine family and some much sought after willow branches.

Mere did have some hurdles to overcome this year. She has slowed down some in her mobility so her year included a few physical exams, some x-rays and a trip to WSU for a consult to make sure that our exams and x-rays we did here on site hadn’t missed anything. It turns out no big issues were found and her x-rays at WSU confirmed what Dr Erin had suspected: all signs point to generalized arthritis. Meredith is being treated with pain killers so she can comfortably enjoy the coming days, weeks and years at home with her family here at CSNW and we are so happy to be celebrating her 8th birthday with her today!

 

Dr Erin came to visit Mere today and give her some extra TLC:

Meredith enjoyed lot of willow branches from her friends:

Meredith on her way to WSU:

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky on the Lookout

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The other day Kelsi wrote about distractions and how Mave ran out on the Bray, for the first time, during a fight that involved the whole group and ended with all nine chimps out on the Bray. During this skirmish Lucky somehow found herself up on Ryan’s Lookout for the first time and she enjoyed tapping into her adventurous side so much that she did it again later that same day. Then the next day when we were trying to serve breakfast to the nine we couldn’t find Lucky and turns out she was up on Ryan’s Lookout again, by herself, enjoying the morning! Today Jenna and I anticipated her journey up to the Lookout so we came armed with our camera’s and words of encouragement

Lucky, heading up the Bray, with some hesitation:

But being the brave soldier she is, she eventually made her way all the way up to Ryan’s Lookout:

And Rayne, just because:

For the Love of Chow

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During mealtime here at CSNW there isn’t much that Burrito looks forward to more than receiving his chow bags, he is careful to make sure not a speck of chow dust is left behind. Today I was able to document this love affair, enjoy!

A Boy and His Chow: A Series

Not that he would say no to having some leeks as well

And finally, Missy and Jamie also enjoyed a post-lunch grape feast from the vine next to their greenhouse this afternoon:

Missy

Jamie

 

Lucky to know her

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     Before I came to work here at CSNW I would read the sanctuary’s blogs and when there was mention of Lucky it was always about how excited she is to see her caregivers in the morning and how she is the best at greeting them and lifting their spirits. So of course I assumed we would be fast friends since I had met and worked with so many chimps in the past, obviously this would be an easy one. Not so. With Lucky trust takes time.
     Over my first few months here Lucky did a good job of hazing me; I was given the cold shoulder, she would interrupt when I was shifting the group between areas, and occasionally she would try to poke me during meals if I wanted to hand her an item. After awhile I noticed how Lucky tends to hang in the background and is less outgoing than some in her group so I went out of my way to hang out with her when the rest of the group was otherwise occupied. Just the other day during lunch Dr. Erin was helping serve watermelon to the group and at the end of the meal she offered leftover watermelon juice to some of the boys and I could see Lucky watching from above with a look of longing so I mentioned how Lucky would probably like some of the juice and when Dr. Erin offered her a drink I could see the absolute joy in her eyes to be noticed and included. I think this is the key to Lucky’s heart – respecting her more introverted personality but offering to include her in case she is interested.
        I am happy to say that after about six months working with Lucky we have slowly started to build our own relationship and most mornings now include a friendly greeting and some grooming before we start our day. Some days the quiet moments in the morning with Lucky is the only quiet time I get that day so I definitely enjoy these those zen moments with my fellow introvert.

Happy Anniversary to Mave, Willy B & Honey B!

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Today marks four years since Willy B, Mave and Honey B made their way to CSNW and a lot has happened since they arrived. The original plans for the three didn’t work out as everyone had hoped but after some time the Lucky 6 arrived and welcomed Willy B, Honey B and Mave into their family. While some are still finding their place within the group, which is completely normal, others have found their other half, like Mave did with Dora.

I wasn’t here for the introduction of two groups one of my favorite things about introductions with chimpanzees is watching them figure each other out and decide how to approach each other. I have been watching Rayne and Honey B’s relationship since I started and while some day’s it can be a little rough, they are quick to forgive and also have so many moments where I see them playing and grooming recently. One thing Honey B has picked up is Rayne’s keen fashion sense.

Honey B wearing a headband as a waistband:

They’ve not only made new friends but since their last anniversary the Bray has opened so they now have their very own outdoor habitat to explore at their leisure!

Willy B enjoyed an anniversary forage with his group

Honey B enjoying her lunch forage in the chute with the girls, she’s clearly a big fan of radicchio!

I couldn’t get them in the same frame but Mave and Dora enjoyed taking an after lunch snooze in the chute together

 

While Cy enjoyed some quiet contemplation in the greenhouse, because everyone needs a little alone time

 

Missy’s birthday is coming up soon, so don’t forget to check out her tomato themed wishlist items!

The Queen and her dynasty

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A couple months ago I wrote about Jody’s lineage and her son Levi who I had worked with previously. Today I’m gonna talk about the Queen’s dynasty, Negra’s daughter Heidi who currently resides at another sanctuary. It is a unique privilege to have been able to work with both mother and daughter, and I thought you all would enjoy getting to know more about this royal family.

 

Negra is known for her exacting standards when it comes to her caregivers but she tends to be low key in her group, generally not getting overly involved in disputes, instead preferring to enjoy time in her nest. During the quiet times within the group you really start to see her fun personality come out with her group though, whether it be playing with Burrito or grooming with Jamie.

 

Heidi is a different story, she tends to be very forgiving of her caregivers shortcomings and is very sweet towards all the caregivers she meets. She enjoys quality time with her caregivers, whether it be getting head scratches or belly tickles or staring at them sweetly. However, she is in a social group with 14 other chimpanzee’s, and she is well known for being  spitfire. Heidi is bold and does not hesitate to express her likes and dislikes with her group mates. She is quick to stand up for herself, and not so quick to let it go. It is a quality you don’t really expect when you first meet and she comes off as pleasant and seemingly low key.

 

Heidi’s nickname is the Bowling Ball, due to her petite but chunky physique and when I first met her and the girls she came to sanctuary with one thing I did not expect was that someone like Heidi would be such good friends with another girl in her group named Robbie (a.k.a. Roberta, or ‘Berta to her friends), who is also nicknamed the Wrecking ball. Robbie is a large, high ranking chimp who throws her weight around and is sure to get what she wants. This friendship makes sense when you get to know Heidi better and see how spicy she is, it’s nice to know she always has ‘Berta to have her back and that they get to enjoy their retirement together.

 

Neggie and Heidi may have different strategies for navigating their social lives in their groups but one thing these ladies do have in common is they know what they want, and they want it their way. No exceptions.

 

Neggie:

Heidi:

Thoughtful Neggie:

Thoughtful Heidi:

Neggie:

Heidi:

Neggie:

Heidi:

Neggie:

Heidi:

Rainy Day at CSNW

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Today we had an unexpected cool, rainy day here in Cle Elum and Jamie & company didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the break from the heat. Normally, most chimps don’t tend to spend a lot of time outside in the rain when they have the option to be inside but today Jamie and Burrito were more than happy to go on a walk around the hill with volunteer caregiver Lizz, while Missy, Annie and Foxie hung around the hammocks outside. Negra, per usual, enjoyed a leisurely day in the greenhouse lounging in her blanket nest.

Later, Negra and Burrito indulged in a play session to pass the time, with a guest appearance by Annie!

 

Jamie & Burrito on their walk with Lizz

Annie and Foxie observing Jamie and Bubs, from safety of the dry hammock

Negra at rest

Rayne