Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

4th of july

Celebrating Freedom

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The Fourth of July holiday is a time when Americans celebrate their independence from Great Britain. For us here, we celebrate the freedom our residents have from the terrors of biomedical testing and harm from humans. For decades, many of the residents have spent their time in small cages and stripped of their freedom of choice. Today though, they have the freedom to make their own decisions, their own choices, and live the life they want to live.

I am fully aware it’s a bit ironic that I talk about their freedom, yet they are destined to live a life in captivity. It really breaks my heart and the rest of the staff here that we will never see Missy sprint in an un-fenced area, or see Rayne exploring new and exciting places. This is the life they have been dealt. The very least we can do is to provide them whatever freedoms and autonomy we can. When I arrive to the sanctuary every morning, I am no longer in my own world. I am in theirs.

To celebrate, the chimpanzees were treated to a forage of fan favorite: Watermelon Bowls! Each watermelon bowl contained: lettuce, a baked potato, baby back corn ribs, green onions, and blueberries! We even put some on the Bray! While everyone was foraging for the bulk of the watermelons inside, Rayne took the opportunity to collect nearly all the watermelon bowls placed on The Bray, as you can see in the video! It didn’t take the boys plus Lucky much longer to realize there was more food outside!

We wish you all a fun and safe Independence Day!

Here are some photos taken throughout the day!

Rayne

Don’t worry! Gordo came by to grab what Rayne chose to leave behind

Willy B

Terry

Missy trying to sneak pass Negra with her haul

Negra in her Cabin

Burrito

Foxie

Jamie enjoying a pre-celebration browse of currant branches

Viola! The prized watermelon bowls

Fun on the 4th

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What a day! The chimpanzees had a terrific 4th of July, starting with a party in the morning, set up by caregiver volunteers Patti and Connie and new staff member Anna.

Here are just a few party photo selections.

Burrito licking a smoothie shot glass clean:

Burrito with shot glass

Jamie managed to get both of the piñatas:

Jamie rocket wreckage

Jamie with star pinata

 

But she shared with Missy:

Missy with star pinata

 

After we finished cleaning the playroom, Patti and Connie put some ice and pomegranate juice in the pool. Jamie dragged the pool around with her as she foraged for the kale that was also thrown about the room, then she and Jody settled in for some ice eating, with other chimps coming by once in a while. Jamie would pick up the ice with her hands, put it in her mouth, dry off her hands, then repeat.

Jamie eating ice and drying her hand

 

Today was our first summer visit day, led by J.B., so we put out a forage on the hill for lunch that included pea shoots from the sanctuary garden, harvested by caregiver volunteer Denice who dropped by just to say hello and do a little gardening. The pea shoots were a hit, as was the corn. It was another hot day, so most of the chimps gathered food from the hill and brought it in to the cooler greenhouse for leisurely snacking.

 

Jody:

Jody carry pea tendrils

 

Annie:

Annie eating corn and pea tendrils

Annie eat corn and pea tendrils

It wasn’t long before Jamie wanted to go back out on the hill to explore and look for more food, and she asked me to tag along after I put on her new pair of favorite boots.

She explored the hill as though it were an obstacle course, definitely appreciating the freedom she is able to have in her sanctuary home:

Jamie walking on fire hose bridge

 

This is the new shaky bridge that connects the two towers:

Jamie walking across the new tower shaky bridge

 

Meanwhile, Burrito took a nap in the playroom:

Burrito sleeping

 

Dinner included a pretty special treat for everyone – Field Roast frankfurters!

 

Foxie:

Foxie with hot dog

 

Jody:

Jody with Field Roast frankfurter

 

Missy:

Missy eat Field Roast frankfurter

 

I didn’t get any good photos of Negra today, but maybe that’s okay, since she was the star of yesterday’s blog post.

 

We hope you all have a great and safe 4th of July!

 

Happy 4th!

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Volunteers Patti, Lynn, and Andrew put together a great feast for the chimps’ 4th of July celebration. It all started with a lunch forage on the hill. Then for dinner, they had corn, potato salad, watermelon, and Field Roast veggie dogs in the greenhouse. Throw in a couple of pinatas and some inappropriately dressed troll dolls and you’ve got a real 4th of July party! You should have heard the food squeaking and screaming as we were setting up the forage in the greenhouse.

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Burrito:

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Annie:

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Foxie and her new trolls:

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Negra:

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Jamie:

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Freedom

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Freedom is a tough concept. You recognize it more by it’s absence than it’s presence, and it’s easier to describe when comparing one situation with another. Yet most people agree that freedom is one of the most important aspects of life for individuals and for groups.

It’s clear that the chimpanzees lacked even the basic freedoms when they were in the laboratory. And it’s clear that the sanctuary has provided them with immense freedoms, like the freedom to chose how and when you want your day to end, like Katelyn wrote about Jamie on the blog yesterday.

One of the things that really struck me about Monday, when Jamie decided to extend the day, was the choice that Annie made to stay in the greenhouse. While all of the other chimpanzees (minus Jamie, of course) were inside the building in their nests, Annie decided to camp out. She didn’t seem the least bit concerned about what Jamie was doing, she was just making her own decision.

This morning, as volunteers Denice and Sandra were finishing the daily cleaning of the front rooms, I grabbed the camera and headed to the greenhouse. Though it was windy, I was expecting to find several chimpanzees out there. Instead, I found just Annie. And this is how I found her:

Annie sleeping in her nest

 

Just like the other night, she was perfectly relaxed, nesting comfortably, with no one else around.

Annie sleeping arm under head

 

I think each day the chimpanzees are discovering more and more of the freedoms afforded by a life in sanctuary. It’s such a beautiful experience to be able to both witness and share this process.

Annie holding her foot

 

It’s especially poignant with Annie, because she was so anxious when she first arrived at the sanctuary. Her confidence just seems to keep growing and growing.

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Tomorrow we will have a party for the chimps in celebration of the United States’ Independence Day, but, just like everyday, we will also be celebrating the independence of seven chimpanzees and welcoming, as each day passes, their discoveries of what freedom in a sanctuary means to them.

July 4th Forage

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We set up a great forage in celebration of the 4th for the chimpanzees tonight. On the menu: large paper bags full of lettuce and cabbage leaves with a surprise baked apple hidden amongst the greens, and individual buckets with vegan hot dogs, corn on the cob, and watermelon. Diana

Annie - 4th of July4th of July forage

Foxie with hotdog - 4th of July

Jamie with baked apple - 4th of July

Negra with hotdog - 4th of July