If you are not already a big fan of Burrito, you should be after watching today’s video. Seriously, he has been non-stop playful lately. He’s definitely a bright light during these difficult times!
animal protection
Different ways of getting around
This post was originally about family. I was writing it in my head throughout the day. I was going to talk about how the chimpanzees at the sanctuary are really a lot like other families because they did not choose to be together, but they had to figure out their relationships and find the things they liked about each other.
More words, hopefully an interesting insight, blah, blah, blah.
Then I watched the video clips that I had taken and I was fascinated just by the way the different chimpanzees in the clips moved.
If you’ve ever been hanging out at a race to cheer on a friend or relative running, I’m sure you were surprised by the variation in the way that human beings move their bodies when they are running. There are a few people who look natural and graceful while running, but most of us are a bit on the awkward side of things when it comes to speedy locomotion. I think the same can be said for chimpanzees.
We primates will not be mistaken for cheetahs anytime soon, but we do okay getting from one place to another, and sometimes, like Missy and Burrito and Jody and Foxie in the video above, we can have fun doing it.
Bonus photo of Annie’s sporty look today:
Willy B Outdoors and Indoors
Watch the video to see a few different sides of Willy B. You can bid on a photo of Willy B printed on metal that is available in our online auction right now. Just one week until the big virtual event!
Every Chimpanzee is Unique
I hope this video brings you a smile and maybe inspires you to do something you want to try, even if you’re not sure you can do it.
Getting to know each individual and appreciate them for the unique chimpanzee people they are is an immeasurable joy.
The chimpanzees’ individuality and the opportunity that we have been given to get to know them is what we’ll be celebrating with The Queen’s Brunch! The virtual event is June 13th but bidding begins June 1st. Register NOW for no charge.
We love sharing the chimpanzees with all of the followers of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Celebrate them with us!
Mave continues to be marvelous
What with Willy B venturing outside and Honey B really loosening up to be the unique and silly chimpanzee she is, perhaps we haven’t been highlighting Mave as much as the other two members of her trio lately.
Have no doubts, Mave continues to be marvelous.
We will be celebrating Honey B’s birthday on June 11th and Queen Negra’s on June 13th as part of The Queen’s Brunch virtual celebration and online auction.
I should pause here to mention that you should all go register (or log in if you’ve participated in past online auctions) RIGHT NOW to receive updates about the event.
I’ve just begun adding items to the site, including this original 16″ x 16″ oil painting of the one and only Mave by the one and only Margaret Parkinson!
More items will be uploaded in the coming weeks. You can pre-buy a VIP Party Box today with a chance to win something special, so definitely check that out!
Ok, back to Mave. We will be celebrating her birthday this Wednesday (May 27th)! This will be her first birthday at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, and we can’t wait to honor her.
Speaking of honor, here are some photos that Mave allowed me to take of her today:
Thank you, Thyra and David!
Today was sponsored by two long-time friends of the chimpanzees, Thyra and David Rutter, in celebration of the five year anniversary of Arte for Elephants!
Thyra and David are the founders of this wonderful organization which was created out of their desire to do whatever they can to help elephants who are suffering in captivity. Five years ago they sold most of their belongings and set out in an RV, traveling to raise awareness of the issues captive and wild elephants face, selling artwork, donating funds and inspiring other artists to take action. Since that time they’ve donated over $45,000 dollars to support sanctuaries around the world that are rescuing and appropriately caring for captive elephants. They also work with those communities to create programs which promote humane and ethical travel and tourism opportunities, as well as an educational scholarship program. In 2019, Arte for Elephants was able to award their first two Big Elephant Magic Scholarships which are paying for a full year of education for two young girls in northern Thailand and subsequently, have expanded to include three young girls in Kenya.
If there were ever a time when reading something inspiring, hopeful, and community-centered was much appreciated, it’s certainly now. Thanks so much, Thyra and David, for the impassioned work you do and for including the chimpanzees in that good magic.
If anyone can attest to the intrinsic value of living a life of dignity, respect and love for exactly who they are, particularly after decades of use in the entertainment and biomedical research industries, it’s Jamie:
Jamie leading Missy, Jody and Foxie on a perimeter check around Young’s Hill:
A throwback to Jamie and her elephant friend napping by the old barn doors of the playroom (pre-expansion) in the springtime breeze:
Courage, little by little
Willy B has gotten a lot more confident in the courtyard. He usually just marches right out there like he’s been doing it for years. He does, however, still stick to the boardwalk and usually keeps to the parts of the platform by the posts.
So today we decided to scatter pieces of food (instead of one whole piece of fruit) all over both tiers of the platform.
The photos that J.B. took today are in sequence and tell the story of Willy B’s exploration for the day. You can see he gathered the food and then ate it in his comfortable spots near the post, but still, he went to the middle of the platforms. We’ll continue to push his comfort zone in different ways so that he gets used to being on the grass too. Little by little.
The last photo in the sequence shows what a great view there is at the top of that structure. I wonder how he feels when he’s up there.
