Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

animal protection

Today is in honor of Hope. Love. Home.

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Monica Best who chose to honor three people (ten really, if you count the chimpanzees!) and the hope, love and home they each give and receive. Monica shared this message about today:

“In honor of an Instagram stranger, who needed to feel a little Hope. Love. Home. What better way to show them than through the Cle Elum Seven.

And to Josh and Kathryn, who give Hope. Love. Home. to so many. Thank you for giving your voices to so many causes, that people may otherwise have never heard about. Congratulations on your recent nuptials. May the two of you spend many, many years of love, friendship, fun and lasting memories together. Thanks for all you do!!”

Monica, thanks so much for always holding the chimps in your heart and for all the amazing things you do for our fellow animals, both human and non. You have such a huge heart and the chimps are so lucky to call you their friend.

To the person on Instagram, we hope you enjoy getting to know the chimps. They inspire us every single day with what hope, love and home make possible for us all.

And Josh and Kathryn, congratulations on your special day from all of us here at CSNW! May your lives be filled with all the good you help make possible for others.

Queen Negra, discovering anew each day what hope, love, and home mean to her, thanks to the compassion of so many people:

Negra behind grass

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Happy Birthday, Linda!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Monica Best in honor of her mother, Linda Miller, on her birthday! Monica is a such a good friend to the chimps and we’re so happy to celebrate her human family along with the chimp family she’s a part of.

Monica shared the following message about today: “Sponsoring in honor of my mom, Linda Miller, on her birthday. She is one of the people who helped instill a love and respect of all animals, which helped me become the animal advocate I am today. Thank you mom!! Happy Birthday.”

Monica, thank you so much for everything you do to make the chimpanzees’ lives enriching, joyful, comforting and magical. You have such a big, loving heart and make the lives of so many of our fellow animals better and we are so grateful to you for that.

Linda, all of us here at the sanctuary wish you the happiest of birthdays yet! We hope that your day involves all that you love doing and all those you love being with!

Negra and Jody:

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Negra enjoying her days:

Negra standing and looking

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Wild Chimpanzees

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Don’t tell Missy and Annie that they fall into the “elderly” category for chimpanzees. Just watch today’s video!

All of the chimps REALLY enjoyed the cooler weather this morning and were out and about. I took about four zillion photos, but when I was going through them, I realized I needed to highlight the video clips of Annie and Missy’s Olympic-worthy antics.

Happy Birthday, Deb!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Bruce Wagman in honor of his wife, Deb, on her birthday. Bruce and Deb have been part of our chimp family since the very beginning. Not only does Bruce volunteer his time as a valued member of our wonderful Board of Directors, but Deb is a volunteer caregiver in the chimp house, coming from out of state to complete her shifts and care for the chimps. They both do so much to improve the lives of so many animals and we’re grateful for their friendship to the chimps (and humans!). Bruce shared this beautiful message about Deb:

“Some people just shape things, and make them come out better. They move through their lives with their influence expanding in waves. At home, Deborah has provided the ultimate in loving parenting to all her children, all of whom have had four legs and tails – and each one of them has flourished under her loving hands. At the Marin Humane Society, hundreds of dogs have benefited from her patience and attention. At the Marine Mammal Center, abandoned, stray and injured seals and sea lions and others knew the careful detail which she brought to each one. And at CSNW, she has become a friend to the Cle Elum Seven, dedicated to their care and falling in love with each of them on every one of her many visits to them over the years. It is certainly the case that the Seven have done more for Deborah than she has done for them, but her willingness to keep giving her all to them is an inspiration to us all.”

Bruce, thank you so much for sharing such a special day with the chimpanzees! We are full of gratitude for the difference you and Deb have made, and continue to make, in the lives of so many of our fellow animals.

Deb, we are thrilled to be celebrating with you today! We hope you have an amazing day full of all the love and comfort that you share with so many others. And Burrito would probably send some birthday hoots to you. Happy Birthday!!:

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Today is a big day of celebration in the chimp house as it’s also beloved Missy’s 41st honorary birthday!! Party preparations are under way so be sure to check back later today and celebrate with us!

In celebration of Bill Walters’ life

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This special day of sanctuary was sponsored by Nicki Walters in memory of her husband, Bill. Nicki and Bill have been such wonderful friends to the chimpanzees over the years and we are so honored to celebrate Bill’s life with the chimps today. Bill had a great passion for animals and their well-being and he was also a long-time supporter and volunteer at PAWS Lynnwood. Nicki shared this special message:

“Today is the day that we celebrate Bill Walter‘s life. So I wanted the Chimps to be able to do the same since they brought him many smiles and were a source of happiness during many rough days as he fought Cancer. Knowing that they will be playing on a Monument dedicated to him, The Twister, gave him a lot of pride that his memory will be kept alive in such a fun way.”

If you’re new to the blog, you can also check out the unveiling of the Twister here.

Nicki, thank you so much for holding the chimps in your heart and giving them such a special day of sanctuary. Our hearts are with you and your loved ones. Words fall short in the face of such profound loss, but the difference Bill made for so many others with his life gives much to celebrate.

We are so moved by all that you, Bill and your friends have done to add to the chimps’ home and lives in a meaningful and lasting way. Bill’s spirit will always be present in the joy you’ve all brought the chimps and in all of the lives made better by his. We’ll think of him every time we see the chimps enjoying your amazing gift to them and especially when we see Jamie surveying her kingdom from the new heights of her beloved crow’s nest.

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In honor of Amanda Lollar and Bat World Sanctuary!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Meg Lunnum, a dear friend to the chimps and humans here alike. Meg does so much to advocate for our fellow animals of the world and also happens to be a professional bat rehabilitator with Bats Northwest, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats here in the Pacific Northwest through education, conservation, and research. Meg shared this message about her gift today:

“I would like to honor Amanda Lollar from Bat World Sanctuary for being awarded the GFAS Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence. Bat World Sanctuary was founded in 1994, since then, Amanda has been available 24/7/365 to help injured and orphaned bats. Currently the Sanctuary cares for over 200 permanent resident bats. Amanda has also trained over 400 zoologists, veterinarians, and other animal care professionals to rehabilitate bats. I am proud to say I am one of the animal care professionals she trained. The Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence is given annually to a sanctuary or individual who embodies and puts into practice the GFAS philosophy of vision, dedication and excellence in animal care. It memorializes Carole Noon, founder of Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary. Carole was a courageous and innovative sanctuary pioneer and champion of chimpanzees. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredits animal sanctuaries; Bat World Sanctuary and our own Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW are on the list of accredited sanctuaries. Who would have thought there would be a connection between bats and chimpanzees?”

Meg, thank you so much for your care and compassion in honoring Amanda and the incredibly valuable work on behalf of bats worldwide that she and her colleagues dedicate themselves to through Bat World Sanctuary! We so appreciate you thinking of the chimpanzees as you celebrate the important work of such a wonderful sanctuary! We are full of gratitude to you for all you do to provide care, respect and sanctuary to so many beings.

Bats play incredibly important roles as pollinators and pest controllers and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems around the world and yet, unfortunately they are often very misunderstood. Like so many of our fellow animals, including chimpanzees in the wild, they are vulnerable or endangered due a variety of factors ranging from habitat loss, disease, roost destruction, hunting and killing. We are thrilled to celebrate these special beings here today with the chimpanzees! The sanctuary is fortunate to have a small colony of bats who roost on the property and we anxiously watch for their return every spring. Their lively nursery is such a joy to catch glimpses of and if you’ve ever attended one of our summer education visits you may have heard the babies boisterous vocalizations to their mamas.

Meg’s pal, Queen Negra:

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Negra and Jody:

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Snoozing…

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Happy Anniversary, Chris and Victoria!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Chris and Victoria Jensen as their anniversary gift to one another! Chris shared this message about today:

“My lovely wife Victoria and I have always loved animals. We currently have 2 Dachshunds, Sally and a rescue named Stitch. We decided to stop getting each other presents, and give to the causes we believe in. We really appreciate the work you do, giving the chimps back their lives must be very rewarding. The animals of the world need our help, we can’t help them all so we do what we can.”

Chris and Victoria, thank you so much for celebrating your special day by making a difference in the chimps’ lives! What an inspiring way to honor your lives together. Thank you for all you do for our fellow animals and we are so happy to celebrate with you! Happy Anniversary from all of us at Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW and we hope you, Sally and Stitch have a day filled with the love of family, comfort and home that you help provide the chimps with!

Best friends, Annie and Missy:

Missy and Annie with prickly lettuce

missy annie wrestle on beam

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Missy chase Annie

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