Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

animal protection

Smiling?

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For me, going to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to look for a movie is always an interesting experience. It never fails- I will see a movie with a chimp on the cover “smiling”. This facial expression that we, as humans, understand as a happy face is not a happy face for a chimpanzee. A “human smile” displayed by a chimpanzee is actually a “fear grimace” and is displayed when a chimp is afraid or excited. When a chimpanzee is used for entertainment purposes, they are trained to fear grimace for the camera. I thought, in this regard, I would post some pictures to demonstrate the difference between a fear grimace and a chimpanzee smile.

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Below is an older picture of Jody displaying a fear grimace. If I had to guess, I would say she was afraid someone might steal her watermelon…
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Here is a picture of Jody with a playface or a chimpanzee smile. THIS is a happy chimpanzee:
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and a happy Foxie:
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Blankets needed at WAO

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Wild Animal Orphanage (also known as Animal Sanctuary of the United States) is a sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas under new leadership. They are currently seeking donations to help their animals and prepare for the winter. WAO is home to former biomedical research chimpanzees, some of whom J.B. and I met on a visit to the sanctuary in 2001.

CSNW is fortunate to have a wonderful support network that has provided the Cle Elum Seven with an abundance of some of the items on the WAO wishlist. So, instead of sending your blankets, clothes, sheets and towels to us, please send them to WAO for the chimpanzees, smaller primates, and other animals living there – they need you too! They have posted their wishlist on the homepage of their website: www.wildanimalorphanage.org

New view

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The chimpanzees got to check out the new window today. The window replaced an extra door that went from the playroom to the outdoor area. J.B. still had some work to do on the outdoor area side, so we went out to say hello to the chimps through the window. In the meantime, the Poppoff crew was still hard at work in the mud (but no rain today) getting things ready for the foundation that will be part of the greenhouse structure going over the outdoor area. Workin workin again!

Jamie, of course, was the first to inspect the window

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Jody was also very curious

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It’s difficult to see, but Jamie and J.B. are “touching” hands through the glass in the photo below

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For context – here is a zoomed-out view. The new window is to the left, the chimp door that we use from the playroom to the outdoor area is to the right. The two windows on top are just above the catwalk in the playroom.

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Foxie likes the new window too

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Many of the chimps watched J.B. working all day. Below is Jamie making sure J.B. is doing a good job (or maybe seeing how things come apart!)

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Laughter

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The seven chimpanzees living at CSNW are the most playful group I’ve ever met. You would think they were kids the way they play and laugh. As all of you who follow the blog know, Foxie in particular has a kid-like disposition (at least she does now that she’s in sanctuary!) Jamie, on the other hand, can often be very serious. But Foxie is able to bring out the kid in Jamie too, as you’ll see in the video below.

One interesting thing that we’ve observed is that the chimpanzees seem to play wrestle more in the front rooms than any other location within the building. Perhaps it feels like a more private location for wrestling?

Apron Activists benefit dinner

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The Apron Activists, made up of the wonderful folks at the vegan mini-mall in Portland, OR (SweetPea Baking Company, Food Fight, Herbivore, Scape Goat Tatoo) and Isa Chandra Moskowitz, chef and author of the best vegan cookbooks out there, are putting on a benefit dinner for the sanctuary Friday night in PDX.

The dinner is sold out, but don’t let that stop you from drooling over the menu. Check it out on the Post Punk Kitchen blog, and browse some of the great recipes while you’re there.

I’ll see you there if you managed to get your ticket before it was sold out!