Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

animal rescue

Making the perfect tool

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After breakfast Jamie set out onto Young’s Hill with purpose in her step.

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We watched as she very methodically selected a bamboo shoot and headed back into the greenhouse.

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As it turns out, she had unsuccessfully attempted to get some peanuts outside the caging using a toy rake. The handle was just slightly too big to reach out to the peanuts.

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The bamboo stick was a little too cumbersome, so Jamie needed to tweak it a bit. First she broke it in half, and then she removed some of the branches.

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Now that she designed the perfect tool, she could reach the peanuts!

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Success.

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Cle Elum Wildlife

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As many of you know, our beloved (and sometimes troublesome) resident elk, Ellie, has made it a very well-known fact that she is in fact a horse. Or a cow. Or a goat. Or a human! But certainly not a wild elk. Despite her outward friendliness, we still keep our distance—she is still wild, after all, and ideally we would love for her to be more wild and less attracted to sticking around humans.

Today, Elizabeth spotted Ellie up on a high hill to the south of the sanctuary property. We both laughed, saying “what is Ellie doing way over there?” And then we realized, when four other elk followed, that wasn’t Ellie at all! We got very excited to see a small herd, which is sort of amusing when we see Ellie every day—elk really aren’t novel animals to us. But a herd! So exciting.

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Unfortunately, Ellie was busy breaking into our compost bin—a very Ellie-type thing to do—so she missed the herd as they passed through. As much as we wish for her to be wild, we recognize that she is a unique being. She probably will always be more human-oriented because of how she grew up. Honestly, I’m not sure she would identify herself as an elk.

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Imagine growing up with another species as your primary caregivers—you would undoubtedly have some sort of identity crisis. And though it is no one’s fault that Ellie was separated from her herd and ended up living at the farm next door, it’s definitely not the ideal situation for an elk.

For a chimpanzee, living in a human home is even more unnatural, and not surprisingly chimpanzees raised so closely with humans really struggle with their identity. Elizabeth wrote about “Burrito the misfit” the other day, and it’s so true. If he had been raised in an appropriate social environment, he most likely would be alpha male.

Some other “side effects” to being raised in an natural environment are Jamie’s love of boots and Foxie’s love of trolls. Though these are just part of everyday life here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, when you think about it for a minute, it really is quite odd. But they are all unique beings and all have their idiosyncratic tendencies. For Ellie, that means rummaging through things, sitting in Diana and JB’s garden, and taking perimeter walks alongside the humans as Jamie leads the way on the inside of Young’s Hill.

For Foxie, that means delighting in these sort of funny-looking dolls with big eyes, crazy colorful hair, and hard plastic bodies. Here she is in a calm relaxing moment with one of her dolls (you can see just part of the troll in the top picture—he/she is out of the frame in the others but was still in her hand).

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Today is for Toby

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by dear friends of the chimpanzees and humans alike, Pam Lehnert and Marc Warner, in honor of their beloved pup, Toby. Pam shared this touching message about Toby:

“Today celebrates the 1-year anniversary of adopting Toby, our 1 1/2 year-old lab mix puppy. Toby has many ties to CSNW, as our friend Jamie Davis (husband of former CSNW Executive Director, Sarah Baeckler) worked at the Oregon Humane Society and “found” Toby for us just days after last year’s “HOOT” gala; Toby’s favorite sitter is CSNW staff member Katelyn; and he has become best friends with Wilson and Abbey, JB and Diana’s dogs they adopted last year. Seeing these three shelter pups thrive in their forever homes is another example of “HOPE. LOVE. HOME… SANCTUARY”. Watching the progress of each of the chimps these past seven years at CSNW made for an easy choice to only consider adopting from a shelter when we decided to add to our pet family. Our lives are made richer every day by Toby – and everyone at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.” 

Pam and Marc jokingly referred to themselves as “foster failures” after adopting Toby’s feline sibling, Chloe. Immediately smitten with this saucy lady, their foster home quickly became Chloe’s forever home. The individualized love and care Pam and Marc provide Toby and Chloe is truly heartwarming to see. All of our lives here are made richer for knowing this wonderful family.

Pam and Marc, thank you so much for all you do for all those around you, to make their lives better, both human and non. We truly appreciate you! And thank you for thinking of the chimpanzees in celebration of Toby’s new life!

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Toby and his best friends, Wilson and Abbey:

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And another guy who loves to play, Burrito:

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Take Action Tuesday: Speak up for Eli chimpanzee

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EOA take action tuesday

A few weeks ago, we alerted you to a new Comedy Central show called Big Time in Hollywood, FL, with reported footage of a chimpanzee in several scenes. We know now that chimpanzee is Eli, who lives at a training facility called Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife.

One of the actors from the show, Lenny Jacobson, identified Eli in an interview where he talked about the experience filming with a chimpanzee. He mentioned that the trainer on set was missing a finger from a chimpanzee bite—which isn’t shocking given the true nature of chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are very strong, and once they become too hard to manage, trainers will discard them at roadside zoos or pseudo-sanctuaries.

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Eli’s trainer has a history of dumping former nonhuman ape actors at very decrepit facilities, including Walter, who was found kept in a dark, barren, concrete pit filled with garbage at a roadside zoo. Eli’s trainers also have repeatedly failed to meet minimal animal welfare standards. (www.eyesonapes.org/eli)

There’s still time to act—the episodes with Eli’s scenes have not aired yet. Please send a polite letter to the producers and to Lenny Jacobson letting them know that chimpanzees should not be used in entertainment. Not only are there numerous welfare concerns, but seeing chimpanzees dressed up in clothing and in physical contact with humans perpetuates the idea that they can be treated as pets.

Your letters do work! Another alert we sent out last month regarding a McDonald’s France commercial with Suzy (who lives with the same trainer as Eli) was pulled after they received feedback from Eyes on Apes supporters and other advocacy groups. Great victory! We hope to see Big Time in Hollywood, FL make the same progressive decision.

We’ve set up a sample letter which you can customize as you wish (click here). You may also post on the show’s Facebook page.

Missy now and then

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I took this photo of Missy a few nights ago when she had joined Jamie for some “after hours” walking around the hill. I was trying to figure out why I love the photo so much (aside from the obvious cuteness of Missy from behind).

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Today, while on another walk, I think I figured it out – it reminds me of a photo we took a few months after the chimpanzees arrived during a big rainstorm. It was before there was a Young’s Hill and before there were greenhouse panels covering their original “outdoor area” that we now call the greenhouse. The outdoors and the elements were a whole new experience for all of the chimps, and, without the greenhouse roof that exists now, the rain was pouring into this area.

Chimpanzees don’t tend to appreciate getting wet, and all of the chimps stayed indoors for most of the storm, but curiosity soon got the best of Missy, Annie, and Jamie. Missy was first to look out the door into the still dripping outside world:

Missy in doorway during rainstorm

At the time, I remember how thrilled J.B. and I were that the chimpanzees were experiencing something brand new. We were thrilled that they were able to gather the courage to follow their curiosity. And we knew that this was  just one new experience in a whole line of new experiences they would be facing.

Still, I had no idea exactly what was to come into their lives, thanks to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest supporters. I had no idea that Missy would embrace the two-acre outdoor habitat that was just beginning to be a kernel of an idea for the future.

I had no idea that six and half years later, Missy would run with glee across the 2-acres everyday:

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Exploring her territory:

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Satisfying her curiosity:

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I can’t wait to see what Missy and her six friends get to experience next, and what the next six and a half years will bring to the sanctuary.

 

 

Changing perspectives

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It’s hard to imagine the chimpanzees once being so different from who we know them to be today. I think this on most days, and yet every day they each show us another dimension of themselves. These seven individuals, so full of life, personality, courage and intelligence spent decades forced to live on the periphery of their lives. But with each passing season they become more fully themselves.

A year or so ago, and for some of the chimpanzees even less, we would not have had to “squint” to see who was out on Young’s Hill, so far away they appear a mere speck among the greenery. This season in particular, the chimpanzees seem to be embodying a spring of their own, literally changing and growing by the day.

Annie:

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Burrito:

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All the chimpanzees (with the exception of Negra for whom the outdoor temperatures are still not quite warm enough) enjoyed wandering far and wide on Young’s Hill after breakfast this morning. They often head out as a troop at this time, but where they used to stick together, they much more frequently spread out to take in their own adventure while just keeping an eye on one another. But that said, once someone starts to head back to the greenhouse the others often follow.

Missy (L) and Jamie (R):

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From left to right: Annie, Missy, and Jamie

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Jamie:

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When they all headed back inside this morning I greeted each of them as they passed by and quickly realized Foxie was missing from the group. I stood up, my eyes scanning the hill for a sign of her, and I finally spotted her at the very top of the furthest climbing structure, perfectly content and enjoying her solitude with Dora and Troll.

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When she saw that I had spotted her, she gave me a head nod and play slapped the platform as she shook Dora in my direction. I nodded back to her in acknowledgement and waited for her to eventually make her way back to the chimp house. In such moments I don’t think I could fully express all that is in my heart in seeing each of their hearts and souls blooming. Knowing what an immense journey it has been, and continues to be for each of them. The chimpanzees help remind me to accept things as they are each day. But to always hold the space, the expectation, and the hope for the ever changing gifts of each passing season.

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Jamie the walking machine

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When Jamie first started her daily perimeter walks, it was usually just once or twice a day that she would ask us to accompany her (from the outside of the fence) around Young’s Hill. Now, it averages probably about seven to eight a day, maybe even more. She will ask each of her caregivers to go along at least once, but usually three or four times! She really has become a walking machine.

I think if the humans weren’t busy trying to clean enclosures, prepare enrichment and food, write the blog, and all the other things we do in a day—that Jamie would be asking to go on continuous walks non-stop. The other day, Elizabeth and I did a “walking relay” — I radioed her when Jamie and I were on our way down the hill so she could go wait at the gate (the starting point for these perimeter walks) with boot in tow. Jamie ran SO fast to meet up with Elizabeth and go on another walk!

It’s really awesome to see how excited she can be at times, because most of the time Jamie is all serious business. As Elizabeth mentioned yesterday, her moods can swing pretty wildly.

Here’s a couple recent pictures of Jamie on walks:

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This one is from last fall, but I just love it.

Jamie looking awesome