Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

animal rescue

CSNW featured in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine

by

Really great article: http://www.seattlemet.com/issues/archives/articles/chimpanzee-sanctuary-northwest-1209/

It’s hot off the presses (or at least recently uploaded to the world wide web) and the print version should be all over the Seattle area soon. Please share on your Facebook and Twitter pages and send to all of your contacts (you can do that by clicking “Email” or “Share This” at the top of the article when you go to the link). It not only tells the story of CSNW, but also the broader plight of chimpanzees in captivity.

I only wish Jamie knew how famous she is.

Missy then and now

by

Every once in a while it’s good to look back to see how far we’ve come. Though we are very focused on the future – the next celebration, the next event, the next fundraising initiative, the next building improvement, etc, looking back can be really motivating.

One way to do this is to see how much the chimpanzees have changed since their arrival to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

The below “before” and “after” photos appear in the 2010 calendar, which you can purchase through the online store (and, yes, I am looking forward to lots of people buying the calendar and sharing the Cle Elum Seven with friends, family and coworkers this year!)

Missy on her first day at CSNW, after years of living as a biomedical research subject and “breeder”

web_Missy Before Picture 044

Missy after one year in sanctuary

Missy_green bottle outside cropped MG_9376

On the radio

by

Arik Korman, the director of 102.5 KZOK’s The Bob Rivers Show, recently visited the sanctuary. Arik has shared a podcast full of great questions, a dramatic intro and some terrific audio of the chimpanzees food grunting (in the beginning) and Jamie displaying (toward the end).

You can learn more about the sanctuary and chimpanzees by listening to the podcast linked to below or hear it broadcast on KZOK this Sunday in the 6am hour, KJAQ in the 7am hour and on AM 1090 in the 11am hour.

http://www.twistedradio.com/podcasts/ArikKormanPodcast_2009-11-05_1649.mp3


Negra and “night bags”

by

Each night after dinner, we give the chimpanzees treats in the form of “night bags.” These are brown paper bags with a small amount of sugar-free cereal, dried fruit, salt-free nuts, seeds and sometimes dried pasta or other goodies. Our beloved volunteers make these bags up 21 or so at a time to ensure we have a supply for a few nights. Negra in particular likes this snack and sometimes asks for her night bag before dinner is even over. She asks by loudly clapping and sometimes extending an arm out. One night last week when J.B. was serving dinner, I snapped a few photos of Negra making her request, then enjoying her night bag.

web-negra-night-bag-clap-room-4_mg_4417

web-negra-hand-extend-clap-night-bag-room-4_mg_4421

web-negra-wait-room-4-night-bag_mg_4435

web_negra-jody-jb-hand-night-bag_mg_4440

negra-night-bag-room-4-eating-web_mg_4451

negra-night-bag-room-4-web_mg_4454

For the love of cowboy boots

by

Quick Jamie story of the day: I had picked up the front rooms to prepare for cleaning and brought the enrichment over to the washing tub. Jamie saw me from the playroom and started gesturing emphatically. I knew just what she was trying to tell me – I had one of her cowboy boots among the enrichment items and she wanted it back.

I did a brief cleaning job and offered to throw the boot up to her in the space above the big human doors to the playroom. Instead, she looked at me and ran outside. I came around and threw the boot on the roof. She climbed up and got the boot down and carried it with her most of the day. I’ve never seen Jamie ask for something specific that wasn’t food – she REALLY likes her new birthday cowboy boots. Thanks, Stephanie P.!

Happy Halloween-Birthday, Jamie!

by

You can give both Jamie and her caregiver Elizabeth a birthday gift through Elizabeth’s birthday wish on Facebook!

Below are a few photos of Jamie (and her special pumpkin) from the morning/afternoon party. Jamie thanks Robbi, Stephanie P., Tamela, Margaret, Cari and Jeanie for the birthday goodies.

pumpkin-happy-birthday-jamie_mg_4671

jamie-halloween-jamies-birthday-enrichment_mg_47671

jamie-halloween-jamies-birthday-opening-bag_mg_4731

jamie-halloween-jamies-birthday-enrichment_mg_4778

Stephanie brought Jamie a pair of cowboy boots for her birthday and she loves them! She picked one up right away and has been carrying it around with her all day. You can see the sole of the boot in the photo above – it’s tucked into Jamie’s groin pocket. It’s very windy today, but Jamie and I just played chase outside for a couple of minutes – a sign that she is in a great mood! J.B. will post a video in just a bit showing more of the party. Happy Halloween everyone!

Blankets needed at WAO

by

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