Jody’s order of operations for orange eating: fruit first, then pith, then peel.
Animal Welfare
Misfits Together
Jamie and Burrito are undeniably the most human-focused of the chimpanzees at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. They seek the attention of humans frequently, as evidenced by the many videos of humans walking around the hill “with” Jamie or playing tug of war with Burrito.
It’s probably no coincidence that both of them grew up in a human environment when they were very young. Burrito was a “pet” and Jamie was owned by a trainer. They may not have had the experience of having other chimpanzees around them until they got older.
All of the chimpanzees at CSNW, when compared to their wild counterparts, could be considered misfits. None of them grew up in a large family group in equatorial Africa, clinging to their mothers and playing with siblings. For Jamie and Burrito, though, they are even greater misfits because they identified with the humans.
And yet, they are still chimpanzees, and they now get to live with others of their species.
Burrito and Jamie don’t have the friendliest of relationships. Every once in a while, however, like today, I’ll find these two misfits just being chimpanzees and grooming each other – showing no interest in the humans in that moment, even when one appears with a camera in hand.
It’s a reminder that they are capable of knowing and understanding one another in ways that we humans will never be able to access.
And that is a beautiful thing.
The Right Tool for the Job
Grooming is a daily occurrence at the sanctuary. The chimpanzees groom each other, which facilitates social bonding, but they also groom themselves. Most of the chimps will use their fingers or lips for grooming, but Missy has a preferred tool: a splinter of wood that she “harvests” from one of the greenhouse climbing structures especially for the task.
And a photo of Missy’s foot, just because:
A Game with Burrito
Maybe it’s spring, or maybe it’s just Burrito, but he is a playful, joyful whirlwind today. This morning he found a game of tug of war and checking himself out in the phone camera to be especially hilarious.
Burrito on a spring afternoon
There may still be snow on the ground, but the sun is shining, the temperatures are rising, and it finally feels like spring.
The Intensity of Being a Chimpanzee
This afternoon, the chimp house was the epitome of peacefulness.
If you had walked in the door at 3:00, you would have had to strain to hear the soft lip-smacking and gentle raspberry sounds that accompanied their grooming.
If you had climbed the ladder to get a view of the chimpanzees in a fluid huddle in the loft, you might have marveled at what a close-knit and affectionate group they are.
This peaceful scene erased the ear-piercing screams and general mayhem that constitute chimpanzee quarreling that had occurred throughout the morning.
But that’s the nature of chimpanzees.
One minute they seem intensely angry at each other and the next they are engaged in the most intimate grooming session.
Snow!
Mother Nature just keeps on giving.
