The other night, J.B. gave a talk at Central Washington University about the changes we have seen in the Cle Elum Seven since they arrived from the lab in Pennsylvania almost 3 years ago. It’s amazing to think about how far the ghostly beings that arrived here have come since the start of their sanctuary life. J.B.’s talk focused mostly on Burrito, Negra, and Foxie, however, Annie is another great example of how sanctuary can pull someone out of their shell. As J.B. mentioned back in January, Annie used to never play with anyone other than Missy, but lately she’s been playing with other folks more frequently, including her human friends. Connie, who is training to be a volunteer caregiver, got her very first hand tickle the other day– and guess who it was from- Annie! Every time I think about Negra being playful and more extroverted than usual, or Burrito hanging out in the greenhouse, or Foxie nesting with blankets, or Annie playing with new friends, I just have to smile from ear to ear at the testimony that is to sanctuary life. It’s such a joy to watch these chimps change- and to think about what’s to come!
Annie
Annie
Hands and feet
Can a chimpanzee over-lounge?
I don’t think so. As Diana said in her blog post yesterday, lounging in the greenhouse is pretty much a full-time job for the chimpanzees this time of year. It’s so nice and warm in there that we’ve even joked about installing a hammock in the human area of the greenhouse to facilitate human lounging as well. But alas, at CSNW, the humans work and the chimpanzees lounge, and we — and the chimps — wouldn’t have it any other way.
Annie:
Jody:
Foxie, who’s not afraid to get comfortable:
Two continuously playful chimps
I’m pretty sure these two never stop playing.
Boomer Balls
Spring Fever, Part II
Having grown up in southern California, I don’t think I ever really appreciated spring until I moved to a part of the country with a real winter. It was only a few weeks ago that it was finally warm enough outside for me to open the windows in my apartment. That’s probably my favorite part of spring: the first dose of glorious, fresh air. I thought of the chimpanzees and how it wouldn’t be long before we would be able to open the barn doors in their playroom and let the warm air in. As Jackie said in this post, that opportunity came just the other day, and the chimps seemed to be just as grateful as I had been. Here’s some video from that day.
