The chimps were outside bright and early this morning to welcome the return of the sun to Central Washington.
Annie
Enrichment
Snake!
Given their history in captivity, the chimps here at CSNW (unlike their free-living counterparts) have probably never encountered a real snake before, but when this toy snake (see video) went out as part of their enrichment one day, they treated it with a healthy dose of caution.
Annie Upside Down
During playroom cleaning this morning, I decided to grab the camera and film the chimps through the new window. Right away, I caught Missy and Annie in an amusing game of upside down wrestling.
Greenhouse Update
We’re getting closer! Volunteer Jim Spencer has been coming all the way from Whidbey Island to help with construction, and together we’ve nearly completed the framing.
The greenhouse won’t be heated, but the polycarbonate panels should trap enough solar heat to make it comfortable on a sunny day. This morning, Annie spent a little time outside, despite the temperature being in the 30’s. With the greenhouse, she should be able to hang out in the outdoor area a lot more often.
Also, while the chimps love to eat snow, they don’t like to walk in it. Foxie will appreciate not having to tip toe through the cold snow to get to where she wants to go.
Snow in the sandbox
Cle Elum got a little snow overnight, so this morning after cleaning the playroom Jackie and I gathered some from outside and filled the chimps’ sandbox. We buried some cranberries in there for good measure (you can see Jamie searching for them in this video). The chimps love (to eat) the snow, but aren’t crazy about the chilly temperatures, so they seemed to enjoy having a bit of the outdoors brought inside for them.
Thanksgiving
We have had a pretty fantastic Thanksgiving here at CSNW. The chimps came into the front rooms at 8:30 this morning for a breakfast of fruit smoothie, bananas, and cranberry sauce. While Jackie served the meal, the rest of us cleaned the playroom and prepared the Thanksgiving feast. By 10:30, cleaning was finished and we set out the food as a big forage in the playroom: pumpkins, green onions, bok choy, whole frozen apples, potatoes (sweet and otherwise), broccoli, bell peppers, parsnips, whole pomegranates, swiss chard, eggplant, and stuffing (all thanks to supporter Tamela!).
The chimps have been in terrific moods all day. Jamie made a magnificent nest out of blankets, a ball of yarn, a cardboard box, various toys, and a GIANT teddy bear. After she was done, she lounged inside it, quite visibly pleased with things, until Foxie marched over and started a vigorous tickle game. Meanwhile, Burrito and Negra groomed each other in front of Negra’s favorite window that looks out over the valley; Jody napped with a full belly; and Missy and Annie chased each other around the playroom.
For dinner, the chimps enjoyed oranges, strawberries, sparkling cider, and ridiculously delicious vegan meat, donated by our friends at Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and thank you so much for your support and for helping to give the chimpanzees something to be thankful for this year.
