Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Annie

Waiting

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As the weather has been warmer lately, we have been giving Jamie chimpanzee’s group access to their outdoor habitat, Young’s Hill, first thing in the morning.  Today, Jamie sprinted out of the greenhouse, ready to patrol her territory.  Foxie, Missy and Burrito were hot on her heels!  They know that, after breakfast, we spend time cleaning their playroom.  Which is the perfect opportunity to take off to explore the hill, looking for young spring grass to graze on (though it might be a little early, yet).

But they always seem to know when it’s just about time for us to finish up and open the doors back up to their playroom.  They know that there will be a leafy green forage waiting for them, as well as fresh blankets and enrichment. Today, they even had hanging raisin boards, which they love!  So it wasn’t a surprise when we heard breathy chimpanzee laughter coming from the front rooms.  There, we found Burrito and Missy finding ways to pass the time, while waiting for their playroom.

Soon, almost all of the chimps were waiting patiently.

 

Snapshots of a Winter Day

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Today was a beautiful winter day. The chimps spent most of their time exploring outside and lounging in the warm greenhouses. We’ll let the photos do most of the talking!

Negra was the first out this morning:

Annie:

Foxie took one of her dolls out for a stroll:

A little traffic jam this morning with Foxie and Burrito:

While Annie and Burrito decided to commute together:

Dora drinking some Gatorade out of a bowl in the cozy greenhouse:

Lucky enjoying the warmth of the greenhouse:

Gordo grooming his foot:

Gordo laying down in the greenhouse:

Later, as he was laying Rayne came up and started grooming him:

And a side profile of sweet Cy, we played a slow game of chase in the greenhouse:

Not Another Clip Show

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Staff are conducting several training meeting this afternoon, so please excuse me for the short posting. So today’s blog and video is going to be a hodgepodge of clips and photos that haven’t found their way into a blog due to either length or missing context.

Misc. Photos:

George (L) and Cy (R) eating their breakfast chow in the Oakwood Greenhouse window while watching their caregivers clean the Lupin Playroom.
Gordo sitting in a modified box waiting for his time to join the integration group.
The view from the space separating Young’s Hill and the Bray a couple of weeks ago. It made me feel like I was in the movie “Tron.”
Mora (Mave + Dora) having a dinner date when they were first together the other week.

Little Moment with Annie

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Annie is one of our quieter chimps. She doesn’t ask for much attention from her caregivers, not because she doesn’t enjoy it, but because Annie is truly more of a chimp’s chimp. I’ve written before about how some chimps naturally gravitate more toward people, while others find their comfort and fulfillment primarily within their chimpanzee group. When we talk about those differences, we also recognize the fact that many of our residents didn’t get to live natural lives, and some grew up with humans.

What matters most to us is that Annie gets what she needs from her group, which she does! Seeing chimps maintain strong, healthy relationships with one another is always a priority here. We are constantly encouraging chimp-to-chimp interactions because those bonds are so important, which is why if we are interacting with a chimp and another chimps joins, we will remove ourselves if they chimps are engaged with each other.

Because Annie gravitates more to her group, interactions like today feel all the more special! It is a gentle reminder that trust can look different for every chimp, and that honoring who Annie is means celebrating both her independence and the moments she invites us into her world.

A Very CSNW Christmas (Jamie’s Edition)

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Today was a Christmas to be remembered! It was such a great party for all the chimpanzees here. So much was happening we had no choice to split up the footage to make two videos. So please enjoy Jamie’s group’s Christmas celebration today, and be sure to come back tomorrow to watch the other groups’ parties! Including George’s first CSNW Christmas! I won’t say much other than he was really, really, really excited!

Jamie was also excited and partied her heart out!

And please remember to donate! We are getting so close to our $100,000 goal by tomorrow in order to unlock an additional $40,000! Every little bit helps!

Help us reach our end of the year goal here!

Good Night, Sanctuary

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The day is done, the sun is gone, and it’s almost Jamieween! So, it’s time to say, “Good night, friends.”

Good night, Jamie.

Good night, Rayne.

Good night, Negra.

Good night, Betsy.

Good night, Foxie.

Good night, BK (Barn Kitty).

Good night, Honey B.

Good night, Annie.

Good night, Sanctuary.

When The Cat’s Away…

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Yesterday, Jamie spent some time in the clinic for a checkup.  You will hear more on her procedure in the days to come, but rest assured that she is doing just fine!

Today, I wanted to show you what the rest of her crew has been up to since Jamie has been in isolation.

You know what they say!?  When the cat’s away…