Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Annie

Contagion

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Excitement spreads fast in a chimpanzee group. All it takes is for one chimp to get excited or upset, and the whole group is on fire before you know what happened. The chimps respond to each other’s vocalizations even when they’re not in the same room. If someone starts pant hooting in the playroom, you can bet that someone will answer with a pant hoot of their own from the greenhouse. It makes sense that it would benefit a chimpanzee – maybe especially a captive chimpanzee – to be responsive to others’ emotions and moods. I know that if I lived in an enclosure with whirling dervish Burrito, I’d be on guard at the first sign that he was getting worked up.

Today shortly after we let the chimps back into the playroom after cleaning, there was a very brief and mild scuffle. You’ll see how quickly Jamie and Annie respond.

What happened today?

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This morning while we were cleaning the Playroom I noticed that the chimps were pretty quiet in the Front Rooms so I went to check on what they were up to. Annie and Missy were on the ledge in room 2 grooming one another, while Burrito sat quietly nearby. Unfortunately, none of the photos I took of Annie and Missy turned out, but the one of Burrito I think is pretty cute.

Burrito
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Negra was on the ledge in room 3 in one of her blanket nests.
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Foxie and Jody were on the ledge in room 4. Jody was just out of camera view, so I couldn’t get any clear photos, but Foxie wasn’t camera shy as she showed me her dora doll.
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I kept walking back and forth looking for Jamie, figuring she must have been in the Greenhouse or on Young’s Hill gathering snow. I kept looking, but couldn’t find her until Katelyn said she was in room 2. I looked again and realized why I missed her. I initially thought it was a pile of blankets, but upon closer inspection, I could see her eyes and top of her head peaking out from her nest.

This photo was actually taken from the Playroom looking back into room 2.
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After we finished cleaning the Playroom, we set out blankets, various sized boxes filled with enrichment items (boots, dolls, paper, brushes, socks, wooden blocks and tools) and filled their new blue bucket with snow. We also put out lettuce as a forage food.

Missy trying to open one of the boxes.
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Sometimes you just have to put your whole body into it when two hands just doesn’t cut it.
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Foxie took some time to inspect (and lick) the box that one of our new office computers came in (thanks again to Diana Petri for purchasing the computers from our Amazon Wishlist).
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Jamie’s first mission was to gather lettuce before checking out any of the boxes or eating any snow.
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Annie sat and ate snow that she took out of the blue bucket.
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And Jody did her best at staying out of camera view by gathering the lettuce we had put out as a forage and heading up to the loft to make a blanket nest in front of one of the windows that overlooks the neighbors farm.

A look of contentment in their eyes

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Often times I catch myself gazing at these chimpanzees, wondering what they are thinking. It’s easy for me (and maybe for most people) to attribute my own human feelings of awe and wonder as I watch them explore Young’s Hill (their 2 acre outdoor enclosure) or sit quietly looking out the windows from the catwalk in the Playroom. It seems that there is a sense of excitement and enjoyment when they are playing with one another and a curiosity as they inspect new enrichment items.

Looking at the pictures below, I can’t help but think that there is a sense of contentment in their eyes.

Jamie
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Negra
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Burrito
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Jody
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Foxie
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Missy
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Annie
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Snow removal crews

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After days, weeks really, of endless snow and treacherous commutes for staff and volunteers alike, this morning dawned a new day. Achingly gorgeous clear, blue skies, a pink sunrise with bald eagles flying overhead, glittering snow, and much to the caregivers’ delight, clear (and dare I say almost dry!) roads to drive to work on. The quintessential beautiful winter day:

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The chimpanzees, especially Jamie, have been real troopers waiting out the snow. So first thing this morning, Diana, Anna and I decided to shovel some walkways and around Young’s Hill and line them with straw for the chimpanzees to venture out. All the chimps had been watching us intently from the playroom windows and when we stepped back into the greenhouse, Jamie was more than ready to get a look at what we had done.

When I gave the chimps access to Young’s Hill, Jamie was ready and waiting and literally squeezed through the doorway as it was opening. She immediately headed onto the hill, grabbing the toy shovel we had left on her way and headed out to help finish clearing the pathways.

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And it wasn’t long before she had a back-up snow removal crew member with Annie! Annie! Can you believe it?! (The other chimps were watching from the raceway while sitting in the sun):

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Jamie initially started shoveling with the shovel side down and then tried out the handle. The second I reminded her to turn it back around she did and carried on with her snow removal project.

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That’s their breath clouding around Annie:

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When Jamie was satisfied (and probably a little cold!) she headed back inside, but Annie decided to enjoy the morning sun for a view minutes on her own.

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Once she’d had enough of the cold morning she headed back to the warmth of the greenhouse. I don’t know what we humans would do without some help from these amazing chimpanzee people:

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The chimpanzees and humans have been so incredibly fortunate this holiday season, our hearts and sanctuary home filled with the kindness and generosity of all of you. I would like to share another very special gift the chimpanzees received! The amazing children of Ms. Horton’s 5th grade class made this Christmas tree and each beautiful, heartfelt ornament on it. We are so touched that they all would take the time and care to make the chimpanzees such an awesome gift for Christmas and send it all the way from Texas! We hung it up right outside the chimpanzees’ front rooms where they can all enjoy looking at it. Thank you so much!!

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More winter treats

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Winter is in full swing here at the sanctuary. And by full swing, I mean there is easily over a foot of snow on the ground, icicles are hanging from the roof and the snow continues to fall as I sit here writing this blog post. Luckily, winter brings about treats that these chimps sure do seem to enjoy!

Can you guess what Annie is up to in the next photo?

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How about now? Hint: take a close look in her mouth…
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Did you guess right?
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The next picture is a little blurry, but I think you can see how pilo erect (hair standing on end) that Burrito was when foraging for the snow and icicles.
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Foxie took her cup of snow up to the loft to eat.

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Jamie sat next to her cup of snow and icicles.
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Lunch With the Chimps

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The chimpanzees eat three meals a day, and at most mealtimes they’re asked to shift out of a certain area so we can close off that area to clean. (There’s nothing quite like food to motivate!) Lunch is an exception to this rule. Since we don’t do any cleaning at lunch, the chimps have free run of the entire sanctuary during the meal. The server chooses an area to serve, and the chimps come to that area to get their food, but they can then take their food wherever they choose.

Today volunteer caregiver Becca started serving lunch in the greenhouse, but the chimps quickly let her know it was too cold, so she came inside back inside the building to serve in the front rooms. Most of the chimps tend to stay put throughout the meal, but Missy – always on the move – likes to show up at the beginning of each “course”, grab her serving, and take it off to enjoy in the playroom.

Today’s lunch consisted of tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, and green onions.