Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Annie

Annie

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Annie and Missy have been best friends for years.

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In fact, their friendship was evident during our very first visit to meet them in the laboratory. But the relationship wasn’t always equal. Missy has very clearly always loved Annie, but for Annie, it was more than love. For a time, she was completely dependent on Missy. She would become visibly anxious if Missy even started to play with another chimp. And when Young’s Hill was built, it made it possible for Missy to go off on her own and not even be within Annie’s sight. When that happened, Annie would sit at the bottom of the hill, rocking, and waiting for her friend to return safely.

Thankfully, Annie has grown more confident since then. These days, she seems totally content to sit on the hill by herself while Missy is off patrolling with Jamie.

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It seems that Annie has learned to navigate the world on her own, even if it’s only for ten minutes at a time.

A beautiful day

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There’s just something about a warm, sunny day in the middle of winter that makes you appreciate the great outdoors a little bit more. Last Monday, as people all over the Pacific Northwest were putting on shorts and flip flops and laying out in the sun, the chimps were enjoying the day in their own way.

Jamie, Foxie, and Dora the Explorer:

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Missy and Annie:

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Foxie:

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Missy:

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Today at the sanctuary

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We’re all a little stunned by the gorgeous weather we’re having today. The chimpanzees are in great moods and are making the most of their day. Here are our favorite photos from this morning and afternoon. (Don’t let these photos fool you; these all happened to be taken indoors, but the chimps are enjoying a ton of time outside today in the sunshine.)

Foxie inspecting a chow biscuit:

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Negra looking out the window:

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Jamie with a toothbrush:

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Jody with a mouthful of chow at breakfast:

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Missy wading through a box of enrichment:

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Annie:

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Burrito during today’s breakfast forage:

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Annie and Jody Show Off Their Flexibility While Grooming

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Grooming is a important activity in chimpanzee societies. Not only is it useful to help chimpanzees keep themselves and other members of their group clean and free of dirt and debris, grooming also helps to build friendships and solidify bonds. The activity can also be used as a form of reconciliation after a conflict. Sometimes the chimps spend their time attending to themselves, as was the case with Jody and Annie in the following photos and video.

Annie and Jody displayed their flexibility and similar grooming techniques while sitting next to each other on one of the ledges in the Front Rooms.

Annie
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Jody
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Always a reason to play

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The chimp house is full of activity today as we (meaning J.B.) works on the completion of the new bridge in the chimps’ playroom. The chimpanzees are always interested in what is happening in their home, especially if it’s outside of the ordinary.

Annie had been watching J.B. from the greenhouse windows when she decided to run around to the front rooms to get a better view:

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If you know Annie and Missy, you know that these two best friends can typically be found playing chase, wrestling and laughing with one another. So once Annie took off Missy saw this as a prime opportunity to begin a game of chase and was hot on her heels, laughing all the way, and Debbie happened to be there with the camera to catch them mid-air:

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Taking It All In

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Today we’ve been lucky enough to have some mild temperatures and sunshine in Cle Elum. After lunch I headed out to the greenhouse, expecting to find most of the chimpanzees lounging out there (their favorite sunny day spot). I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find everyone except for Burrito and Negra outside on Young’s Hill, their two-acre outdoor habitat.

When it’s cold outside, the chimps would generally rather be indoors. The more determined among them might go out for very short periods, but as a rule, the chimps choose to spend most of the winter inside. On mild days, it’s not uncommon to find some activity on the hill – the chimps know that the nice temperatures won’t last long.

When I stepped outside this afternoon there was a large group of hawks circling over Young’s Hill.

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I started thinking about how before Young’s Hill was built, the chimps had never had an unobstructed view of the sky before. Young’s Hill has expanded the chimps’ world in more ways than one. In addition to giving them more space to explore, it allows them to see more of their surroundings and to participate more in their environment.

Here’s Annie looking out over the valley adjacent to the sanctuary:

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The chimps also have a clear line of sight to the driveway, so they can always check out who’s coming and going. Today Jody was very interested to watch volunteers Pam and T.J. arrive for their shift:

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Missy, on the other hand, had no time to look around. She was fully focused on her acrobatic feats.

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