Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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be mine

Be mine, Rayne

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Today is the last day of February and the last of our “Be Mine” blog series. To top it off, it’s also leap day and time to highlight a very special chimpanzee on an out of the ordinary day. Rayne is an extraordinary person so it all seems to fit perfectly! Rayne is calm, collected and intelligent. She has an aura of wisdom and grace about her, but isn’t afraid to be silly and exuberant. She also can be fiery during conflicts when she needs to be.  She loves smoothies and drinks and is very particular about her eating habits. She likes her food in a certain order and when it seems like she doesn’t want a produce item, caregivers know to circle back to her at the end of a meal to re-offer her some items.  Rayne is a skilled lounger and can make boxes and firehose swings look extremely comfortable.  Similar to Jamie, she too has turned into a Bonobo aficionado and can often be spotted carrying one of those picture books around.

Rayne was born January 29th, 1990 in the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates. Her parents were Herbie and Thelma, which makes her half siblings to Cy, Lucky and Honey B.  She also has a strong resemblance to Tatu, her half sister who lives at the Fauna Foundation in Canada.

Honey B, Rayne and Cy:

Rayne is a popular chimpanzee and has a solid relationship with all her group mates. It’s been especially fun to watch her and Honey B’s relationship blossom into a great friendship (even though they definitely fight like sisters).

Rayne’s quiet confidence has been on full display this past year as she has conquered the Bray without hesitation. As soon as she gained access to their new outdoor area, it was like she was made for it.  There’s nothing better than watching her step outside and stride up the hill to find a comfortable spot on a platform or a peaceful place in the shade.

Rayne has a list of 8 very special Pals you too can be a part of. Thanks to Vicki, Monica, Melody, Elizabeth, Elijah, Adrienne, Kim, Diana K, and Tami for being Rayne’s Pals.

Happy leap day everyone! Now seems like the perfect moment to fall in love with Rayne.

Forever Be Mine, Jody

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I apologize in advance if I’m going to sound like a bumbling fool in today’s blog. This one isn’t going to be easy for me.

My dearest Jody/Jo/JoJo/Joji/Farmer Jo. It hasn’t even been a full year since you left, and my only hope is to be able to formulate my thoughts in a coherent way to fully encapsulate just what an amazing being you have been.

Jody was born some time in 1975. Her records during this time were spotty, so it is believed Jody was likely wild caught. During the first 33 years of her life was spent with the Buckshire Corporation in Pennsylvania. It was there Jody was lent out to different medical laboratories for hepatitis testing, including the notorious and (thankfully) now defunct Alamogordo Primate Facility. During her time in medical testing, Jody was used as a breeder, meaning she was forced pregnancy upon to her with the only intention for her children to become test subjects themselves. In her life, Jody became pregnant 11 times, giving birth to nine and miscarrying two. Her children Andrea, Bart, and Clay, were rescued by Save the Chimps. Her son, Levi, was rescued after a long fight to have him released after he was transferred from Alamogordo to a laboratory in Texas in stead of sanctuary. Thankfully, Levi was rescued and now lives his best life at Chimp Haven. Unfortunately, her other children, April, Adam, and Opy, were not able to experience sanctuary life and passed away before getting the chance. We currently do not know the whereabouts, history, or status of her remaining two children, Cliff and Taylor.

Andrea (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Bart (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Clay (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Levi (Photo courtesy of caregiver Ellen)

It’s obvious to me these kids got their good looks from their mom.

Jody arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in 2008 with the rest of the Cle Elum Seven. It was here Jody was able to live out her remaining days without fear of routine knockdowns and being forced into pregnancy to only give up her child. She gained the titles “Den Mother” and “Manager” to her group by caregivers because of the way she was able to ease tense situations or make a distraction from it. From my point of view, Jody seemed very fair when determining who was at fault starting a fight or protecting individuals who were unduly blamed by the rest of the group for causing a ruckus. There were countless times I witnessed Jody deflect the rest of the group’s attention from Foxie during a fight to herself, giving Foxie time to get away.

She also looked after Negra carefully. Jody seemed to know what would make Negra over stimulated or give her a scare, and do all that she could keep an eye on her and prevent any negative feeling Negra might feel.

Jody was a a master forager, hence the nickname “Farmer Jo.” If Jody did have a favorite food, it would be whatever food she got herself; something she was denied to do the first 30+ years of her life.  Jody loved to pick out her own food, whether it was food caregivers put out onto Young’s Hill or things that naturally grow on Young’s Hill.

And let’s not forget, Jody was the master nest builder of any chimpanzee that has called CSNW home.

And the Great Pumpkin Thief!

There are so many stories I could tell about my time with Jody. One though sticks out in particular though. It was during the summer a few years ago. Katelyn and I were standing right outside the entrance to the building. The sky was cloudy and the air was still. It was that feeling of right before a storm hits. Katelyn and I were looking out onto Young’s Hill and Foxie was about to set off on one of her own adventures. Out of nowhere, the was a blur that raced toward Foxie. It was Jody. Jody put her arm around Foxie and redirected her back to the indoors, looking over her should every few feet to ensure Foxie was still following. Not long after that, a thunderstorm hit. Katelyn and I summed it up Jody being the den mother that she was, running after Foxie and in her own chimpanzee way was yelling, “FOXIE! GET INSIDE!”

Note: This photo is not of the event described previously.

I only knew Jody for six of her 15 years here at CSNW. I fell and fell hard for Jody when I first met her. I mean, who wouldn’t? Always miss her. Everyday, when I walk into work, there will always be a part of me that feels it is missing. I can no longer get Jody’s enthusiastic bouncing to greet caregivers or kiss she would give me, especially if I had been a way for a while. I can no longer get lost in the sounds of her content of the low moan or “dinosaur noise.” I am self-aware enough to know I have not accepted or processed her passing, thus I haven’t grieved yet. (Side note: I do not recommend this avenue of approach. If you are going through a mental crisis, please seek help. There are many resources out there that can and will help.) I know eventually I will have to come to terms with everything so my own mental health doesn’t decline, and I’m hoping this blog is my first step toward recovery.

I was only part of Jody’s life for a fraction of it. She will, however, always be a part of mine for my remaining days on this earth.

I will miss and love you eternally, my sweet Joji. Grunts and hoots forever.

A big thank you to those who continue to be Jody’s Chimpanzee Pal:

Vicki, Monica, Chris & Lee Ann, Donna, Sandy, Sharlene, Sandy, Barbara, Rebecca, Amy, Jean, Laura, Shari, Jill, and Carole.

Though she is gone, she is not forgotten. You can still become Jody’s Pal in her memory by signing up here!

Be mine, Meredith

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Last, but not least of our Bovine Buddies, is the lovely Meredith who, shockingly, only has two sponsors, Monica and Jackie, who actually sponsor all four of our cattle comrades! Thank you for being such stellar supporters, Monica and Jackie! If you would like to boost Meredith’s numbers and become her Bovine Buddy, you can do so here.

Watch the video below created by our co-director, Diana, to fall in love with Meredith!

Meredith is the biological daughter of Honey, the adopted daughter of Betsy, and the adopted sister to Nutmeg. One big happy family! She was born in 2015 during the filming of a reality TV show called Utopia, which aired for only a brief time. Honey and Betsy were purchased for the show from a dairy farm and both were pregnant. After giving birth, Honey had trouble nursing Meredith due to a case of mastitis, which is very painful and is a common complication for dairy cows. Luckily for Meredith, however, Betsy, being pregnant with Nutmeg, prematurely produced milk and eagerly allowed Meredith to nurse. Soon after, Nutmeg was born – impossibly tiny compared to his great size today – and the family unity was complete!

Click here to watch a video of baby Meredith being reunited with her mom(s)!

When the show got cancelled, the four cattle were taken in by Farm Sanctuary in Northern California and when the sanctuary had to close in 2018, they moved to CSNW where they will live out the rest of their lives in cow heaven.

Little Meredith at Farm Sanctuary

I’ve only had about six months to get to know Meredith so far, but she’s been a joy to work with. I quickly learned that she loves to receive scratches and will streeeetch her nose straight up while you scratch under her chin and jaw. She also seems to kindof enjoy gentle eye rubs. I’m told she will forage for willow leaves and wild rose in the summer and I know first hand she loves alfalfa and her daily grain!

Meredith has developed arthritis in her front hoof joints, making it painful to walk, but she’s been a real trooper as the care staff have done their best to diagnose and treat it. She has endured a full season of pokes and prods, transportation to WSU for treatment, limited access to her habitat during recovery, and even chiropractic appointments! She lets us know when she’s irritated, but considering everything she puts up with, she has been very patient. Can you imagine Honey cow in her place?? We would have to wear armor, I think.

Meredith getting scanned at WSU

 

Meredith and her mom, Honey, share a tender moment while Meredith is separated for recovery

Beautiful wintery Meredith

 

If you’ve fallen in love with Meredith like we all have, please consider becoming her Bovine Buddy!

Be Mine, Honey Cow

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You know how last week in our Be Mine series, I said that Betsy was easy to get to know because of her gregariousness towards humans? Well, today, let me introduce you to her cow opposite in that respect – Honey Cow!

If you want the quick and delightful overview of all that is wonderful Honey, watch her Fall in Love video that Grace made last week, then read on:

Honey was likely born in 2007 and we choose to celebrate her birthday on November 10th.

(Allow me to pause here and skip ahead a bit to tell you that, shockingly, Honey Cow only has three Bovine Buddies currently – Monica, Jackie, and Jennifer (thank you to them!!). So, if you are looking to add a cow friend to sponsor (and why wouldn’t you, for just $10/month?!), I definitely recommend you read on and choose Honey for your Buddy!)

Honey, as we’ve explained through Betsy and Nutmeg‘s Be Mine blog posts, is mom to Meredith. Like Betsy, she was used in the dairy industry before being purchased for use in the reality TV show Utopia. In fact, Honey gave birth to Meredith during the filming of the series. When Utopia was cancelled after just two months, Betsy, Honey and Meredith all went to Farm Sanctuary’s shelter in northern California (you can read more from Farm Sanctuary about how they ended up at that sanctuary here, a profile of Honey from Farm Sanctuary here, and a mention in the Hollywood Reporter here). They were soon joined by lil’ baby Nutmeg (who is now big baby Nutmeg 😉 )

Honey and little Meredith at Farm Sanctuary:

Honey is a fan of alfalfa, and she also likes to lick up salt and mineral supplements. We have these in block form for the cattle to lick whenever they want to, and we also add loose salt and minerals to their grain in the wintertime when they are relying on dry hay for nutrients rather than grazing.

 

In the winter, when the temps drop, the cattle start to get a thicker coat of hair. On Honey in particular, her longer hair develops a wonderfully luxurious wavy pattern.

Like Betsy, Honey is very curious:

Unlike Betsy, Honey is somewhat suspicious of humans and has a certain disdain to be touched by them. I would venture to say that one of her favorite activities is looking scornfully at people. She will definitively let you know when you have invaded her personal space with a shake of her head or a head butt.

I’ve mentioned before that the more “difficult” animals, the ones who have to be won over, always seem to find a big place in my heart, and this is certainly the case for Honey Cow.

I love that she’s sometimes annoyed by my presence! And I love even more that I can now touch her or brush her head and, though she still acts annoyed, she usually doesn’t stop me.

Once again, I encourage you to choose Honey for your Buddy!

Here’s a bonus photo taken during our deep freeze this winter. Similar to when we exhale in the cold and there’s a cloud of our warm respiration, Honey’s exhale created a nose halo of face frost.

 

Be Mine, Dora

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How could you not ALREADY be in love with Dora?!? Okay, I guess I’ll forgive you if you need some convincing, but buckle in and prepare yourself to fall hard for the wonderful, sometimes spicy, silly lady that is Dora.

Dora

Dora was born at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) on June 6th, 1989. Her records say that her mother was Stella and her father was Les. She has many half siblings including Gordo (they have the same father, Les), who came with her from Wildlife Waystation and lives with her in her current group. She also has a half sister, Amber, who now lives at Chimp Haven, and several other half siblings at other sanctuaries including Pumpkin at Save the Chimps. I had the opportunity to work with Amber at my previous job, and can see several similarities between her and Dora. Amber and Dora are both very friendly with others in their groups, and can be quite quirky and silly. They strongly resemble each other in my opinion as well!

Pumpkin, photos from Save the Chimps

Amber, photo from Chimp Haven

Dora, in the same pose as Amber above

Dora arrived at CSNW in 2021 after Wildlife Waystation had closed in 2019, requiring that new homes be found for their many residents. Dora came to the sanctuary with Cy, Terry, Gordo, Rayne, and Lucky (the Lucky Six) and her group was then integrated with Willy B’s group (Willy B, Honey B, and Mave). If you’re new to the blog, Dora is now best friends with Mave, and one is rarely seen without the other. They comfort each other in times of stress and support each other (for the most part) during times of conflict. Even the best of friends do occasionally have their differences though, and Mora (Mave+Dora) is no exception. Just last week, Dora seemed to have decided that the cherry tomatoes for Mave were cherry tomatoes for Dora. It became very offensive to Dora when Mave took the cherry tomatoes, and Dora screamed and hit at Mave, which turned into a brief dispute in the group. While each of them were very upset, they were also quick to reconcile and back to being the best of friends.

Mora, as seen through the hand box

Grooming time with Mora

Mave and Dora playing

Mave holding Dora’s toes, and Mave and Dora hands

Mave hugging Dora

One of my favorite activities to do with Dora is to train with her using positive reinforcement training. She loves training and gets very excited to participate. She knows a lot of different behaviors, but also gets so eager to train that she sometimes wants to play with the human training with her, which is a rarity for me with Dora. Recently when I was training with her, she put both of her feet up, sticking all her toes through the caging, and made a play face. I tapped her toes with the back of my wrist, much like I often do with Burrito, and she continued with her playful antics and seemed to love it. We trained a little bit more, she got more delicious snacks, and we just had a great time together. It was the highlight of my week!

Dora has also graced me with a few grooming sessions so far. When she is interested in spending time together, I will drop just about everything to make that happen. One of my favorite moments with her was early on in my time working here, shortly after I was cleared to interact with the chimps on my own. Dora came up to the caging as I was cleaning across the hall, gave me a brief look, then sat down. I noticed her looking at me and stepped over to greet her, and she presented her head to me as if she wanted me to scratch it. I waited a moment, and then she turned so that I could safely touch her arm with my knuckle, and I gently rubbed her arm with my knuckle while she sat with me. After about a minute, the moment was over and she was off to her next activity.

When it comes time for meals, Dora is most excited if there is corn on the menu. She enjoys a lot of other foods and her chow, but there is just something extra delicious about corn. She is picky with her smoothies, so you should always feel accomplished if you make a smoothie that Dora gulps down!

Dora eating corn

Dora with her smoothie cup

Dora is a very special chimpanzee, and I feel so fortunate to get the opportunity to know and love her. She is silly, especially with her chimp friends, and can make a game out of anything. The girl knows how to have fun! She knows what she wants, and will stand up for herself when needed but is not usually one to start drama. She is a loyal friend, there to provide support when needed and quick to offer a hug or reassurance that everything is okay. She is the kind of friend everyone needs.

Thank you to Dora’s current pals Vicki, Monica, Lisa, Victoria & Emelia, Barbara, Precious, Janet, and Leslie for supporting and loving the wonderful chimpanzee person that is Dora. If you’d like to be pals with Dora, visit our website today!

Be Mine, Gordo

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I have to be honest, I feel immense pressure to write a blog that accurately reflects how complex, yet amazing, Gordo is. He has so many quirks that make him stand apart from all of our other chimpanzee residents. Also, I’m still emotionally recovering from reading Katelyn’s blog about Foxie on Wednesday. How does one follow that!? However, just like Gordo himself, I’m going to do my best, but in my own unique way.

The phrase, “march to the beat of your own drum” perfectly describes Gordo. We have described him as aloof, because he is more reserved than the others. Gordo isn’t going to be the first person to greet his caregivers, he doesn’t often crave human attention like others (Cy and Terry), and seems to prefer hanging back and observing. He is not too keen on making a lot of eye contact with us humans, especially when it is not on his own terms. Often times, if Gordo is staring and watching a caregiver, he will quickly look away when they notice. He will then proceed to do a side-eye glance a few seconds later to see if the caregiver is still looking at him. It is one of his many quirks!

There is one corner in Playroom 2 that is Gordo’s “spot”. He doesn’t sleep there, nor spend the entire day there, but it’s a great spot for him to be close enough to all of the happenings within his group but also far enough from the Front Rooms where a lot of the bigger personalities hang out, while they’re trying to get some human attention. He doesn’t always hang out alone, but he does pick and choose the times he is being social and putting himself out there.

Gordo’s “spot” in Playroom 2. It has a great view of The Bray and is just steps away from the Front Rooms and the Chute.

Despite being a reserved guy, he really comes out of his shell when he wants to have fun. When Gordo is feeling silly and wants a caregiver to chase him, his movements are so subtle that anyone who is not familiar with his cues, could easily miss them.

Gordo initiating play with caregivers usually starts with a quick side-eye glance, immediately followed by him looking away. Next, while the caregiver playfully gestures towards him, he will start to scratch his torso and legs. This is when you know you got him locked in for an ultimate game of chase. Then, he will stand up and start hopping with his back legs (we have referred to this on the blog as a “bunny hop“). He loves being chased through the Playroom, out to the Greenhouse, and back. Sometimes, when he is really wanting to play chase but the humans aren’t picking up the cues, he will lightly tap on the floor with his knuckles, almost in a youthful, silly, impatient kind of way. Gordo also appreciates when caregivers wear silly accessories for games of chase. A Troll Mask, a jacket hood, or a blanket wrapped around you while chasing him is enough to make Gordo’s day.

Gordo often plays chase with the boys in his group. Anytime there is something exciting happening (such as a birthday party), it is almost a guarantee you can find Gordo “bunny hopping” with Willy B playfully chasing him from behind.

In social situations or conflicts, Terry and Gordo back each other up. They look out for each other, especially when Honey B or Mave is upset with one of them. Terry and Gordo spend a lot of quiet time together as well, often grooming or exploring The Bray.

Gordo (L) and Terry (R) on The Bray

I feel inclined to share with you something Gordo DETESTS.

He hates firehose knots. Firehose knots, one of our enrichment puzzles, is a strip of firehose that is twisted and knotted in unique ways, with nuts on the inside. The chimps needs to untangle the firehose to retrieve the nuts. Gordo seems to think that this is a waste of his time, especially if his caregivers are not going to help him with it. Nowadays, because we know he hates doing it himself and won’t,  caregivers now untangle and untie the firehose knots for him and then hand it to him through the mesh, as one single untied strip. He seems to appreciate this gesture, as once he sees we’re willing to do the work for him, he is suddenly interested in coming and collecting his nighttime puzzle.

Now, this is where things get a little wild and everyone nearby should duck-and-cover. Instead of Gordo opening the firehose slits at the ends  (like all the other chimps do) and dumping the nuts into his hands, Gordo whips the firehose onto the floor, as hard as he can. He doesn’t stop until he hears a nut go flying and hit a wall/floor/ceiling/bench/etc. Once he hears that, he starts hunting down the flying nuts, before his group members find them first. He repeats this method until his firehose strips are empty.

Recently, Gordo was doing this whipping technique in Front Room 7 near Cy, who sat there with his arms-crossed, watching. Once the whipping began, Cy sat there and sneered, seemingly hoping the firehose does not accidentally hit him (which it didn’t).

We have shown Gordo how to do firehose knots differently, but he prefers his way.

Gordo’s worst enemy, the firehose knots.


Gordo working on a raisin board. Peep the chopstick wrapper in between his toes!

If there is one thing you should know about Gordo is that if there’s a box, he will be sitting there. Especially during meal times.

Gordo’s favorite foods are pomegranates, avocados, chow, and potatoes that are not cut. Occasionally, we bake sweet potatoes for dinner and if the pieces are cut up (like they normally are to fit through the mesh), Gordo will decline. However, if it’s a baked sweet potato that hasn’t been cut-up, he will take it. He’s a particular guy, which we’re happy to accommodate for. I’m glad we can pick up on small things like that and make those adjustments, even if they seem silly.

Gordo also loves his daily breakfast smoothie. He happily grunts when he sees it coming and will find himself a nice place to sit so he can hold his own cup through the mesh. One of the sweetest things Gordo does, is when he is done with his smoothie, instead of just letting go of the cup like all the other chimps do (nearly giving us humans a heart attack from the loud sound), he will carefully slide it down the mesh, pinch by pinch, until it’s sitting upright on the ground. Then, he will leave. These are the little things that make my heart melt.

Gordo was born on July 19, 1988 at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP). According to his records, his mother was Andrea and his father was Les. Dora‘s father is also Les, making Gordo and Dora half-siblings. Gordo is half-siblings with many chimps at other sanctuaries.

Gordo greets Dora in the Riverview Greenhouse

When LEMSIP closed in 1996, Gordo and 30 other chimpanzees were sent to live at Wildlife Waystation (WW) in California. WW announced its closure in 2019, causing their 400+ animal residents needing to be rehomed. Gordo arrived here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in 2021, along with his group members, Cy, Terry, Dora, Rayne, and Lucky. They since have been integrated with Mave, Honey B, and Willy B and now live in a group of nine.

Left to Right: Cy, Gordo, and Terry

Gordo currently has 4 Chimpanzee Pals that sponsor him: Vicki, Monica, LauRenn, and Desmond. Thank you, thank you!

Gordo somehow has the lowest numbers of Pals out of all the chimps. How can this be?! We hope you fell in love with Gordo today and feel inclined to become his newest Pal. 

Be Mine, Missy

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Missy Chimpanzee is equal parts athlete, social butterfly, second in command and tomato connoisseur. If you see a chimpanzee loping along the middle of Young’s Hill (usually followed by her BFF Annie), there’s a good chance it’s Missy. If you see a group of chimpanzees together grooming at the top of the Greenhouse, Missy is likely a big part of that group. If Jamie is angry at one of her group mates or caregivers, Missy is right behind her, backing her up with angry threat barks to make sure the punishment is swift. If there is a bowl of tomatoes on the counter in the kitchen, Missy will be at the Playroom door, giving her signature head nod with outstretched fingers. I sometimes think she’s trying to do a little back-door deal for her favorite food. If Missy could talk, I’d assume she would give me a wink and say “Don’t worry, no one needs to know if you slipped me some secret tomatoes.”

Missy was born into biomedical research in 1975 where she was used as a “breeder” and she was used in Hepatitis vaccine research. She gave birth to two children Josh and CSNW’s very own Honey B. Since Honey B and Missy were separated when Honey B was an infant, they don’t seem to recognize each other as family and do not live in the same group.

Honey B (left) Missy (right):

One of my favorite “Missy Moments” was watching her be the first chimpanzee at the sanctuary to climb a tree at the top of their new and improved Young’s Hill. Missy’s curiosity and athleticism were on full display and it was so fun to watch her do something for the very first time!

Missy’s beautiful life in sanctuary is sponsored in part by her amazing Pals Vicki, Monica, Chris & Lee Ann, Donna, Sharlene, Myra, Patti, Barbara, and Dax. You too can join this group of important supporters by becoming Missy’s Pal.

Valentine’s month is almost over, but it’s never too late to fall in love with Missy!