Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Bray

Lucky on the Lookout

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The other day Kelsi wrote about distractions and how Mave ran out on the Bray, for the first time, during a fight that involved the whole group and ended with all nine chimps out on the Bray. During this skirmish Lucky somehow found herself up on Ryan’s Lookout for the first time and she enjoyed tapping into her adventurous side so much that she did it again later that same day. Then the next day when we were trying to serve breakfast to the nine we couldn’t find Lucky and turns out she was up on Ryan’s Lookout again, by herself, enjoying the morning! Today Jenna and I anticipated her journey up to the Lookout so we came armed with our camera’s and words of encouragement

Lucky, heading up the Bray, with some hesitation:

But being the brave soldier she is, she eventually made her way all the way up to Ryan’s Lookout:

And Rayne, just because:

A Little Bit of Mischief

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Sometimes a little bit of mischief is a good thing. If you are wondering which human left the contraband in Honey B’s greenhouse, look no further than the author of this blog post.

If you’d like to talk to me in person about this mistake or the many other mistakes I’ve made over the years at the sanctuary, or if you are perhaps looking to get into a little bit of mischief yourself, I invite you to join me at HOOT! in one month! You will learn so much more about the chimpanzees and bovines, and you’ll meet some terrific people, all the while eating great food and celebrating the sanctuary. We want you there! Get your tickets (in person or virtual) today!

Celebrating Freedom

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The Fourth of July holiday is a time when Americans celebrate their independence from Great Britain. For us here, we celebrate the freedom our residents have from the terrors of biomedical testing and harm from humans. For decades, many of the residents have spent their time in small cages and stripped of their freedom of choice. Today though, they have the freedom to make their own decisions, their own choices, and live the life they want to live.

I am fully aware it’s a bit ironic that I talk about their freedom, yet they are destined to live a life in captivity. It really breaks my heart and the rest of the staff here that we will never see Missy sprint in an un-fenced area, or see Rayne exploring new and exciting places. This is the life they have been dealt. The very least we can do is to provide them whatever freedoms and autonomy we can. When I arrive to the sanctuary every morning, I am no longer in my own world. I am in theirs.

To celebrate, the chimpanzees were treated to a forage of fan favorite: Watermelon Bowls! Each watermelon bowl contained: lettuce, a baked potato, baby back corn ribs, green onions, and blueberries! We even put some on the Bray! While everyone was foraging for the bulk of the watermelons inside, Rayne took the opportunity to collect nearly all the watermelon bowls placed on The Bray, as you can see in the video! It didn’t take the boys plus Lucky much longer to realize there was more food outside!

We wish you all a fun and safe Independence Day!

Here are some photos taken throughout the day!

Rayne

Don’t worry! Gordo came by to grab what Rayne chose to leave behind

Willy B

Terry

Missy trying to sneak pass Negra with her haul

Negra in her Cabin

Burrito

Foxie

Jamie enjoying a pre-celebration browse of currant branches

Viola! The prized watermelon bowls

Another Day on the Bray

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Despite this being one of the hotter days this year, the chimps in Terry’s group spent a considerable amount of time on the Bray. One of Terry’s favorite spots is on Ryan’s Lookout, where he is often joined by Rayne and Gordo. Cy even made the trek out to the Lookout the other day! Here’s Terry:

Lucky continues to enjoy her time outdoors but she prefers to stay off the grass whenever possible, which somewhat limits how far she will go. Today she found a way to sit near the ground without actually sitting on the ground.

Foraging for nuts is a little more difficult when you can’t touch the ground but she found a way. She then climbed up to crack them open with Terry and Rayne.

Rayne was reluctant to part with her new favorite book so she took it with her as she hiked around the Bray.

Eventually she set it down and took a walk with me to to the top of the hill.

She’s very interested in the Young’s Hill side of the things…I’m sure she will be excited when both groups are outside at the same time. As far as that goes, we’re just giving Dora a little time to see if she wants to explore the outdoors further without the added pressure of six chimps hooting and hollering at her from the other side of the fences.

Gordo likes to tag along when Rayne explores the Bray. He gets a little nervous when they venture to the farther reaches of the enclosure.

When they reached the top of the hill, Rayne spent some time taking in the view. Gordo waited restlessly for her to head back.

This was, for me, the closest I’ve come to joining any of the new group on a patrol. Once the groups are in their outdoor enclosures at the same time, I’m guessing that Rayne, Gordo, and Terry will do this more regularly. And I’m hoping that Cy will put his magazines down long enough the join them—you know, him being the alpha and all…

Or maybe, as it is on the other side of the fences, the girls will just have to take the lead.

An Afternoon with Annie

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I had no idea what today’s blog was going to consist of, then I caught Annie starting to build a nest and I just knew it was going to be something I should capture. Enjoy her nest building with some guest appearances by Annie’s special bird noises.

Bonus photos from The Bray!

Cy out on The Bray:

Lucky out on The Bray:

Willy B out on The Bray:

 

The Most Popular Girl on the Bray

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Lucky is one of the less social members of her group. While the others play and groom together, Lucky can often be found quietly perched on a bench overlooking it all or scooting across the floor in what we call her “blanket car.” Just like humans, some chimps tend towards introversion.

But on the 6th day of her group getting access to their new outdoor habitat, called the Bray, Lucky decided that she would make herself at home out there. And that has earned her a lot of attention from some of her group mates.

In fact, grooming Lucky is the hot new trend on the Bray. In typical Lucky fashion, she doesn’t reciprocate all that much, but she does however allow herself to be thoroughly groomed. This afternoon, she was joined by both Rayne and Gordo for a grooming session in the shade of the first platform.

Rayne inspected her arms.

And her feet.

Her back.

And inside the ears.

This amount of attention must be overwhelming for Lucky. Hopefully she can find a quiet place to nest overnight so that she can recharge and prepare for another day in her newly busy social calendar.

The 5th Annual Running of the Cows – and more Bray photos!

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If cows had a national holiday, this would be it.

A little further down the mountain, Cy’s group continues to explore the Bray. Here are a some photos from the past few days – you’ll notice that there are a lot of Rayne, and that’s because she spends more time out there than anyone else. We were so happy when she decided to take her lunch out for a picnic this afternoon. While some of the chimps are still a little nervous—and Mave and Honey still have yet to go out—the group is doing really well overall with this new aspect of sanctuary life.

Willy B and Gordo:

Terry:

Gordo and Terry:

Rayne:

Cy: