Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

Burrito

The wonderfulness of Mave

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Mave can be hot or cold when it comes to playing with the humans. Of course as much as we love to play with the chimps, we love it most when they play with one another as their relationships are the most important to their well-being. But when Mave does choose to play with the humans, like most of us, she has people she seems to prefer (of which I am not usually one), but she’s dignified you know, so at least with me she doesn’t usually let on that she’s really invested in whatever game we might be playing. 😉 But yesterday she bestowed me with a sudden game of chase.

Now Mave also has a very endearing one-size-fits-all habit when she’s excited about something. It might be in greeting Willy B, displaying, or just having fun and playing, but she will repeatedly leap up and down on all fours and kick her legs straight down when she’s in the air. Even when she’s being serious, it’s pretty cute. So as we were playing, she would run to the windows to get me to run outside and chase her from the other side of the windows and when I’d run back inside I could see her shadow going boingity, boing, boing boing, in anticipation of me running back inside, but the second I’d turn the corner to see her she’d just be sitting there as though nothing were going on.

Despite doing her best to pretend she didn’t have the time of day for my shenanigans, at one point she could no longer contain herself and went flying through the front rooms, grabbing a slinky on the way, and just flailed about in a blur of joy:

As a side note, we’ve been marveling at how dark Mave’s face has become after all the sunbathing she’s been doing in the chute lately. Here’s a pre-summertime Mave portrait that J.B. took:

In other news, the original playroom for the seven is getting a facelift and as the humans work over the next few days to update things, the chimpanzees will be spending more time in the other areas of their home (Young’s Hill, the greenhouse and the front rooms). Routine is important for captive chimpanzees, particularly those who have been in biomedical research, so when we have no alternative but to disrupt the norm a bit, we try to think of extra enrichment and exciting things for them to enjoy to help distract them from the temporary changes in their day.

Today began with a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill and as the afternoon warmed up, we served ice cubes (I have no idea why they love these simple things so much, but they sure do) and buckets of Gatorade. Burrito felt the best approach was to just lie next to the buckets and go for the triple straw method:

Foxie joined in:

Thank you, Manda!

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Manda Crawford sponsored this day of sanctuary: “In honor of Burrito, Jamie, Jody, Annie, Missy, Foxie, Negra, Honey B, Willy B, and Mave. The best day ever! Independence Day!”

Thank you so much, Manda, for helping to ensure the chimpanzees (and cattle) have as much freedom, independence and choice as possible, for all their days forward. We’re so grateful to be able to celebrate these things in the chimps’ lives. Happy Fourth of July!

Independence means different things to different people. Our personal and collective versions of freedom can be found in the broader sense of the word, yes, but also sometimes in the smallest of places. For the chimpanzees, while the freedom of living the natural lives they were meant to was taken from them, a home in sanctuary where they can just be themselves and are able to make as many choices as possible about their day, is the closest to freedom they’ll know.

Here at the sanctuary, in a way, we get to celebrate a kind of Independence Day every day, in one form or another. It’s a profound joy, a privilege and an inspiration to witness each of the chimpanzees explore both their inner and outer independence each and every day because of what you make possible for them. And while we celebrate and hold profound gratitude for these experiences in the chimps’ lives, we hold a space of honor and support for all those still waiting for their Independence Day, in whatever form that may take. Ultimately, all any living being wants and deserves is the freedom to live their lives as they’re meant to, to follow their hearts and make their own choices with the same dignity and respect afforded anyone else.

Whether it’s in taking the first tentative steps outside of not only your comfort zone, but all you’ve known, like Willy B:

To express the joy of being ourselves, like Honey B and Mave:

To rest in comfort, like Negra….

…and be at ease when you need to, or just because you feel like it, like Jody:

We see it when Missy runs to her heart’s content for no other reason than her sheer joy of running:

In Jamie’s freedom to express her wants and needs (and know she’ll be heard):

In the freedom to choose who you spend your time with and how:

In the ability to raise your children and live your lives with your family, like Betsy and Nutmeg:

and Honey and Meredith:

To walk your own path as you choose, like Annie:

To simply love who you love, like Foxie:

To dream, hope, and imagine (Jamie).

And to just be (Burrito):

Burrito will play with you now

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If you are not already a big fan of Burrito, you should be after watching today’s video. Seriously, he has been non-stop playful lately. He’s definitely a bright light during these difficult times!

Happy Birthday, Amy!

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Today was sponsored by Amy Adams, who is celebrating her birthday by giving a day of sanctuary to the chimpanzees! Amy has also generously requested that her friends and loved ones make a difference in the chimps’ lives in honor of her birthday!

Amy, thank you so much for using your own special day as a way to celebrate the chimpanzees and make a difference in their lives. All of us here appreciate your kind heart so much and wish you the happiest birthday yet!

Jamie:

Foxie and Strawberry Shortcake:

Jody:

Mave:

Happy Birthday, Julie!

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Many thanks to Karen Olson who is sponsoring this day of sanctuary in honor of her sister, Julie Olson:

“Happy Birthday to the best sister anyone could ever have!”

As you may recall, we recently celebrated Karen’s birthday which was sponsored by Julie! It’s an incredibly uplifting and hopeful thing when we get to see those of you who are family and friends choose to celebrate one another by coming together to contribute to the chimpanzees’ lives, their well-being and happiness. To count them as part of your family.

Happy Birthday, Julie! We’re so grateful to you and Karen for all you’ve done, and continue to do, to ensure the chimpanzees and cattle have days full to the brim with the best we can possibly provide them. All of us here at CSNW send you wishes for the happiest of days!

Missy and Annie:

Where the Wild Honey B’s Are

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We often jokingly refer to the chimpanzees as Pacific Northwest chimps due to their love of our often quintessential cloudy, on the cool side days. Though such weather is much less common here on the eastern side of Washington state, we relish our stormy springs. Well, most of us. Okay, maybe just me and the chimpanzees. 😉 Having been born and raised in the foggy coastal redwoods, I understand the chimps’ joy completely. And despite the rainy morning, the chimpanzees didn’t hesitate to rush out to Young’s Hill, hair standing on end with excitement, still clutching their breakfast, to head off on a walk or just enjoy their pineapple outdoors:

Burrito:

Missy and Jody conferring about their neighbors:

Missy wasted no time heading off to run around the perimeter in the rain, chow bag in mouth. She kept stopping to see who was joining her and finally took off at full zoom on her own:

Foxie and her apples:

Cuuuute!:

Burrito is not a fan of walking in the grass or walking in the rain. I mean, tall, wet grass?? Ugh. But he braved it all to come along on a walk with Jamie and Missy and I. Why on earth he took the route full of tall, wet grass vs. the cleared path, only he knows. But he’s just the most endearing guy, sneer face and all:

Burrito, Jamie and Missy:

Nutmeg, Betsy, Honey and Meredith chose to take cover under the Ponderosas in the rain and seemed to think the chimps were kooky for being out in it:

Burrito as it began raining in earnest:

Meanwhile, there’s Honey B. As an enrichment item for the big celebration on Saturday for Queen Negra’s birthday and the chimps’ twelve year anniversary in sanctuary, a knit crown was tossed in the mix of party stuff. The Queen didn’t take an interest in it, but who do you think we found sporting it around her neck today?! Of course! Honey B! Creative person that she is. It’s a little hard to make out as she had been ripping and running and zooming, but it really reminds me of the crown Max in “Where the Wild Things Are” wears.

Here she is enjoying a snack while sitting on her new birthday skateboard: