Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Burrito

Thanksgiving 2016

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Today we’re thankful for delicious feasts, for food squeaks, for volunteers who spend their holiday spreading joy to the chimps, and for all of you who have so much love for seven chimpanzees you probably haven’t met. It’s been a good day.

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Annie:

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Missy:

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Negra:

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Foxie:

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Jamie:

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Foxie and Jody resting after the party:

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Most of the video footage we ended up with after today’s party happened to feature Burrito stuffing his face:

To all of you friends, supporters, volunteers, and well-wishers, thanks for giving Annie, Missy, Burrito, Jody, Foxie, Jamie, and Negra so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Is it Thanksgiving yet?

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Really, I think I can speak for us all when I say we feel as though it’s Thanksgiving every day here at the sanctuary. We are thankful to our bones for you, all of whom make the sanctuary and the chimpanzees’ lives here possible. We are thankful for wide open spaces with unobstructed views seen through chimpanzee eyes, the sound of chimpanzee feet racing through grass and the sound of human feet running alongside them, chimpanzee play faces and laughter, chimpanzee food grunts and squeaks, freckles, tiny toes, Annie-bird noises, blanket nests the size of small mountains, upside down chimps, and happy and healthy chimps whose lives grow bigger every day both inside and out, and well, more things than we could possibly say.

We are grateful every single day for our chimpanzee family, one of which you are a part of, one of which wouldn’t exist without you. From our hearts, thank you for helping us care for Annie, Missy, Jody, Foxie, Burrito, Jamie and Negra. Seven very special people whose lives are now filled with hope, love, home and family. And who fill our hearts full to bursting with love for them.

And from Burrito’s heart, is that Field Roast ready yet??! And pumpkin pancakes and green beans and sparkling cider and…

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Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone! Be sure to check in tomorrow for the chimps’ big celebration!

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The Best Enrichment, From Burrito’s Point of View

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Each and every day, the chimpanzees are given various enrichment objects, including dolls, boots, hard plastic and wooden toys, blankets, paper and a slew of other items for them to use at their own will. Each of the chimps prefer different items, say for instance, Foxie loves her dolls, Jamie loves her boots and Negra and Jody love their blankets. But, for Burrito, food tends to be the best enrichment of all!

Check out Anna’s great blog post for more about how we use food in different forms as enrichment for the chimps.

Burrito

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And here’s a bonus picture of Annie that I couldn’t resist adding to the blog.
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A chimp family stroll

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We are being gifted with a stretch of incredibly spring-like weather. The mornings start out damp, foggy and cold, but by the afternoon it’s warm, bright and sunny. The humans decided we needed a walk around Young’s Hill as much as Jamie did so we all decided to join her. The sight of a group of their caregivers always gets the chimps excited and often all or most of them will join us. This also gets our resident wild elk friend excited and she decided to tag along as well (though I am pretty sure the chimps attempted to un-invite her). You know, just a chimp family stroll in our own wonderful world at the sanctuary (missing Keri and Elizabeth who are home recovering from colds, and Negra and Foxie who were nesting in the sun).

We all hold so much gratitude in our hearts for this most special and magical of places and all who make it possible. A sanctuary to so many, non-human and human alike.

Anna, Diana, Yuri, Ellie and JB:

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Missy and Annie (L) and Ellie and JB waiting for the others to join us:

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Missy, Burrito and Jody suggested Ellie walk elsewhere at which point she ran to catch up with the humans:

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On a second lap around the hill, Jamie decided to check out the happenings in the neighborhood atop her beloved Twister:

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