Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Burrito

Bubba’s Big Day

by

We’re incredibly fortunate here at CSNW to have such a wonderful community of generous donors. Their thoughtfully sent items bring endless joy to our chimpanzee residents. Recently we received a toy CAT dump truck and we immediately knew who would love to add this this toy truck to his collection of odds and ends.. Burrito!

We set up his new toy by the juice pool where we could get a good view of the action and Burrito did not disappoint! Once all the food puzzle enrichment was gone he quickly zeroed in on the new toy and immediately started dragging it around the playroom with him. With his new prized possession in tow, along with his trusty hammer, Burrito spent the morning exploring with his truck and hammer wherever his adventures took him.

 

Pre-lunch Shenanigans

by

Working with chimps can be a little loud and even overstimulating at times. That is why when there are quiet moments or sweet interactions, they mustn’t go unnoticed. Those moments can fill our cup up! Jamie’s side of the building has been pretty calm today, while Cy’s side has been making quite the ruckus for some of the morning. It did make for great “TV” for Burrito, but tension on one side can often cause tension on the other. However, Burrito’s side has been pretty easygoing. Jamie has even let individuals like Foxie and Annie have their fruit this morning. The best part of the day so far has been watching Burrito and Missy get so excited for their lunch forage that they had to play and laugh it out, even Jamie and Foxie decided to groom! My cup definitely got filled today :).

Negra watching her noisy neighbors on the Bray in the morning:

Nesting with Annie

by

It’s been a long, hot week here at the sanctuary, so today we’re kicking back and chilling with Annie as she constructs and enjoys her cozy nest on this breezy afternoon. But don’t worry, if that’s not your speed today – we’ve also got playtime with Burrito and babysitting duty with Foxie in store for you in today’s video!

The Many Uses of a Ball

by

Burrito is one of the most fun chimpanzees I have ever met and, don’t tell my other chimp friends, but he is absolutely the funniest. One of the most endearing things to me about Burrito is how he can have fun with just about anything. A sock? Perfect for playing tug with the humans. A headband? Get over here Missy, let’s see how far we can pull it! A slinky? Obviously the perfect accessory for the foot or leg. A stuffed animal? The best for tossing around. A bandana? The ideal size for covering your face while playing with your friends. It goes on and on! Burrito is also, to my recollection, the only chimp I have ever heard laugh while playing by himself. I have heard him laughing and gone over to see who he is playing with, only to find him laughing at the silly things he is doing all by himself.

A very silly upside down Burrito

We recently received 3 stuffed knots, which each form a ball shape, as a gift for the chimpanzees from a generous donor. Since they have stuffing, we gave them to Burrito’s group as some of the members of the group of 9 eat stuffing, and therefore can’t have it. We started by giving them one ball, and Burrito had the BEST time with it! He quickly discovered every possible way to play with it. He stretched it out so it could fit over his body, he knocked it around like he was kicking a soccer ball, he put one of the stretched out bands around his foot and pulled it around behind him, he threw it as high as he could into the air and caught it on the way back down, he hugged it tight, and he bounced on it! We gave him the other two toys today, and he has been enjoying them throughout the day, somehow finding even more new ways to have as much fun as possible with them. Check out today’s video to see Burrito with his beloved new toys. Many thanks to the donor that sent them to us!

If you’d like to spread more joy and fun like this among the chimps, the cows, and their caregivers, consider joining us in celebrating summer by helping to empty our three wish lists for Christmas in July!

Good Vibes Only

by

 

Summer has officially arrived at the sanctuary, with temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees daily. Keeping our chimpanzee residents and staff cool, calm, and collected is no small feat when the heat tries to bring out our grumpier sides! In today’s blog video, we’re sharing some of the ways we combat boredom, using play and enrichment, to keep everyone happy and comfortable despite the sweltering weather. Check it out!

 

Bonus photos of Cy, because he is always a good vibe:

 

Gather Around the Gatorade Pool

by

Everything fun happens around the watering hole or should I say, Gatorade pool! The chimps had a nice, quiet, and relaxing day. I think they may be resting up for the big fourth of July celebration tomorrow! Make sure to tune in for all the fun tomorrow!

Before I go, here are some bonus photos 🙂

Burrito:

Miss Mave:

Rayne’s toes, waiting for smoothie:

Negra enjoying her pudding cup:

A Day of Distractions

by

Today there were a lot of distractions and side quests that left me short on time for making a well edited blog, so for today’s blog you can check out the short video for footage of our biggest distraction, along with some Burrito shenanigans and check out some bonus photos below!

Lucky enjoying the sights up near the top of the Bray

One of my new favorite photos: Lucky observing the cattle from her comfortable perch on the Bray

We also have a surplus of photos of handsome Gordo enjoying the lunch forage during the Jubilee a couple days ago so I wanted to make sure they got shared!

Don’t forget about our online Sweet Sixteen auction which ends tomorrow at 5pm PT! You still have time to bid on the amazing art pieces that are up for grabs including, my personal favorite, this fun little watercolor “Chipotle Burrito!” which was donated by Megan Senate and features our endearing, fun loving Burrito chimpanzee eating a Chipotle burrito

You can check this painting out as well as all the other amazing paintings, ceramics, photographs, etc here!