Burrito is happiest when he’s eating, but playing with a caregiver comes in at a close second.
Burrito
Today is for the chimpanzees and Monica Best!
Today we are so fortunate to have two people sponsor this day of sanctuary, Monica Best and Linda Miller! Six years ago the chimps’ good friend, Monica Best, officially declared April 23rd “Love a Chimpanzee Day” and she sponsors the day each year for the chimps. Monica has a huge heart full of love and respect for all the special animal beings we share the earth with and she does so much to make a difference in their lives. She shared this message about today: “Love a Chimpanzee Day! In honor of my seven favorite chimps and all the dedicated staff and volunteers who care for them!!!”
Today also happens to be Monica’s birthday! Her mom, Linda Miller, chose to add even more love to the day and celebrate Monica by sponsoring today in her daughter’s honor and she wishes Monica “a very Happy Birthday.”
Monica and Linda, thank you so much for making this day so special for the chimpanzees! We wish you the happiest of days, Monica, and hope you know that because of you, their lives are better. Happy Birthday and Happy Love a Chimpanzee Day!!
Annie:
Burrito:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Jody:
Missy:
Negra:
Community
I could not help but feel incredibly moved this morning, as myself and volunteers Erin and Tanya were cleaning the Greenhouse portion of the chimpanzee’s living quarters. There is a brightly colored painting with supporter names on the one main wall that caught my attention and I stopped to really look at it. There are so many names on the wall. As I continued to look around at all of the items in the Greenhouse, all I could think about was how every component of the sanctuary is the result of a community of loving, thoughtful and caring people.
There are so many components that make up the sanctuary, including various paintings on the walls that really help to brighten the chimpanzee areas. Various structures, tires and dangling fire hoses provide space for the chimps to climb, play, and rest. Countless blankets and enrichment items contribute to the chimpanzees’ comfort and well-being. Even the tools we use to clean, including the scrub brushes, squeegees, buckets, soap, right down to the very gloves we wear, help staff and volunteers keep the enclosures clean. Fresh fruits and vegetables make up each of the meals, while bamboo planted around Young’s Hill and in the Greenhouse give the chimps extra nesting and foraging material. And then there are the enclosures and storage spaces themselves that have been made possible by those who have donated their time, energy, expertise and the actual materials needed to construct them.
All of CSNW, every square inch, every little detail, has been made possible by countless volunteers and generous supporters. These chimpanzees are loved world wide and I can’t think of a better gift to give them than a community that is dedicated to their well-being. I know it can never make up for the countless ways in which they have been wronged in the past, but it’s the best we all can do to provide them a now and a future that is full of hope, love and sanctuary.
Looking around and seeing all the parts that make up the whole got me to thinking, why do we do it? Why do we dedicate our lives to the well-being of these chimpanzees? Is it a sense of responsibility, a way to show our compassion for all living beings, or is it when we look into their eyes, we see ourselves? Perhaps there are no words to describe why. What is your reason for being a part of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest?
Annie
Burrito
Foxie
Jamie
Jody
Missy
Negra
Which ever way you choose to support the sanctuary, know that you have and will continue to make a huge impact on the lives of these chimpanzees. And thank you!!! Thank you those who have and those who continue to volunteer at the sanctuary; those who have donated their time, energy and services to help our various fundraising efforts including the HOOT! Gala event; those who help spread the word about the plight of chimpanzees in captivity and in the wild through our Eyes on Apes advocacy program; those who have donated items through our Wishlist, and those who choose to Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one or directly sponsor a chimpanzee through our Chimpanzee Pal program. Thank you for being a part of the CSNW community.
Happy Birthday, Zoe!
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Don and Karen Young in honor of their granddaughter, Zoe’s, birthday! Zoe is 2 years old today and Don and Karen shared this special message about her:
“Zoe Young, daughter of Ryan and Helena Young, and our beautiful little grand daughter who wins the hearts of everyone she meets. She loves wild animals, domestic too, but her nursery was decorated with wild animals so she gravitates towards them. At 9 months, she would sit for hours and look at individual animal cards! She can make many animal sounds. One day we will take her to meet the Cle Elum Seven. A special birthday celebration for the chimps in honor of Zoe’s life.”
Happy Birthday, Zoe! We wish you the happiest of days! Don and Karen, thank you so much for holding the chimpanzees in your heart and including them in your family celebrations. What a wonderful gift your family has provided Zoe with by teaching her about all the amazing beings we share the earth with.
Burrito:
Sometimes choosing the best photos is hard
In any given day I may take one hundred or more pictures of the chimpanzees and secretly hope that at least half do not turn out. It’s not that I do not want one hundred pictures of the chimps, it’s just that it is so much harder to go through them and select the ones to use for the blog. There can be twenty of the same chimp doing almost the same exact thing, just at a slightly different angle or at varying degrees of zoom. Today was one of those days when so many of the pictures of Burrito turned out that it made choosing the best photos seem almost impossible. So, I figured I would post the photos of him and let all of you decide which ones are the best (don’t worry, I narrowed the number down from the thirty original photos).
Burrito was being so patient, seemingly turning on the charm while he was being photographed.
Do you have a favorite?
Changing perspectives
It’s hard to imagine the chimpanzees once being so different from who we know them to be today. I think this on most days, and yet every day they each show us another dimension of themselves. These seven individuals, so full of life, personality, courage and intelligence spent decades forced to live on the periphery of their lives. But with each passing season they become more fully themselves.
A year or so ago, and for some of the chimpanzees even less, we would not have had to “squint” to see who was out on Young’s Hill, so far away they appear a mere speck among the greenery. This season in particular, the chimpanzees seem to be embodying a spring of their own, literally changing and growing by the day.
Annie:
Burrito:
All the chimpanzees (with the exception of Negra for whom the outdoor temperatures are still not quite warm enough) enjoyed wandering far and wide on Young’s Hill after breakfast this morning. They often head out as a troop at this time, but where they used to stick together, they much more frequently spread out to take in their own adventure while just keeping an eye on one another. But that said, once someone starts to head back to the greenhouse the others often follow.
Missy (L) and Jamie (R):
From left to right: Annie, Missy, and Jamie
Jamie:
When they all headed back inside this morning I greeted each of them as they passed by and quickly realized Foxie was missing from the group. I stood up, my eyes scanning the hill for a sign of her, and I finally spotted her at the very top of the furthest climbing structure, perfectly content and enjoying her solitude with Dora and Troll.
When she saw that I had spotted her, she gave me a head nod and play slapped the platform as she shook Dora in my direction. I nodded back to her in acknowledgement and waited for her to eventually make her way back to the chimp house. In such moments I don’t think I could fully express all that is in my heart in seeing each of their hearts and souls blooming. Knowing what an immense journey it has been, and continues to be for each of them. The chimpanzees help remind me to accept things as they are each day. But to always hold the space, the expectation, and the hope for the ever changing gifts of each passing season.
In memory of Don Pfeiffer
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Karen and Don Young, in memory of Karen’s brother, Don Pfeiffer. Don’s birthday is today and Karen shared this message about him: “Today is in memory of my beloved brother who was an animal activist, a meso-American archeologist, a construction contractor much like JB (could build anything and was very creative because he had to take native materials while in the jungle and construct houses for everyone on the digs), devoted uncle and brother-in-law and a Patriot who lost his life serving his country.”
Karen and Don, thank you so much for sponsoring this day for the chimpanzees in memory of Don. He sounds like a special person and we are touched you would choose to honor him by making a difference for the chimpanzees. We hope this day is filled with love and good memories as you celebrate his life.
The chimpanzees, surrounded by so much love, had someone else special sponsor this day for them as well, which we will be sharing shortly.
