Sometimes it’s difficult to film the other chimps when Burrito is around.
Burrito
Here Comes the Sun
We had a cold, snowy, gray February here in Cle Elum – not the kind of weather these chimpanzees appreciate. So we’re all thrilled that spring is imminent. The skies are blue again, the sun is out, and the temperatures are mild.
The weather was so beautiful as I was driving to the sanctuary this morning that I decided we’d try to set up a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill for the chimps. But soon a cool wind picked up, so we opted for the sunny and warm greenhouse instead. The chimps thought this was a great idea.
Burrito:
Annie:
Missy:
Foxie:
Negra:
Jody:
Satisfaction
There is a look I am privileged to see on the faces of the chimpanzees living in sanctuary here and it is a look that gives me chills every time I see it. It is the look of satisfaction, which, to me, is even better than joy. Merriam Webster defines the word as follows:
sat·is·fac·tion \?sa-t?s-?fak-sh?n\
: a happy or pleased feeling because of something that you did or something that happened to you
: the act of providing what is needed or desired; the act of satisfying a need or desire
: a result that deals with a problem or complaint in an acceptable way
I can’t think of a more fitting description of the act of sanctuary. Knowing that we have provided the satisfaction of freedom of choice whether large or small is an incomparable gift. It can be an elusive look to try to capture on film though. Can you see it?
Jamie:
Negra:
Burrito:
Missy:
Foxie:
Jody:
Annie:
Mardi Gras Party
In the tradition of Fat Tuesday we threw a Mardi Gras party for the chimpanzees today. However, I’m quite certain their spread was much healthier than tradition might generally dictate with apples, grapefruit, and fruit smoothies on the menu. We were even lucky enough to experience a break in the winter weather to accommodate the festivities in a sunny greenhouse this morning! I believe the chimpanzees found the conditions much improved from the past couple of days and were thoroughly excited to forage in a delightfully warm greenhouse for their breakfast.
Jody munching on an apple slice:
Negra foraging for fruit:
Missy enjoying some grapefruit:
Annie getting into the spirit of things with a colorful mouthful of crayons:
Burrito foraging for chow, one of his favorites:
And, enjoying it!
Foxie, also enjoying a chow moment:
Jamie thoroughly enjoyed her breakfast as well but was on the watch for the camera today. Here she is in her greenhouse hideout, checking to see if the coast is clear yet:
And, here is a little peek into Burrito’s good mood this morning:
Whiling Away the Hours
It’s another snowy day at the sanctuary and most of the chimpanzees have chosen to stay inside. Foxie and Burrito (read about their special friendship here) passed time in the playroom this morning with some low-key play.
Enjoying the winter sun
We have continued to get quite a bit of snow off and on at the sanctuary over the last week and while the chimpanzees do have access to Young’s Hill, they have understandably chosen to stay indoors and make good use of their caregivers by asking us to fetch snow for them to eat. Maybe not so much asking, as demanding. But that’s why we’re here and we wouldn’t have it any other way. They each took handfuls, mouthfuls, and “footfuls” (that could be a word…) and swung up to the upper level of the greenhouse, or the southern facing windows, to enjoy it while lounging in the sun. Smart chimps.
The sun has been out intermittently today so the chimps have spent a lot of the day napping and grooming in the warmth. Before lunch, I found Burrito (left) and Missy (right) grooming one another in the sun:
Notice Missy’s prehensile lip action while grooming Burrito.
Of course, Jamie is a busy lady and doesn’t have much time to relax. In the midst of everyone else lying about, enter Jamie, pant hooting (notice the hoot face) and pounding on her barrel:
As a result, Missy and Burrito’s grooming session came to an abrupt halt. As you can probably tell from the photo, they may have just been a little too relaxed to respond:
Jamie’s display was short lived and I think everyone else was feeling so relaxed they chose to ignore the outburst for the most part and just continue enjoying the warmth of the winter sun.
And THANK YOU to all of our amazing supporters who have not only helped us reach our Share the Chimp Love goal, but surpass it!! It’s truly because of each of you that the chimpanzees are able to enjoy their “day in the sun” so to speak. We are so grateful to all of you who have been able to contribute! We still have 8 days left so please continue to share your love for the chimps and spread the word about our fundraiser!
Everything in His Arsenal
When Burrito wants a caregiver to play with him, he dips into his toolkit of irresistibly charming play initiation behaviors. Things start out innocently enough.
But as soon as he makes eye contact, you know it’s all over.
He holds your gaze while biting on the nearest object.
He might add a head tilt for good measure.
If that doesn’t get you, he’ll throw in a play bow.
And if by some miracle you’re still not won over, he pulls out the trump card: the joyful blanket fling.
Try saying no to that.
