Burrito

Burrito’s Back!

May 31, 2019 by Kelsi

Yesterday Burrito was still pretty wiped from his procedure on Wednesday, so we let him get the rest he deserved! After a procedure we like to give the chimps a chance to recover and make sure they can hold their own before going back with the group. Burrito was much more himself today. We were so glad that after breakfast Burrito was able to go back in with his friends and they seemed pretty glad to have him back as well. Jody of course was very worried about him, but Jamie is the chimp that surprised us the most. Today, especially Jamie was gentle and kind to Burrito. There were many sweet moments with everyone, so I thought I would share a few!

Jody, Missy, and Foxie grooming Burrito in the Green House:

Foxie and Missy examining Burrito:

Jamie and Missy helping Mr. B out:

Happy Birthday, Carrie!

May 31, 2019 by Katelyn

Jenara Miller sponsored today for Carrie Miller in honor of her birthday!

Carrie and her family have been longtime friends of the chimpanzees and we are so grateful for all they help make possible for the chimpanzees!

Jenara, thank you for always thinking of the chimps when you think of Carrie and for celebrating her special day in this way. We so appreciate your compassionate and generous heart.

Carrie, we hope you have the best birthday yet! Many pant hoots for joy (and probably food) from your pal, Burrito!

Burrito and the New Veterinary Clinic

May 29, 2019 by J.B.

A while back we noticed that a black spot had developed on Burrito’s gums behind one of his upper incisors. He would let us examine the spot during positive reinforcement sessions, but because of its location we were never able to conclusively determine what it was. Unfortunately, that meant we had to get him into the clinic. This time, however, we would be using our brand new clinic in Phase 1 of the new expansion.

Any time a chimpanzee is anesthetized, we try to get as much information on their health as we can, so in addition to enlisting the help of our secondary veterinarians, Jen Wallace, DVM and Erika Nelson, DVM, Dr. Erin also invited some specialists.

Stephanie Moore, CRNA, managed Burrito’s anesthesia throughout the procedure.

Lynn Nelson, DVM, DACVIM came all the way from the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine to do Burrito’s cardiac and abdominal ultrasound. This was her second evaluation of Burrito’s heart.

Diane Carle, DVM, DAVDC and Sara Kessler, LVT from Animal Medical Center of Seattle and Jessica Reed, DVM from Seattle Humane came to take dental x-rays and to do a full dental evaluation and cleaning.

You’ll be glad to hear that everything went great! Dr. Erin removed a small foreign body from Burrito’s gums which should heal in no time. Burrito’s teeth look good and while we’ll have to wait for his full cardiac report, all signs were positive (for a guy of his condition and age, anyway).

The new clinic is larger and better equipped than our mobile unit, and being just steps from the chimps’ indoor enclosures, it is both easier and safer to transport the chimps back and forth.

When procedures are done, we put the chimps back into a recovery room with plenty of blankets to keep them safe and comfortable as the anesthesia wears off. Dr. Erin monitored his heart with a bluetooth stethoscope that records to a phone so that the data can be reviewed and shared.

Curious George kept Burrito company.

Our thanks go out again to everyone who donated to our Phase 1 expansion and to the amazing group of nurses, technicians, and veterinarians who have ensured that Burrito gets the best medical care possible.

Burrito’s small friend

May 27, 2019 by Anna

For the most part, the chimps (especially Jody and Foxie) destroy all their primate themed stuffed toys. However, on rare occasions, we have caught Burrito showing some interest in them. Today Burrito got his hands on a Curious George doll and took a special liking to it.

We Like to Have Fun!

May 21, 2019 by Kelsi

If you needed something to make you smile or a good laugh, you have come to the right place!

We had a very silly Burrito:

A Jamie full of mischief:

Negra wasn’t quite ready to get out of bed this morning:

But Foxie and Burrito were grooming up a storm:

Negra did venture out to the Hill later in the morning:

Foxie wanted to play a very lazy game of troll toss in the green house:

Annie and Missy could be found lounging all around the chimp house today or rippin’ around Young’s Hill:

And the wonderful miss Jody spent her day quietly foraging on the Hill and napping in the green house:

Burrito Wants to Play

May 14, 2019 by Kelsi

Burrito was laying in what we sometimes call the portrait studio, because it normally has great lighting and we can get stellar close-ups of the chimps. I went over to snap a few photos, but Burrito had a different idea. All Burrito wanted to do was play! Which I could not blame him! When you look into his Burrito eyes you would never deny him the simple joy of playing! So as you all will be able to tell it was hard to get a still photo of Burrito today.

Here is a Burrito photo montage:

There were so many amazing photos leftover from Jody’s 44th birthday bash , so I thought I would share just a few more!

Annie munching on a leek:

Jamie and Negra seeking some reassurance for this overly exciting forage:

The birthday girl Jo laying down enjoying all the snacks she gathered from the forage:

Negra surround by corn husks and lettuce:

The Boot Book Fiend

May 9, 2019 by Kelsi

As you all may know, Jamie has quite the collection of boots and a pretty broad library. Jamie started her morning in a big comfy nest surrounded by some educational reading material and a few good boots. What she didn’t know was that there were a pair of boots coming to her in the mail! Jamie has been intrigued with this style of boot for some time, so you could say she was thrilled to find out they were hers.

Say hello to Jamie’s newest addition, Vegan Dr. Martens (photo taken after we already wore them around the Hill):