Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Watch today’s blog video to see what the chimpanzees and our Positive Reinforcement Training team have been up to!
Here is a hint…
Honey B has been resting a lot today after her procedure yesterday. She spent her morning watching chimp videos from her cozy nest, and was reunited with Gordo this afternoon. Gordo seemed very glad to have his friend back!
Though the air might be chilly, the skies are blue, and for January, that’s really all we can ask for! As soon as the sun peeked through the clouds, Jamie’s group couldn’t resist soaking up some much needed Vitamin D. A little sunshine can do wonders, especially in the middle of winter!
Burrito, Annie, Foxie, and Missy were ready to get out and explore:
Burrito climbed up and enjoyed the view:
More of Burrito:
Missy adventured past the path and into the snow:
Foxie came out with her doll to see what was happening:
Jamie went out onto Young’s Hill for a quick lap and then tried to get some snow to go. Unfortunately, this snow is pretty hard and compacted so it wasn’t very fruitful:
If you’re looking for ways to support the chimps, our Wish List is a fantastic way to make a direct impact on their care!
We are always trying to think up new ways to enrich the chimpanzees’ daily lives. Sometimes this is in the form of new toys, or a large number of one beloved item (like the Jolly Balls Krissy got for Burrito for his birthday!), or something as simple as new presentations of existing enrichment (like adding raffia to ice eggs to allow us to hang them and encourage the chimpanzees to explore and utilize their space).
Burrito reaches for watermelon placed on a tree branch.
Oftentimes, we have an idea of who might enjoy new enrichment items the most. Burrito is always a good guess, as he loves to have fun! Last year, we purchased some heavy duty rubber bouncy balls for the chimpanzees. I immediately thought Burrito would enjoy them most. However, someone else surprised me, and has taken the most interest in these new toys. Watch the video to see who it is!
As a bonus, enjoy this photo of Rayne in one of the Wildlife Toy Box sturdy boxes gifted to us by a generous donor last year. This was exactly how I had hoped the box would be used, so I was thrilled to see Rayne relaxing in it!
It’s hard to believe, but this young-at-heart chimpanzee is now 42 years old. Many thanks to Paulette for sponsoring this day in honor of her Pal!
To understand the impact of the first story in today’s video requires the background of yesterday’s blog post by Jenna. So go read that first if you haven’t yet.
Can we talk about celebrating another year of Burrito??!! Tomorrow’s bash is going to be a celebration focused on the things he likes most in life, and we hope you’ll join us here on the blog tomorrow evening to see how charming Mr. B celebrated his 42nd birthday.
I’ve known few chimpanzees (or humans, for that matter) that could entertain themselves quite like Burrito. He’s not always playful but when he is, he is as close to pure joy as I’ve witnessed.
While Chad and I were cleaning Playroom 1 this morning and Jamie and the gang were grooming on the greenhouse platform, Burrito was keeping himself entertained with “Celestino,” a Squishmallow that was donated by Monica B. and purchased for the chimps by Sherry R. in our 2024 Comfort & Joy Online Auction. Cleaning stuffed animals like these, not to mention the 150 blankets that we make sure the chimps have at all times, requires some durable washing machines. That’s why we wanted to extend our sincere thanks to the many donors who contributed to our Commercial Washer Fund, which will allow us to replace one of our aging residential washers with a machine that can withstand being used 8 hours a day, seven days a week. Thank you, Vicki F., Jamie R., Kathie J., Sarah H., Patti S., Julie A. O., Deborah J., Nancy D., Margaret L., Rebecca Z., Rosalie A., Chloe G., and Ellen V. for helping us keep the blankets and stuffed animals clean so that the chimps can continue to experience comfort and joy!
Let’s start with freezing rain. Because we did, in fact, start the day with freezing rain. I’m not a fan. It coats everything, and makes me fall down. If it’s 27 degrees, and there is precipitation, it should snow (in my opinion). Right? If there are any meteorologists out there who want to explain it to me, that would be great.
Enough about freezing rain.
Today, I got to try on one of the items donated through our Comfort & Joy auction, and model it for the chimps. Sherry R was the generous donor that won the Flamingo Hooded Blanket for the chimps! It is SERIOUSLY COZY! Sherry, it’s so cozy, I may pick one up for myself!
Thank you, Sherry R, for giving the chimpanzees a little more Comfort and a lot more Joy with your generous gift! I’ll bet Burrito curled up in it after making me run around the hill today. In the freezing rain.
