Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Burrito

Happy Birthday, Kery!

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Today was sponsored by long-time supporter and friend to the chimps, Kery Shaw! Kery shared this lovely message about her gift:

“Today, as I celebrate my birthday I take this moment to reflect on my life and think about all the incredible beings that have come into my life over the past couple of years. November … a time for giving thanks and gratitude. To the chimps: Burrito, Jamie, Jody, Annie, Missy, Foxie, and Negra who have humbled me. They have showed me how to forgive, how to have fun and mostly how to love. To Diana, JB, Katelyn and the rest of the staff and volunteers thank you for all you do and dedicating your life to these magnificent beings. Today and every day I celebrate all of you at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! From the bottom of my heart thank you for all you do. Much love and gratitude, Kery Shaw – The Stolen Lives Project”

Kery, given all that you do to advocate for and bring awareness and compassion to the lives of our fellow animals, we so appreciate you thinking of the chimpanzees on your own special day. We hope you have a wonderful day in which your kind heart is filled with light and joy. Happy Birthday from all the primates at CSNW!

Burrito and Jody:

Burrito and Jody with bamboo

Missy and Annie:

Jamie, Foxie and Dora:

Foxie doll on back

Negra and Foxie:

Blowing off steam

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Mornings in the chimp house have been, well, shall we say a little intense the past few days. With what seems to be an early winter, changing routines and closer quarters at mealtimes, we usually experience a little adjustment period with the changing seasons. Breakfast is often pre-empted with the normal raucous and rowdy displays and cage rattling from Burrito (with some extra flare this time of year) which leads to the usual arguments and scuffles with the girls flying after him screaming at the tops of their lungs. Then with tensions high and breakfast being served in the warmer (but smaller) front rooms, it’s been every caregiver for themselves during breakfast service which has frequently involved dodging (if you’re lucky) flying feces from the boss lady. Most of this is normal chimpanzee behavior and all of it is understandable. We all have to blow off steam sometimes.

The chimps also sometimes choose to exert some sense of control over their changing routine or avoid tension in the group by choosing to stay in areas when we are attempting to shift them to others so we can clean. This is Missy’s favorite time to stay back on her own in the playroom and hoot and holler from the loft to her hearts content. Jody also loves to bring her snack into the front rooms when she sees me attempting to close the doors. I leave the area at which point she leaves the front rooms, but the second she sees me looking that way she runs back in. But as we’ve said many times, part of the importance and beauty of sanctuary is the chimpanzees having the choice to call the shots and make their own choices as much as possible. And we’re only too happy to follow their lead.

So after the breakfast kerfuffle, When this morning dawned warmer and somewhat sunny, we couldn’t have been more thrilled for the chimps to have the chance to spend much of the day outside zooming about, racing and running with each other and their caregivers, and just getting some space from one another, taking in the sights and getting some fresh air.

And while Negra still chose to stay inside in her cozy nest, she was entertained by no less than four caregivers dancing like maniacs as she nodded along with approval. It’s been a good day.

Burrito, Annie and Foxie (below):

Burrito and Annie:

Annie checking out the comings and goings of the sanctuary:

Missy:

Jody started to head back to the greenhouse with a favorite pine tree treat, but stopped short of going inside to check on all her friends. Jody spotted Foxie hanging out by herself and decided she needed to go collect her:

Jamie was thrilled to be out and about and has Kelsi running (literally) around the hill all the live long day:

Laying and Playing

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Foxie and Burrito are two of our most playful chimps! So when we get the chance to watch them play, it is really quite fun. Foxie and Burrito began the morning with a post breakfast nap. After, a quick power nap they started a lazy game of wrestling which turned into a full game and then back to a lazy game. Below are some photos of the progression from napping to playing. Happy Sunday!

Foxie & Burrito napping:

Foxie & Burrito wrestling:

Stilling wrestling:

Back to laying and playing:

And a few extra photo for you all…

Annie’s silhouette:

Jamie holding one of her favorite boots:

The First Snow

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We woke up to our first snow today! There are some mixed feelings about this white dust.

1.) First and foremost we are excited to eat the snow!

2.) We like the beauty of it, but also it came too soon…

3.) It is making us a little reluctant to get outside…

SO… We like you snow, but please not yet!

Young’s Hill:

Jody eating some snow from the Hill entrance, but not going outside:

Burrito doing the same:

As enrichment we filled buckets with some snow and put them everywhere:

Jamie snuggling with a boot and keeping warm with blankets over her:

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Happy Birthday, Jamie!!

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Ramona Isbell sponsored this special day of sanctuary in honor of our boss lady, Jamie, in celebration of her honorary 40th birthday! Or as it’s better known in the CSNW world, Jamieween! Ramona sent this message about her wonderful gift:

“Happy 40th Birthday Jamie! You and your friends have a blast of a day!! Love you, Ramona”

Jamie is one of the most intelligent, creative, willful, courageous people we know and we couldn’t have more admiration for her. With each passing year that we’re honored to know her, she surprises us with her beauty, strength, resiliency and adventurous and often mischievous – sometimes a little scary – spirit (hence, why we chose Halloween to celebrate her birthday!). You can learn more about Jamie here!

Ramona, thank you so very much for sponsoring today in honor of Jamie! It’s a celebration we look forward to all year long and we so appreciate your compassion and generosity in making Jamie’s day extra special for her and her chimp family!

Happy Jamieween, Jamie!! You are an incredibly special person and we love you so much! Here’s to a day and many years ahead of endless patrols around the hill (even in the pitch dark) for your adventurous soul (and of course, more cowboy boots than you or your caregivers could ever hope to wear on those adventures), projects and activities for your brilliant mind, and freedom and choice to express your amazing and creative heart. We love you, Jamie!!

Happy Jamieween Ramona and everyone!