Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimp enrichment

Happy Birthday, Bubs!

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Hearts near and far are full of love and celebration today for Burrito on his 37th birthday! I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that we couldn’t be more grateful, or more full of joy to celebrate this beloved guy, especially after all he’s come through. We even received the gift of a second day of sanctuary sponsorship from dear friend of all the primates here, Kathleen Corby! She sent this beautiful message for Burrito:

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BURRITO! Last year you had one too many trips to that beautiful new medical clinic. May this year be filled with good health, laughter, love, joy, chase games, tug sessions, Slinky madness, and food, food, and more food! Love you sweet boy. Happiness always…..”

Kathleen, thank you so much for adding to this special day!! We so appreciate your amazing presence and support in the chimps’ (and humans’) day to day lives.

Given Burrito’s penchant for snow snacks lately, he must have been doing a snow dance for his birthday all night because this is what we arrived to, along with Burrito blowing raspberries and pointing out the window. Burrito speak for “I need a snow snack immediately, please!”

For the first portion of the party we built crazy snow snacks with frozen grapes and cherries which all the chimps loved. That is, when they could get in to sneak some from the boss, who dragged both the table and the big plastic turtle pool into a corner and went to town. Jamie really had an amazing un-birthday for herself today! 😉

Second party (like second breakfast if you’re a hobbit…or Burrito…or me…) was spaghetti boats for lunch made by Anthony! Burrito LOVES spaghetti!

Naturally, because it was a grand celebration of all things Burrito, all of the chimps, and most especially Burrito, chose to spend their entire day in the warm cozy loft together where I could capture nary a photo!! They’d run down for a snow snack and scurry back upstairs to their nests and each other. But who could blame them?

But for third party, Chad managed to capture a couple photos of Burrito enjoying his birthday dinner forage and holding onto his grab bag.

(Of course, Mave, Honey B and Willy B got to partake in the parties on their side of the house right along with the seven, enjoying snow buckets, spaghetti boats, forages and whole apples! They were more excited over those whole apples than just about anything I’ve seen from them yet).

Despite not being able to capture much on film, to be honest, it made my heart swell just to see Burrito back with the girls, ensconced in their embrace and being groomed by them most of the day, napping near them, eating with them. Finally. Back with his family. And I kinda suspect, Burrito himself couldn’t have wished for a better birthday this year.

Happy Birthday, Bubba!! We love you so very much!!

A Traffic Jam in the Snow

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Sharing space with other people can be difficult, especially when one of those people is Jamie.

This week, Jamie has been a little bit more irritable than her usual baseline. This may be because we have just finished weaning her off of the contraceptive that we used as a safeguard during social integrations. Jamie’s genitalia have consequently resumed their regular cycle and are presently enlarged, presumably altering her mood. She’s even more dramatic, determined, and dominant than her normal self. She’s even grown possessive over snow despite the fact that it will be practically unlimited over the next few months.

Jamie
Jamie’s swollen genital area acts as a rosy, heart-shaped beacon to male chimpanzees.

The other females have been giving Jamie a wide berth to stay clear of her path. Today, when Chad and I gave the chimpanzees access to Young’s Hill, she was the first one out into the slushy yard. A few of her female peers followed her out at a safe distance. Annie, Missy, and Jody wanted to explore the snow-covered meadow, too.

Annie
Missy
Missy (left) and Annie (right) with Jamie on the structure in the background

The four girls dispersed out onto the wooden structures that watch over the sanctuary. They had been taking in the winter scenery and dining on wet snow for a few minutes when Foxie poked her head out of the Greenhouse and tip-toed out onto Young’s Hill to join them. Chad and I had just seen Foxie playfully twirling and bouncing around the warmer indoor spaces, but we were surprised to see her outside. To be honest, she did not seem to enjoy being outdoors in the cold. Her hair stood out straight and her face contorted into a tense sneer. She was only brave enough to venture out onto the bridge of fallen logs that forms a solid path between the Greenhouse and the closest structures. She sat there quietly for several minutes.

Foxie

Of course the other females did not want to remain outside in the damp mist for very long, either. Missy was the first to make her way back, followed by Annie and Jody. However, Foxie was still perched on the log bridge and seemed to be blocking their path. The ground on either side of the bridge was soggy and cold, so Missy and Annie seemed determined to get around Foxie somehow. Annie even tried to walk with one foot on the fallen logs and the other on the tiny islands of dry earth. Her flexibility and determination were impressive but unsuccessful.

Missy…
… and Annie…
… who tries to use gymnastics to get back down the Hill.

This subtle drama unfolded gradually and quietly, but everyone started to look more panicked when Jamie came trudging down the Hill, hauling an enlarged backside and an inflated attitude along with her. Missy desperately tried to get Foxie to move as if Jamie was a freight train that was about to run them over. Eventually, after some coarse vocalizations and physical pushing, Foxie turned around and the chimpanzee pile-up was cleared just as Jamie arrived. The imminent crisis was averted.

Jamie saunters down the log bridge towards the Greenhouse.
Missy (left) and Annie (behind) try to push past Foxie (right).

Back in the building, we have been provisioning all of the chimpanzees with plenty of fresh snow. Even Willy B and Honey B have been sampling this Washingtonian delicacy and seem to be developing a taste for it. This way, even those who don’t want to brave the cold can still get some of this seasonal treat and partake in the winter fun.

Missy, Annie and Foxie eat snow on Friday
Foxie
Missy
Foxie

Warming up to the cold stuff

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Was it just a week ago that I was wondering out loud if the new three would grow to appreciate snow?!

Check out the video of Willy B and Honey B clearly appreciating the buckets of snow we have been bringing inside.

The first clip of Willy B cracks me up every time – drop one ball of snow and another magically appears!

Happy Birthday, Linda!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Linda Crawford! Linda shared this lovely message about her generous gift:

“Today’s my birthday, and nothing would bring me greater joy than to have the chimps partying with me! But since they’re so far away, and sponsored parties aren’t an option any longer, I’ll sponsor a day, and hope that there is either pineapple or coconut involved, and to see the Tiny One busting open the troll dolls I sent! Something to make their Sunday a little special, the way they, and you, all make most of our days special by sharing a glimpse of your work and their lives in sanctuary!”

Linda, thank you so much for your heartfelt care for each of the chimpanzees and the unique individuals they are. We so appreciate you thinking of them today, your compassion and your gracious contributions toward their well-being and happiness. All of us here wish you the happiest of birthdays yet! May your big heart come back to you tenfold as you celebrate your special day, and all days. Happy Birthday!

Tiny, but fierce. Beloved Foxie:

Snow: Treat or Trick?

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Burrito, Annie Jody, Foxie, Missy, Jamie, and Negra arrived in June of 2008. Their first experience of snow at the sanctuary (though they may have encountered it earlier in their lives) was almost exactly eleven years ago today. If you can believe it, we’ve been doing the blog this entire time, so you can take a look back at that post, which includes a video, right here.

That was before the greenhouse was a greenhouse with a roof and removable walls, so the chimps just leaned outside of their indoor rooms and grabbed handfuls and mouthfuls of snow. Seriously, watch the video.

It was such an exciting and endearing first at the sanctuary that Seattle’s King 5 television station shared the video on air.

Eleven years later, snow is still an exciting winter treat that produces anticipation and food grunts. There are many, many blog posts that feature snow. We often talk about how it’s the perfect food enrichment because it has zero calories, lasts a long time, and it’s both plentiful and free this time of year.

Here are some photos from today of Jody finding some ice and snow for snacking:

This one of her scurrying inside with her quickly diminishing treat is a little blurry:

Burrito was making raspberry noises at me this morning, and I thought he was trying to convince me to get him a banana–he knows I’m a big sucker and have been giving him pretty much whatever he wants as he recovers. Eventually, I realized what he actually wanted was some of the good stuff that had blanketed the outdoors.

He was pleased when I finally figured it out and gave him a special delivery:

Mave, Willy B, and Honey B’s reaction has not been the same. They do not know what the fuss is about at all.

Mave spent quite a bit of time in the chute today with the sun shining, but she didn’t go down to the area that still had snow:

I tried to convince Honey B that it was a a great treat by eating some myself and then placing some in the fencing for her.

This was her reaction:

Will they grow to love it, or will eating snow remain a strange custom that these three chimpanzees from California do not appreciate? We’ve got a couple more months to find out.

Rainbow Toe Socks!

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This morning I found Mave in a very silly mood. She was playing chase in the front rooms, rolling around on the ground, giving me her toes to tickle. But, the best part was looking at Mave’s feet and seeing her wearing not just any sock, a rainbow toe sock! When I told her I liked her stylish sock, she pulled it up higher on her foot.

Also, if you have not seen this article, Almost Human by 425 Magazine, check it out!

 

Trending Upward

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I must admit that I got quite sentimental in my latest blog post. I even tried to be insightful.

Today’s entry will contain nothing of the sort.

Instead, here is a dry update on everyone’s progress accompanied by images from my phone camera.

Burrito continues to heal and appears more active by the day, but he is still nursing some ugly wounds. We continue to monitor him for potential complications (including but not limited to bacterial infection). Getting him to take meds is a full-time job, so caregiver Katelyn had the tedious task of preparing various foods and trying to sell him on each. As J.B. recently explained, this has been the most challenging aspect of Burrito’s treatment plan. He did get a few bursts of energy today and spent quite a bit of time interacting with the female chimps through the mesh windows separating him from the Playroom. He even climbed up onto his favorite bench, although his movement was a bit shaky and he appears to only have a fraction of his normal strength. Still, it was good to see Bubba being Bubba.

Burrito licks his wounds while reclining in his nest.
Burrito ventures down to the farthest bench so he can see into the Greenhouse.
Burrito enjoys some medication-laced yogurt, even licking it off of the caging.
Our medication board is quite full at the moment.
Burrito presents his injured hand to the females.
Burrito relaxes atop the highest bench in the front rooms.

The girls (Annie, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Negra) have been back to business as usual. They seem to appreciate a return to routine, although they spend a lot of time monitoring Burrito and watching the windows and doors for signs of their chimpanzee neighbors on the other side. Whenever Willy B makes an appearance, they shower him with submissive pant-grunts and excited gestures. The weather was chilly and windy today, minimizing the appeal of Young’s Hill, but Jamie recruited volunteer Chad to walk the boundary with her anyway. When not patrolling and policing, Jamie has been enviously watching us give all sorts of foods to Burrito and has been asking for similar treatment. Jody has been obsessively helping Burrito to groom his wounds and he seems glad to have such an attentive nurse.

Jody grooms Burrito’s hand.
Jamie chills out on a firehose “vine” after breakfast.

Honey B has been an absolute star when asked to present her wounds for inspection and treatment. Her toe and backside are healing well and she is behaving like her normal self. She’s been more interested in grooming my freckles than she has been in her own injuries, so our concern for her recovery is minimal even though we continue to treat her lacerations with topical and oral medication. Honey B is an ideal patient because she is comfortable with our presence close to the steel caging and she is generally accepting of any flavor of yogurt, even if it tastes like antibiotics or Ibuprofen. As long as she gets to hold the spoon and hang out with caregivers, she’s happy.

Honey B inspects the camera lens on my phone. She really doesn’t seem to mind having humans operating within her personal space.

Willy B and Mave have been dealing with the unfortunate loss of their new social partners now that the groups have been split up and integration efforts have been halted. Instead, they’ve been focusing on reinforcing their bonds with each other (and with Honey B, to a lesser extent). We’ve also been showering them with enrichment and allowing them to sunbathe in the outdoor chute during the afternoons.

Willy B (left) and Mave (right) engage in some rough play before dinner.
Willy B used my phone camera to inspect his teeth…
…and groom his nails…
…and fix his hair.

Overall, everyone is trending upward. However, we continue to place an emphasis on helping Burrito to recover while keeping the other chimps busy and comfortable as the fall weather gradually fades into winter.

The river meanders its way past the sanctuary this afternoon.