Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimp enrichment

Missy the distractor

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Thanks to Jackie Heinricher of Provitro Biosciences, the chimps have had the pleasure of having bamboo in the greenhouse. Jody has especially appreciated nesting in it. This morning, J.B. planted a couple more really tall plants, and Jody did not hesitate to take advantage of such valuable nesting material. She seemed pretty happy! Katelyn and I were commenting that it was interesting she chose the bamboo over her usual blankets, but Jody is an expert nest-builder and will use all sort of things like paper and straw in addition to blankets.

web jody nest in bamboo GH (dm) IMG_8128

web jody nest bamboo GH (dm) IMG_8209

While Jody was happily building her wonderful nest, Missy decided to interrupt her and try to engage her in play. Missy is able to bring the playful side out in just about anybody, even the generally less playful Jody. She entertained Missy’s need for playing for a little while, and then returned to building the perfect nest. Wait for the end of the video—you’ll see just how content and comfy she looks.

Thanks again Provitro Biosciences!

web missy jody wrestle laugh play bite foot on face GH (dm) IMG_8160

Always on the go

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We all know that Missy is a bundle of energy. She’s got one speed when she’s on Young’s Hill: FAST. She brings a smile to our faces every time she darts back and forth and up and down the hill, because she’s able to exert her energy in a space larger than she ever would have even imagined of in the lab. It’s so hard to try and think of how she was able to contain that energy in the confined space she had for decades. Now, she’s able to run as fast as she can, climb every structure and post, do her acrobatics on the fire hoses, and if she wants, to sit still. Missy is a very great example of how the chimps now have choices.

web Missy climb post Young's Hill YH IMG_8082

web Missy climb post structure Young's Hill YH IMG_8070

web Missy tightrope fire hose shaky bridge Young's Hill YH IMG_7968

web Missy sit on stump Young's Hill YH IMG_8093

web Missy close up greenhouse GH IMG_7897

Nesting in the Bamboo

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We planted some bamboo in the greenhouse this morning. Since chimpanzees are naturally curious and destructive, the plants might not last long, but for now everyone’s leaving them alone for the most part. Jody, however, thinks they make prime nesting material.

web Jody lie down nest new bamboo greenhouse GH IMG_7399

Thanks so much to ProVitro Biosciences for the bamboo!

Lazy Burrito

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Mornings in the chimp house are a flurry of activity. Staff and volunteers clean the chimpanzee enclosures from about 9:00 when we arrive until lunchtime at 1:00. It’s usually not until after the chimpanzees are served lunch that we have a moment to sit down. Except for the coldest part of winter, the chimps typically spend the afternoon between lunch and dinner engaged in some quiet activity in the warm greenhouse (grooming and napping are favorites). This time in the greenhouse is usually so warm and slow and lazy that I often find my eyes getting heavy if I stay too long in there.

I popped my head in after lunch yesterday and Burrito was sitting in a windowsill with a couple of plastic fish toys. I could tell he was feeling low-key because he didn’t jump up into his usual game of chase when he saw me – he merely nodded his head a little and bit on the fishes. (He often bites on something when he’s feeling playful.)

web Burrito bite fish toy enrichment look at camera greenhouse GH IMG_7162

web Burrito toy enrichment fish look at camera greenhouse GH IMG_7167

I did get a playface out of him.

web Burrito fish toy enrichment playface greenhouse GH IMG_7165

After a few minutes he moved over to the deck to get a little more comfortable.

web Burrito lie on back hold fish toy enrichment look at camera greenhouse GH IMG_7230

web Burrito lie on back bite fish toy enrichment look at camera greenhouse GH IMG_7204

He summoned up just enough energy for a brief game of peekaboo…

web Burrito peekaboo hand over eyes fish in mouth enrichment greenhouse GH IMG_7208

…before passing out.

web Burrito lie on back hold fish toy enrichment eyes closed greenhouse GH IMG_7214

4th Annual Love a Chimpanzee Day

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Supporter Monica Best has taken sponsoring a day of sanctuary to a whole new level. Four years ago she declared April 23 Love a Chimpanzee Day and has sponsored the day every year since then. (Today also happens to be Monica’s birthday!) Love a Chimpanzee Day 2013 began with a breakfast of pears, strawberries, lemons, fruit smoothie, and peanuts (Negra’s favorite) in the greenhouse, followed by some adventures on Young’s Hill. After we cleaned the playroom we decked out the place in streamers and lots of fluffy blankets and watched Jody settle down into a nest.

I love to watch Jody nest. She first does a sweep of the area to collect any unclaimed blankets, then drags them all to her chosen spot. (Sometimes she grabs more than she can carry and drops some on the way.) Then she sits down and arranges the blankets into a fluffy throne around her. When she’s satisfied with her work, she gets to her feet and then dives headfirst into the nest, usually making what we affectionately call her “dinosaur noise,” a low moan of contentment. Jody doesn’t typically go out of her way to play with enrichment, but if there happens to be some near her nest she’ll inspect it lazily.

web Jody lie on back inspect troll playroom PR IMG_6867

web Jody lie on back inspect boot nest playroom PR IMG_6879

web Jody lie on back inspect boot nest playroom PR IMG_6878

web Jody lie on back inspect boot nest playroom PR IMG_6877

Once she’s settled, she stretches and wriggles from side to side until she’s totally content.

web Jody lie on back stretch blanket nest playroom PR IMG_6884

web Jody lie on back nest playroom PR IMG_6883

web Jody lie on back blanket nest playroom PR IMG_6871

web Jody lie on back blanket nest playroom PR IMG_6874

web Jody lie on back stretch playroom PR IMG_6896

web Jody lie on back stretch playroom PR IMG_6895

web Jody lie on back stretch blanket nest playroom PR IMG_6894

web Jody lie on back stretch blanket nest playroom PR IMG_6893

Thanks, Monica!

Negra gone wild

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It was perfect weather for chimpanzees here at the sanctuary this morning  (in Cle Elum, this means warm sun with no wind!) so we decided to put out a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill.  All of the chimps seemed more at ease and peaceful on the Hill today than I have ever seen them!  No one appeared to feel the need to keep an eye on where everyone else was and just went about peacefully foraging in their own direction.  Much to our surprise and delight Negra went further than I have seen her go yet!  She immediately headed for the far side of the Hill and promptly sat down to check out the neighbor’s horses.  I even saw her glance upward occasionally listening to the birds overhead.  And as if that weren’t enough, Negra continued to roam and explore even further, enjoying handfuls of grass along the way.  We were astounded and couldn’t stop taking photos!  I think even the other chimps were excited to see Negra venturing so far.  In the end it seemed to me that Negra had enough of all the paparazzi and promptly turned her back on everyone just to enjoy her adventure on her own.

web Negra walk grass YH IMG_6406

web Negra watch horses YH IMG_6472

web Negra sit in grass bamboo YH IMG_6426

web wild neggie YH bamboo negra IMG_6476

web Negra eat grape YH bamboo IMG_6450

I think Annie, Jody and Missy were as much in awe of Negra as we were!

web annie jody negra missy YH forage IMG_6494