Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Deconstructing a Display on a Fine Spring Day

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Within the past couple of days, the weather has been almost nearly perfect. Sun in the sky without a sight of a cloud. Not too hot and not too cold. Gentle breezes instead of wind gusts. This is the perfect weather for outdoor activities.

After security checks were completed, the Seven were given access to Young’s Hill first thing in the morning.

While six of the seven immediately patrolled their grounds, one decided to stay back and just enjoy the warm Spring morning.

Negra elected to go onto Young’s Hill and eat her breakfast hard-boiled egg in the sun while the others patrolled.

With the weather being so nice, we thought it would be a great day for a lunch forage outside of carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and bonus pineapple tops.

Jamie:

As you can see, Jamie won out with Fistfuls of Bell Peppers.

Missy:

Though Jamie went straight for the bell peppers, the pineapple tops were in Missy’s sights.

Negra:

Burrito:

Annie:

Foxie:

Jody:

Jody has learned, some times you have to climb the highest of heights to get the biggest reward.

The Three on the other side of the building are still settling into their new playrooms. Though it seems it’s technically no longer “settling in” as much as it is they fully moved in and have become comfortable in the new areas.

Willy B has started to use the artificial tree branches/platforms as his new lounge area.

Though Willy B, Honey B, and Mave have access to new areas, they are still fond of their old ones. For Willy B, in particular, the Courtyard is still an area he loves to venture out to.

Though he did go outside today, I was not able to get any photos. Instead I will share some of the ones I took on Sunday of his Courtyard Adventures.

When Willy B first gets access to the Courtyard, he will scan around for any nuts or food items near the boardwalk. Afterward, he seems to just take in the surroundings, some times even taking a nap on the boardwalk.

What happens next is usually when he notices he has an audience.

When Willy B notices the Group of Seven watching him for their playroom windows, he has to show them this area is his. He does this through his territorial display.

First he begins his pant hooting:

Then he becomes piloerect and moves to the nearest loudest object. In the Courtyard, this is a barrel.

Piloerection is when a chimpanzee’s hair stands on its’ ends. The best way to think of this is thinking of when you get goosebumps. Pretty similar. In fact, you can see Willy B’s “goosebumps” if you look close enough!

Once he reaches the barrel, he begins drumming it:

As the intensity and rhythm of the drumming increases, so does his pant hooting. When his display reaches its’ crescendo, he hits the drum as hard as he can in one final *BAM* and lets out a scream for all the hear:

When finished, Willy B resumes taking in the Spring sun and air, while also peeking to see if the neighbors got the message and if it riled them up.

Hint: They usually do and it usually does.

Morning Adventures and Afternoon Naps

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The staff will continue our positive reinforcement training this afternoon. But before we dive into our training, here are some photos of some chimpanzee adventures and naps.

Jody eating her breakfast clementine orange while looking out onto Young’s Hill.
Jody, Foxie (above) and Missy (below) take in this morning’s scenery from a platform after going out onto Young’s Hill.
Burrito later soon joined Foxie on the platform after Jody and Missy left.
Annie took some time for herself high above the bamboo on Young’s Hill. She later joined Missy and Jamie on a patrol around the parameter.
Foxie embraces one of her new Strawberry Shortcake dolls on the top platform in the Greenhouse.
Jamie embracing a cowboy boot while snoozing off. You may wonder why she doesn’t elect to lay down while taking her afternoon slumber. She is the boss you know and has to be ready to go at the drop of a hat. This photo was from yesterday, but Jamie is currently in this same position and I couldn’t get a better photo from today.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite piece of art! The three designs with the most votes will win the People’s Choice awards! So be sure to vote before March 14th!

Unexpected Gift

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Do you know the word lagniappe? It’s an American French (think Louisiana) word. From my perusal of dictionary definitions it refers to a bonus “something” given to a customer when they are making a purchase. It’s now used in broader terms and refers to any unexpected bonus that comes with something else.

I’m glad I looked it up! I’ve liked the sound of the word since first hearing it and sometimes it’s just floating around up there in my head for no reason. But now I realize that my understanding of the definition as simply “an unexpected gift” was somewhat incorrect.

On Thursday afternoon, J.B. headed out with the sanctuary truck to pick up the weekly produce, which was much needed because the fridges were looking quite bare with the glowing exception of a particular fruit that I believe Anthony will be writing about tomorrow.

I want to say that the filling up of our fruit fridge was a lagniappe, but that would be using that unique word incorrectly – it was just a wonderful and unexpected gift.

I digress.

In the middle of a zoom call after J.B. had left to get produce, I got a call from him on my phone. I decided I should answer it because it was strange that he was calling me just 20 minutes after leaving. I rudely existed the view of my computer camera with no explanation and took his call. Indeed, my intuition was correct. The truck had an issue and he was parked on the side of the highway. There would be no produce run that day.

Instead, after the truck was towed and I picked up J.B., he made a quick jaunt to the local grocery store to hold the chimps’ over until the truck was fixed and he could do the full produce run this afternoon.

To my surprise, one of the produce items he brought back was corn. Corn! In February! This was indeed a lagniappe. Oh wait, no – that’s using the word incorrectly again.

Nevertheless, the chimpanzees were delighted with this unexpected gift:

Negra:

Missy:

Jody got two ears because Jamie was at first very focused on the mini sweet peppers at lunch, putting her ear of corn down near the watchful eyes of Jody. Jamie was okay with Jody taking it, but decided later she did in fact want some (maybe the sounds of all of the delightful crunching by her friends made her change her mind). If you are on Instagram, go to our page to see a little video clip of Jody crunching her double lagniappe gift.

Everything worked out in the end because Foxie rejected her corn full stop. So, I gave Jamie Foxie’s ear of corn and I gave Foxie Jamie’s carrot.

Whew!

Jamie took her corn up to the top window for some private dining.

Honey B, Mave, and Willy B got their corn for dinner and it was very much appreciated by all three of them. Here’s Honey B:

Thank you for all of you Produce Patrons out there who help provide the chimpanzees with much loved and unexpected gifts of fresh fruits and vegetables!

Side note – if anyone knows of a word that actually means “unexpected gift”, I would like to know! I might send you something as a thank you for your linguistic prowess.

Coniferous Cold Cabbage

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It began snowing on Sunday and hasn’t really stopped since. Though it hasn’t been a heavy snowfall, it’s enough for it to start to feel like winter finally is here after several bouts of warm weather. When the caregivers began to arrive at the sanctuary in the morning, they were greeted by something to remind them it is indeed near to end of January and still winter.

This is one of the Christmas trees that has been adorning the outside of the Chimp House. As some of you know, it’s somewhat of a tradition to plant the trees that decorate the enclosures for the chimpanzees’ Christmas celebration on Young’s Hill when the weather is better. Until then, it sits right outside the door.

While the conditions outside thwarted any ambitions of going outside today (though they did have access to go outside), they seemed pretty content inside the warm indoor enclosures.

After cleaning was done, Willy B, Mave, and Honey B were treated to some cabbage that was spread out in their enclosure.

After lunch, Mave and Willy B spent most of their afternoon grooming.

Honey B was busy supervising the construction workers and couldn’t be bothered with grooming or most photos today.

Meanwhile on the other side, while most of the Seven were cozy in their nests all day, there was one individual who had a lot of energy he had to burn through.

There was a good game of chase between him and I from the Greenhouse doors to the door that leads to Young’s Hill. If you’ve seen J.B.’s post a couple of weeks ago, then you know this route. A common question we get is why does Burrito ask for snow from caregivers when we can just grab it himself during winter? We don’t really know why, but let’s be honest, who wouldn’t like a hand delivered caregiver made, artisan snowball?

Plus, we, as caregivers, have a hard time deflecting Burrito’s charm when he asks for his zero-calorie treat.

With the weather seemingly on different ends of the spectrum lately, who knows what tomorrow may hold. Though Burrito may hope it holds more hands full of snow.

Stay warm, friends!

Through a Window

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Windows are cool.

They let us keep an eye on the residents but, more importantly, also serve to give the chimpanzees a current view of their surroundings. The chimps use them to socialize with the neighbors, survey the property, and monitor human activity.

Today, I took some photos of the chimps from outside their areas.

Jamie
Jody
Burrito
Anthony, trying his best to be artsy
Jamie

On snowy days like today, the windows are even more crucial. Why step outside and get cold toes when you can just spy on everyone from a warm blanket nest? Their logic is irrefutable.

I also stepped into the new playrooms (under construction but almost finished) and looked through all the windows to imagine what the new chimps will see when they get here. J.B. is still rigging the overhead LED lights and some of the windows are still covered, but the windows and skylights fill the space with soft sunlight even on cloudy days. Of course, Honey B watched me the whole time from the reinforced window that looks into the new addition from the Mezzanine.

Honey B
Honey B and Mave (fore- and background, respectively)

All Smiles

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Chimpanzee smiles are one of the greatest things to see. Granted let’s not confuse a true chimpanzee smile with a fear grimace. What most humans recall when they think of a chimpanzee smile are those usually found on cards or advertisements. Usually a juvenile chimpanzee dressed up in some costume, and full teeth showing with the edges of their mouth going from ear-to-ear. For those of us who work with or study chimpanzees, fully showing the upper and bottom rows of their teeth is the indication they are fear grimacing. Chimpanzees use the grimacing to show that something is causing them anxiousness or fear, or to show off their impressive canine teeth to intimidate another.

A true chimpanzee smile, one used for play and enjoyment, only the bottom teeth are usually exposed. I say usually because there are occasions where something may be super exciting or really funny is too hard to contain. In these circumstances, other chimpanzee behaviors are looked for such as laughter, breathy pants, etc. But once we, as caregivers, confirm they are indeed chimpanzee smiles, and if directed toward us, it makes the day so much brighter.

Here are a few I was able to capture of Mave. Both the lead up and the actual smiles.

First was last week as I entered the Willy B, Honey B, and Mave’s side of the building. She really wanted to play an interaction called “shoe tickle.” As J.B. described in his blog a few weeks back, “shoe tickle” is when the chimpanzees fully extend their fingers through the mesh and can only touch the bottoms of our shoes with just the tips of their fingertips. This is to avoid them grabbing us in some way.

Then there is this sequence from Sunday of her in serious play mode.

Yesterday I was able to catch Honey B’s smile during a play session as well!

(Note the coloration of Honey B’s eyelids! It’s one of the many, many, many things I love about her that makes her unique!)

I tried to round this off by getting some photos of Willy B’s smile and play face. However, as some of you know, he is really difficult to get photos of. Either he’s too close for the cameras we have on hand, or he stops doing what he’s doing if a phone is brought out. Though Willy B is serious about 85% of the day, the other 15% he can really be a goofball. Though most of the time he doesn’t showcase a smile or play face, once in a while he’ll let one slip and it’s amazing!

I tried to supplement it with someone who almost always has a smile on his face and can be heard throughout the sanctuary laughing nearly 95% of the day.

Though Burrito spends nearly the entire day laughing and playing, it actually can be difficult to get photos of his smile. But this is what I could get.

Hopefully these smiles brightened up your day as they do ours!

And remember:

When you’re smilin’, keep on smilin’ and the world smiles with you.”

-Louis Armstrong

Riding the Waves

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The chimpanzees began their morning with a raucous exchange of displays between the two neighboring groups. Screams, barks, drumming and hoots reverberated throughout the Chimp House. The neighbor effect is very real.

The following breakfast services were predictably tense. On one side of the building, Jamie was irate that the poor human caregiver wouldn’t give her someone else’s chow bag. The white paper bag sat awkwardly in the bottom of the food chute as Jamie loudly won the ensuing argument, but Negra quietly absconded with the prize during the chaos. In the Mezzanine, Willy B flexed his dominance by intimidating the female chimps and claiming Mave’s chow bags. Willy has grown more patient and tolerant in his time here, possibly due to our efforts to promote cooperative feeding. However, like all high-ranking chimps, he still needs to assert himself occasionally. This morning was one of those moments.

Generally speaking, chimpanzee behavior is characterized by short chaotic episodes during which the social hierarchy is challenged. These conflicts can either reform existing relationship dynamics or reinforce them. Instability and tension, however, are not just unpleasant; they’re downright exhausting. Adrenaline is unsustainable and requires a long reset afterwards. For this and many other reasons, chimps spend most of their time engaged in relatively peaceful activities such as grooming, foraging, and rest. I don’t know if chimpanzees have a “love language,” but low-key quality time would probably be it.

Given today’s hectic beginning, it was not surprising that the sanctuary’s residents had calmed down by lunch. The Seven were all about doing laps around Young’s Hill, while Honey B and Mave spent a large chunk of the day grooming and playing chase. Once our team was finished scrubbing enclosures for the day, I took a moment to go sit just outside the caging in the Mezzanine and observe the chimps. Willy B was the only chimp up there, lazily turning over some blankets and toys that had just been distributed by caregivers.

Willy B stared at me for a second, made a gentle hoo, and retrieved a fluffy blue blanket that had been draped over the nearby bench. He dragged it towards me with his knuckles, stopping only when the edges of the blanket were pushed up against the bottom of the steel mesh that separated us. Willy then leaned forward and, like a collapsing Imperial AT-AT, took a gargantuan nose dive into the shaggy pile.

He laid there for some time, face buried in the folds of the blanket. It was difficult to tell if it was a moment of pure exhaustion or zen-like bliss. I followed suit, sprawling out on the smooth heated floor. He lifted his head to reveal his brown eyes, which briefly showed a flash of skepticism, before apparently deciding that it was okay for me to join him on the floor. As I laid on my back, looking up at the passing clouds through the Mezzanine’s skylights, Willy began to take longer and longer blinks until he slowly fell asleep.

Even though I’m used to the routine by now, I noted how odd it felt to see Willy B gradually drift off into a light nap. He seemed to be at ease amid his surroundings despite being a hurricane of hair and muscle just hours earlier. I also felt slightly honored that he had chosen to be in my proximity without asking for anything else. I reminded myself that the never-ending waves of chimpanzee emotion, with peaks of chaos and troughs of serenity, are not something to be necessarily battled against. Rather, they are all part of the chimpanzee experience, adding value to each other. As Anna once told me when I was learning to manage the complex dynamics among these unique chimp individuals, “you’ve gotta ride the waves.”

I decided not to take any photos of Willy B’s nap; doing so would have likely caused him to sit up and stare into the camera lens. Instead, here are some photos our team has taken of chimpanzees resting during the peaceful eyes that separate many tumultuous storms.

   

   

Have a great night, everyone!