We all know Mave is a laid back chimp, but she has her playful side too. Her playful side might be more short lived than others!
Bonus!
A very handsome Gordo:
And the ever so beautiful and kind eyed Lucky:
chimp sanctuary
The Matter of Time
Today is Daylight Savings! Meaning for most of the United States (Arizona and Hawaii excluded) most of us lost an hour of sleep as our clocks were set an hour ahead. But for us here at the Chimp House, it was business as usual since the chimps don’t obey the concept of Daylight Savings. All this means is that the humans come in an hour later, though in reality it’s the same time had we not set our clocks forward.
When the chimpanzees were given access to Young’s Hill, Burrito zoomed out of his greenhouse and was off to the races.
Before we finished our morning run, he stopped for a bit and took in the morning sun.
For others, business as usual can mean something else.
For Mave, it meant a full day of lounging around.
Rayne spent the day fishing for raisins from raisin boards.
Honey B being mischievous.
Dora be inquisitive of the camera.
Cy being as handsome as ever.
Also being very inquisitive of the camera.
A closeup of Lucky’s eye.
And Terry watching the human caregivers walk by.
Hopefully the chimpanzees’ day helped you push through the hour that was lost. We hope you have a wonderful week ahead!
First Look
One of my favorite parts of every morning is the “first look” the chimpanzees take before they journey into the wide expanse of Young’s Hill. It’s that special quiet moment where they determine which direction they want to head out and which quadrant of their outdoor space they want to explore first.
Bonus! Willy B empties his giant Kong.
The Progression of Sleep
The Riverview and Oakwood greenhouses provide an incredible amount of warmth, even on snowy days. The chimps also seem to really love the vertical space! We often find them up high in the greenhouses grooming or taking a nap in the cozy snug greenhouse.
The progression of Dora falling asleep:
Terry and Cy having their heads together before grooming.
Terry with his dream-eyes.
Rayne holding her feet and laying in a nest.
Bonus photo! A silhouette of Annie laying next to Foxie.
Days like Today
After taking in several days of great weather, we are back to winter conditions. What started off as rain, quickly turned into snow, with it supposed to last throughout the afternoon and into the night. With a day like today, the chimpanzees are spending most of the day in their nests on the upper story, where it is nearly impossible to get any photos. But who can blame them. It’s the perfect day to just cozy up and nap.
I was able to get some sporadic photos here and there though.
Happy Birthday Willy B and All the March Birthdays
What a day of celebration! It’s Mardi Gras, spring is literally on the horizon, there are parties to be had, vegan beignets to eat…
Firstly, it’s Willy B’s 32nd birthday! And it seems each of the chimpanzee’s or bovine’s birthdays wouldn’t quite be the same without their friend and self-appointed birthday fairy godmother extraordinaire, Paulette Wrisley, sponsoring a day of sanctuary in their honor! (Our second generous sponsorship of the day!).
Paulette, thank you so much for your incredible generosity and loving heart for all who call the sanctuary home. We truly appreciate you helping to make Willy B’s special day, extra so.
To celebrate Willy B’s birthday and Fat Tuesday, Dr Erin baked some sugar-free vegan beignets with ground up dry coconut “powdered sugar.”
These were a hit!
It was very difficult to get photos of the birthday boy enjoying his with his powdered lips, but I was able to get one of Annie who also enjoyed the beignets!
Also on the menu for the birthday boy were mangoes.
Willy B also enjoyed one of his favorite food puzzles: Frisbee Puzzles.
And as Willy B’s party is winding down, we also want to wish Happy March Birthdays to all of you celebrating this month! Not only do you share your birthday season with big guy, Willy B, but also even bigger guy, Cy, who is turning 32 on March 12th.
As always, even when it sometimes feels most difficult, we get to be reminded there is also resilience and hope, beauty and imagination. (Note to selves: The chimpanzees are really good at showing us how this can look. And much to our grateful hearts, so are you).
Here are some additional photos from today!
Honey B enjoying her lunch.
Terry also enjoying his lunch.
No Words
No words today, just beautiful chimps.
