Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
If you are signed up to our e-newsletter, you received a link to this video of the journey that Mave, Honey B and Willy B took to get to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, but we know you want to watch it again and again.
Help welcome them home by participating in the Summer Biddin’ Online Auction!! It lasts just a few days, ending on Tuesday, September 3rd.
The seven resident chimps have something new to occupy their time: neighbors.
With Willy B, Mave and Honey B settling in next door, Burrito and the gang were busy trying to peer through the cracks above and below the Howdy Door. Last week, we locked a metal insert into place so that the door is a solid barrier while the new arrivals are quarantined. This additional surface restricts their ability to interact and see each other, but chimpanzees from the two groups can still hear each other. This is especially noticeable whenever a chimp displays or hoots and the individuals in the adjacent area react accordingly.
As seen in the above video, Foxie was particularly nervous about the door today. She kept returning to it and listening until something happened to make her retreat. Burrito was also inspecting it periodically, usually with his hair piloerect.
On the other side, Willy B seemed interested in the door and occasionally drummed a response. Mave has a habit of politely knocking on the door with her knuckles. So far, only Honey B seems more invested in watching the human caregivers and exploring her new surroundings.
As the days go by and the quarantine period progresses, the prospect of beginning the introduction process grows closer. It’s difficult to determine how each individual will fare when allowed to meet a complete stranger. The Howdy Door and adjacent enclosures will help the integration of the two groups to be a gradual and controlled procedure, enabling us to cater the environment to each chimpanzee’s needs and preferences. This way, when the doors finally open and the groups merge, none of them will be strangers anymore.
Missy had a tomato-filled birthday yesterday! Watch the video (with Jody pop-ups) to see Missy enjoying her day.
The three new chimpanzees continue to charm us all. We’ll be sharing more stories about them in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. We’re so very grateful to have had this opportunity to get to know them and to have cared for Missy and her six friends for the last eleven years. Each of these chimpanzees is so very unique and special, and it’s a joy to see them discover themselves at the sanctuary.
The original Cle Elum 7 have had a relatively typical summer day in Central Washington. They’ve spent the day playing, napping and taking periodic “recess” breaks on Young’s Hill.
Foxie:
Jody and a fresh picked snack:
But despite the seemingly average day at the sanctuary, there has still been something that keeps drawing them back into the playroom for a quick and necessary investigation.
Jody doing her best to get a peek beyond the howdy door:
Willy B, Mave and Honey B are just out of sight (for now), but as soon as they get access to their new outdoor chute, the 2 groups will get a better view of each other from a little distance. In the meantime, the new 3 can get glimpses of the 7 from their view upstairs if the other chimps are on Young’s Hill. So far, it’s been a relatively quiet and peaceful transition for the newest sanctuary residents. Staff members are taking turns getting to know everyone and vice versa. We are all just so thrilled to welcome them to their new home and we can’t wait for what’s to come.
Here’s Mave today as she watched the driveway below the sanctuary:
And Honey B:
I have occasionally heard the word “enrichment” defined as items that are given to animals once their basic needs have been met.
In contrast, I think of enrichment as an entire philosophy, not just something extra that we do when our other work is done. For these chimpanzees and all other captive animals, enrichment is a basic need. Although survival would be possible without enrichment, thriving would not. Here at the sanctuary, every aspect of our daily routine, from meal preparation to cleaning, is done with the ultimate goal of keeping the chimpanzees happy and healthy. There is no easy way to group items or activities into “enrichment” or “not enrichment.” We just enrich everything.
In addition to distributing troll dolls, cowboy boots and slinkies, our team designs and builds new structures for the chimpanzees. The way in which we design and furnish the facility is considerate of the chimpanzee’s physical and emotional needs, and we often add or change components of the enclosures to keep the surroundings interesting and functional for the chimps. A great example is the network of firehose “vines” that transects the Playroom, Greenhouse, Hill, and new wing of enclosures. The video posted above shows how Jamie gets to use the firehose however she wants, giving her a greater degree of choice in addition to the obvious security and stability that such additions provide.
We’re also excited to share a photo of a new firehose hammock, modeled by Level III volunteer and CWU graduate student Chad. Several volunteers and interns helped staff and contractors to furnish the chimpanzee areas of the Phase 1 expansion with benches, firehose, hammocks, and ladders. The new hammock is hanging in the upstairs mezzanine enclosure, and will hopefully be enjoyed by the sanctuary’s newest residents once they arrive!
Today is also sponsored by good chimp friend, Meg Lunnum, in honor of Odd Man Inn. Meg is a wonderful supporter of, and advocate for, so many animals and shared this lovely message about her gift:
“I would like to recognize another vegan animal rescue, Odd Man Inn. Until I met the chimps, I never knew that animal rescues favored vegan environments. Now that I know this, I am way more aware of vegan and vegetarian facilities for animals. Wendy and Josh rescue various domestic animals from all kinds of situations. The day I visited they were on their way to rescue a single Muscovy duck that was on the Columbia River. Rescue was successful and Paco has been adopted! They have a three-legged pig, Melvin and a pair of rock doves/pigeons named “the Mister McGillicuddy’s”, who sit on a nest! Odd Man Inn reminds me of the enthusiasm and love that all those who care for and about the Cle Elum Seven have for the chimpanzees. As another note: I can’t wait for the new chimps to arrive…”
Thanks so much, Meg, for sharing Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge and the wonderful work they do! And for always including the chimpanzees as you help make a difference in the lives of so many animals. We all so appreciate you!
Miss Jody:
Negra:
Missy:
Today was all about hustle.
It began with few solid hours of continuous serving, shifting, checking, cleaning, and enriching. The morning team of volunteers (Keri, Jon and Miranda) made sure that tasks got done swiftly and thoroughly. The Playroom was scrubbed and disinfected, the meals were prepared and served, and the laundry was washed and dried. The vibe was contagious. Enthusiasm was in the air.
People went back and forth like worker bees droning around a hive. It was honestly a bit difficult to keep track of all the humans going from place to place, carrying out tasks and coordinating with each other. The staff spent the day furnishing the new chimp areas and attending meetings, Dr. Erin swung by for a visit, volunteer Lizz stopped by to serve the chimps’ lunch, volunteer Erin came in to prepare dinner and enrichment, and the whole team even found time to prepare some firehose for enrichment projects. Everyone was on a mission.
The bustle around the Chimp House continued through the afternoon and well past the chimps’ dinner, so I felt relieved when the chimpanzees allowed me to close off Young’s Hill, turn off the lights in the Playroom, and begin locking the Chimp House doors for the night.
My relief was short-lived, however, because Jamie wanted something. There she was, an ape silhouette behind the Playroom caging, gesturing at me to bring her something. I checked to see if she wanted boots, then books, then books about boots. She insisted on having something else.
I sat down near the caging and gave her a long plastic tool which she used to groom my shoelaces, inspect my tattoos, and poke at my freckles. She was entertained for a couple of minutes, but the diversion subsided and she began to demand something else. I took off one of my Timberlane hiking boots and managed to wiggle my foot halfway into a woman’s leather cowboy boot, which she seemed to find unimpressive. I even reached for a children’s book about monkeys jumping on a bed and read it aloud, showing Jamie the pictures as I went. I altered the story to make it about Jamie going to bed while I locked up the building and went home. She was not amused.
We caregivers always work in teams, and I soon had to ask caregiver Katelyn for help with appeasing Jamie. We rummaged around the kitchen and enrichment bins, trying to see the Chimp House from Jamie’s perspective and identify the object of her desire. Boots? Nope. Dolls? Meh. Another grooming tool? (-_-). Troll scarves? Closer. A raspberry? Close enough.
With Jamie (temporarily) satisfied by the tiny red raspberry, we quickly said “goodnight” and retreated from view.
There aren’t many captive chimps who demand as much from their caregivers as Jamie does. This weekend was fast-paced and full of activity, so it’s only fitting that Jamie gave us a little extra work on Sunday evening. We’ll see what she has on the itinerary for tomorrow.
