Volunteer caregiver Becca brought out the mister today, and it was a hit (though Jody wasn’t sure at first).
chimp sanctuary
Dining al fresco
It was so beautiful today I almost hyperventilated. That said, it was by far the hottest day we’ve had this year with a sudden temperature rise to the upper 80’s so the chimps and the humans are still adjusting and taking things slow and easy. Well, the chimps are anyway!
Keri and I thought it would be a great day for a lunch forage on Young’s Hill. The chimps have continued to enjoy the current local bounty of lilacs so we’ve been adding those to forages as well. (Foxie has decided this year that she LOVES them!! She wants absolutely nothing to do with the leave or stems, but happily munches the flowers).
At first everyone was a little reluctant to run out into the sun, but once they realized lunch al fresco was awaiting them, they all ran out together. Burrito, Foxie (that foot!) and Annie:
Annie foraging bipedally and Negra in the foreground:
Negra:
Foxie (with Dora in her mouth):
Burrito:
Jody:
Missy:
Jamie:
Sometimes life is astoundingly beautiful.
Feeling Silly
One of the worst parts of this job is having to watch the chimps be so dang happy all the time.
Little Cage to Big World
It’s amazing how much someone’s world can grow in a few years.
For Jody and all the mamas
The weekend of celebrations continues in the chimp house today as we celebrate not only Mother’s Day, but beloved Jody, on her 42nd honorary birthday!
I was in my gracious neighbor’s magical backyard bright and early this morning, heisting two armfuls of lilacs. Many of the chimps enjoy smelling and eating them and even now, late in the day, the scent of fresh lilac occasionally is wafts through their home.
We started the celebration off with a beautiful breakfast forage of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, watermelon, and baby bananas on a bed of lettuce, strawberry and banana smoothie, and more sparkling cider.
The greenhouse was bright and sunny as we set up the party. Pineapple tops are a favorite of the birthday girl so we hoped Jody would find this pokey treat:
And she did:
Nothing says party like shoving an entire pokey pineapple top in your mouth:
Dora had a gift for someone:
Foxie gazing at Dora while enjoying her fresh lilacs and melting my heart into a big ol’ puddle:
Annie enjoying a party plate:
For Jamie, parties are even (or maybe I should say especially) serious business. She was methodically looking for her favorites and keeping a watchful eye on the three pinatas hanging from the ceiling until she could get to them. Jamie loves a challenge so this was her kind of party:
The lilacs are quite popular with a few of the girls and Annie was doing her best to collect some on the sly while avoiding the eyes of the more dominant Missy and Jamie and she collected quite a few:
Gorgeous Missy enjoying a treat box:
Burrito was a wild man all morning long. Riling up the girls, rattling the caging, displaying throughout the chimp house. Pretty much normal stuff, but with an extra dash of wild today. But he did find time to settle down and enjoy the company of his friends on their special day and even went to Annie’s defense to reassure her when she got yelled at for picking the “wrong” lilac:
Burrito and Foxie:
And then there’s Negra, who ended the celebration by collecting all the lilacs she could and winding up with a beautiful bouquet:
Mother’s Day is a special day at the sanctuary. If you’re new to the blog and just learning about the chimps, we only know that Jody was most likely born in the wild sometime in 1975. We chose this day to celebrate Jody in honor of the nine infants she gave birth to, but who were stolen from her during her time in biomedical research. With the exception of Jamie and Burrito, all of the chimps residing here had children and were denied the right to raise them. So today, with full hearts, we honor each of the chimps, their loss of their own mothers, and their children who lost the opportunity to grow up with their amazing mothers. You can learn more about each of their stories here.
Mother’s Day can feel like a bittersweet celebration here at times. But what I am finding is that with each passing year, as we’re astounded and privileged to witness the strength, healing and resiliency of these amazing beings, the pain of knowing the horror they endured for so long starts to fade into the shadows, eclipsed by the incredible light of each of these special souls. While we will always honor all they’ve been through, it’s really become about celebrating all they’ve overcome as unique individuals, the hope and joy they embrace each day with, and the family you’ve made possible for them to have. I hope with all my heart that they feel the same.
Happy Birthday, beautiful Jody!! We love you so very much!! And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there! And I really think that’s all of us in some shape or form. 🙂
Trying Something New
Almost six years after Young’s Hill opened, there are still parts of the two-acre outdoor habitat that Negra hasn’t explored. She seems to feel safer and more comfortable with a roof over her head. When she does go outside, she tends to stick close to the building in case she gets spooked and needs to run back inside quickly.
You can imagine our surprise and joy this afternoon as we watched Negra venture clear up to the top of Young’s Hill and plant herself calmly on a mound of wild greens. She had never been on this part of the hill before but she didn’t seem to be worried about that. The whole sanctuary held its breath as we stopped and watched in awe. She looked so small up there.
After awhile she crossed a log bridge and continued her exploration.
She stopped in to sample the grass growing under Twister.
You can just see Negra under the structure on the left, with Foxie on the right.
Eventually it was time to make her way back down the hill, but she was in no hurry.
The Queen appears
The second I opened the door to Young’s Hill this morning all the chimps immediately filed out together (minus Negra) and made their way up Young’s Hill:
As I was watching them I noticed they all occasionally paused to glance back toward the greenhouse, particularly Missy:
When I finally looked to see what they were watching for, the Queen herself emerged. Spring at the sanctuary means the return of swooping swallows and raucous birdsong, wildflowers, neon green grass, bees, butterflies and HRH (Negra) on Young’s Hill. Negra didn’t need to venture far to find a lush patch of her beloved spring grass:
She was immediately so relaxed, she sat with her royal drooped lip and took in the morning sights, sounds and sun:
Then she went back to her private grass forage:
Negra was only outside for about 5 minutes, but for her, that seemed enough to fill her with contentment and she headed back to the greenhouse. As I passed by a minute later I saw her climbing to the toasty top platform with an armful of blankets for her morning nap. The life of a Queen:
