Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

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Missy’s 2016 Cle Elum Olympics

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Missy never ceases to amaze us with her feats of daring and Parkour. I think she lives out her own Olympic dreams every day, right here in Cle Elum. She rarely takes the easy way around, preferring to run, leap, climb and walk the tightrope to get where she wants to go. During a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill this morning, Missy started out with everyone else, but it didn’t take long for her decide she was going to take the firehouse from structure to structure, foraging in classic Missy style.

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On August 23rd, we are going to be celebrating Missy’s honorary 41st birthday! Technically, Missy’s in the older chimp ladies age bracket, but Missy makes her own rules and seems to grow younger in heart, mind, body and spirit with each passing season. We can’t wait to celebrate this amazingly wonderful chimpanzee woman on her special day!

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In celebration of Bill Walters’ life

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This special day of sanctuary was sponsored by Nicki Walters in memory of her husband, Bill. Nicki and Bill have been such wonderful friends to the chimpanzees over the years and we are so honored to celebrate Bill’s life with the chimps today. Bill had a great passion for animals and their well-being and he was also a long-time supporter and volunteer at PAWS Lynnwood. Nicki shared this special message:

“Today is the day that we celebrate Bill Walter‘s life. So I wanted the Chimps to be able to do the same since they brought him many smiles and were a source of happiness during many rough days as he fought Cancer. Knowing that they will be playing on a Monument dedicated to him, The Twister, gave him a lot of pride that his memory will be kept alive in such a fun way.”

If you’re new to the blog, you can also check out the unveiling of the Twister here.

Nicki, thank you so much for holding the chimps in your heart and giving them such a special day of sanctuary. Our hearts are with you and your loved ones. Words fall short in the face of such profound loss, but the difference Bill made for so many others with his life gives much to celebrate.

We are so moved by all that you, Bill and your friends have done to add to the chimps’ home and lives in a meaningful and lasting way. Bill’s spirit will always be present in the joy you’ve all brought the chimps and in all of the lives made better by his. We’ll think of him every time we see the chimps enjoying your amazing gift to them and especially when we see Jamie surveying her kingdom from the new heights of her beloved crow’s nest.

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Happy Birthday, Rachel!

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Rachel Ruggeri! Rachel is such a wonderful friend to the chimps and she shared this lovely message about today:

“The chimps at the sanctuary are always first every year to send me a birthday card. And that card makes my day! So in honor of them, I want to celebrate by starting my year off with a donation to them. Happy Birthday to us all!”

Rachel, thank you SO much for celebrating your special day by ensuring the chimpanzees’ lives remain full of comfort, safety, adventure, love, laughter and goofiness! Our hearts are full of gratitude for all you do for these seven amazing people. Happiest of birthdays to you and we all send you wishes and hoots for a beautiful year ahead!

Annie:

Annie with a huge playface (Missy's hand)

Burrito:

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Foxie:

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Jamie:

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Jody:

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Missy (Annie in foreground):

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Negra:

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Chow bags to go

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After breakfast was served this morning everyone took their chow bags to go, be it to work (Jamie walking the perimeter), explore (Foxie and her Doras), or just head back to bed (Negra). We serve the chimps two small bags of primate chow biscuits each after breakfast and lunch and the chimps are usually anxious to receive them. But Missy was so anxious to go outside that she didn’t even stay long enough to take both her bags! She took one and rushed up the hill behind Jamie before setting off on her own.

Jamie headed straight for her beloved lookout on Twister, below the crow’s nest, followed by Jody (at base of Twister), Burrito and Annie (in lower right corner). It didn’t take long for Burrito to realize he’d gotten himself into a long walk, so he stopped briefly to stuff BOTH bags full of chow into his mouth before continuing on his way with the others:

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Jamie and Jody at the top, as Burrito and Annie look around below:

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Jamie enjoying her chow while somehow managing to look cool and relaxed. That foot!!

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Missy quickly made her way to the top of Carlene’s Tower to enjoy her chow in solitude:

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Foxie initially stayed below and explored with her twin Dora dolls:

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But she eventually decided to follow the others up to the top of the hill and stopped briefly to toss the dolls on her back. This is how chimp mamas carry their children when on the go. We don’t know if Foxie does this as maternal behavior toward her dolls or if it’s just an easier way to carry them when she’s on the move, but nevertheless it’s always endearing.

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Happy Birthday, Kathy!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Kathy Sorensen!  The chimpanzees are so fortunate to have so many people who contribute to their lives in so many ways and we are so grateful. Kathy shared this beautiful message about today:

“I am sponsoring the chimps to celebrate my 60th birthday. I visited last year around my birthday and this year being a significant day for me I thought how better to celebrate! I get such joy each day from the group. Their new adventures and freedom are exciting and peaceful at the same time. I am so glad I found them and the organization.”

Happy Birthday, Kathy! Thank you so much for giving the chimpanzees this special day along with your own, helping to ensure that the hope, love, home and sanctuary made possible for them through people like you is something they get to celebrate and relish every single day of their lives. This was such a lovely thing to do and all of us here at CSNW hope you have the best birthday yet!  Thank you so much for sharing your life and your heart with these amazing chimps!

Jamie surveying her home from the crow’s nest of Twister:

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Missy and Jamie playfully brachiating (swinging arm over arm) through the green house:

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Jamie, Burrito, and Foxie patrolling the perimeter of Young’s Hill together:

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Jamie enjoying a magazine:

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Jamie nesting with a beloved cowboy boot:

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Happy Anniversary, Chris and Victoria!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Chris and Victoria Jensen as their anniversary gift to one another! Chris shared this message about today:

“My lovely wife Victoria and I have always loved animals. We currently have 2 Dachshunds, Sally and a rescue named Stitch. We decided to stop getting each other presents, and give to the causes we believe in. We really appreciate the work you do, giving the chimps back their lives must be very rewarding. The animals of the world need our help, we can’t help them all so we do what we can.”

Chris and Victoria, thank you so much for celebrating your special day by making a difference in the chimps’ lives! What an inspiring way to honor your lives together. Thank you for all you do for our fellow animals and we are so happy to celebrate with you! Happy Anniversary from all of us at Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW and we hope you, Sally and Stitch have a day filled with the love of family, comfort and home that you help provide the chimps with!

Best friends, Annie and Missy:

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Missy chase Annie

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