Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimp

Two months & a big announcement

by

A few days ago we reached a milestone – the chimpanzees have been at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest for two months. Decades in research, and now two months in sanctuary. So much has happened in that short time. We’ve learned so much about each of the chimpanzees, and they seem to be changing every day. Jamie has stopped plucking her hair, Foxie now handles enrichment and has displayed rudimentary nesting behavior, Burrito has been working on some really great displays in his expanded space, Jody’s hair is growing back in and she’s developing some muscle, Missy is playing all of the time, Annie is coming into ‘her own’ and standing up for herself, and Negra is enamored with the views out of the windows.

And now the big announcement – the chimpanzees will be in their outdoor area on August 26th!! I can’t wait to share photos and experiences of the chimps touching ground for the first time. Thank you all for you support – you’ve helped make all of this possible!

Raisin logs

by

Volunteer Pam made these raisin logs for the chimps – she drilled holes in the logs and stuffed them with golden raisins. With Jamie’s love of fruit, I’m sure you can guess who got most of the raisins, but the other chimpanzees managed to get some too.

Burrito with raisin log and Jamie pant-hooting in excitement:

Jamie with her collection and Annie looking on:

Here’s a photo of Foxie in front of one of the windows with a raisin log. She managed to get one right away and sequestered herself ‘upstairs’ as Jamie searched for more logs on the floor below (even though you don’t see Trixie in this photo, she’s there – right at Foxie’s feet. Foxie is still carrying her wherever she goes. If you don’t know who Trixie is, you are very behind in the activities of the Cle Elum Seven and you should read some previous posts 🙂

Foxie in window with raisin log

Post from the road

by

On the Road

Wednesday, June 11
1:30 p.m.

I am thrilled to finally be writing to you en route to the sanctuary. We began Day 1 in Pennsylvania with temperatures nearing 100 degrees. While the chimpanzees have a tough trip ahead of them, they do at least have air conditioning. Now in Day 2 of our trip, we are abandoning the a/c for heat – the temperatures in Minnesota are struggling to get out of the 50’s and the rain is incessant. We are keeping our fingers crossed Transport trailer parked - chimpanzees inside being given food and waterthat flooding in this area does not affect our trip.

The chimpanzees are in good spirits considering the circumstances. We stop to check on them and give them meals and treats every 3 to 4 hours, and they are of course happy to see us. We only wish there was a way to let them know that they have nothing to fear from this trip.

We are driving almost non-stop. With two drivers in each vehicle, we take turns driving and sleeping so the entire trip should take only 2 1/2 days. By Friday, the chimpanzees should be moved into the front rooms at the sanctuary, and if all goes well, they will soon be exploring their new play room and enjoying some of the wonderful gifts that our Open House guests delivered last week.

JB

ABC News story about Chimpanzees in Entertainmnet

by

Yesterday an article written by Ashley Phillips entitled “Scientists Criticize Use of Chimps in Media” was published. The full article is available here. Below are some excerpts:

Constantly using chimps for laughs leads the TV- and movie-viewing public to mistakenly believe that the animals aren’t an endangered species, a group of scientists that includes Jane Goodall said this week in Science.

In 2005 and 2006, two separate studies conducted by two different conservation organizations found the same thing: Visitors were more likely to believe that gorillas and orangutans were endangered than chimps. When asked why, the visitors all pointed to the use of chimps in the media.

This is obviously an issue that is very important to us, and this research illustrates one reason why it is wrong to use chimpanzees in entertainment. There are many other reasons which directly affect the individuals being used. Please visit primatepatrol.org to learn more and to sign up for action alerts. If you’re already signed-up, let us know about your advocacy on behalf of apes in entertainment.

Jody’s Eyes

by

This post was written by J.B., who also visited the chimpanzees at Buckshire in December.

The first thing that struck me about Jody, besides her diminutive size, was her gaze. She has large, soulful eyes that follow you intently. Though Jody is an active member of her social group, she is keenly interested in the comings and goings of the humans around her.

Jody was born in 1975. Little is known about her life prior to Buckshire, but it is believed that she was used in a circus. Like most chimpanzees in entertainment, she was discarded when she was no longer useful, and sold to a laboratory. There, she would spend decades as a breeder, producing yet another generation of chimpanzees for research. Jody eventually had 7 babies, each taken from her shortly after birth. For a chimpanzee mother, there is no greater tragedy than the loss of a child.

At Buckshire, Jody spends most of her time with her friends Foxie and Burrito. She has earned a reputation as a troublemaker, and if she needs someone to get into trouble with, Jamie is all too eager to help. But for the most part, Jody would rather play with her friends, and we eagerly anticipate the day when the chimpanzees can play together in their new home.

J.B.