Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Connections Made and Lost

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Working at a chimpanzee sanctuary, I never anticipated the number of (human) people I would get to know. I like to say, because I believe it is verifiably true, that the chimpanzees have brought the most amazing people into my life.

No one has ever called me a social butterfly, but even an introvert like me has managed to develop unexpected relationships over the years with those who hold the chimpanzees in the hearts. I can’t help but respect people who love the chimpanzees. Even if I don’t know donors very well, I think about them often.

Because of our sponsor-a-day and personalized/memorial stone fundraising programs, we learn about the people (human and non) in the lives of donors who they love and, often, who they have lost. It’s an intimate view that we wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s something that is special way beyond the dollars that are generated to help care for the chimpanzees.

When donors themselves pass, sometimes we find out because relatives make donations in their honor and sometimes, because we’ve had a personal connection to them at some point, we find out like any friend or acquaintance would – through the heartbreaking announcements that those left behind make in order to inform everyone that someone irreplaceable is gone.

This year we have received far too many of those announcements. I don’t feel it’s the sanctuary’s place to pass along this information outside of the circle of people who are directly connected, but I’m so glad that we have ways to honor them in non-public ways.

To anyone who has lost someone this year, my heart goes out to you. To all of the donors who have passed this year, thank you for being the generous being you were and for spreading your light.

Today was a gorgeous day at the sanctuary. Before the humans arrived, I saw on the remote camera that Willy B and Burrito were sitting in front of a window grooming up on the catwalk of the playroom, silhouetted by the gentle morning light. These guys have been somewhat reserved with each other the last few days. There haven’t been any raucous games of chase or wrestling, like on Wednesday when they first got together, but today they had at least three quiet grooming sessions.

Mave, Honey B, and Negra spent some of the morning relaxing in the greenhouse before I shifted everyone to allow the “Girl Gang” to have some time on Young’s Hill.

J.B. snapped these winning photos.

Jamie

 

Jody and Foxie having a moment of excitement together.

 

Missy looking strong and contemplative.

If you are familiar with our now rather-complicated building, you might wonder how Jamie, Jody, Foxie, Missy, and Annie got onto the hill without disrupting Willy B and Burrito. And the answer is, they did disrupt them. We decided it was time for a little disruption. The girl gang went out through the chute, right past the playroom where Willy B and Burrito were together.

They guys spied on them through the windows and did some (separate) displaying, but overall there wasn’t as much drama as I was anticipating, given that they haven’t seen each other in a while.

It was a good day.

 

The Gang Goes Counterclockwise

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Chimpanzees thrive on routine.

Of course, we don’t want every day to be exactly the same for them. As caregivers, we strive to provide the chimps with an enrichment program that balances variety and predictability, which is a never-ending challenge. The result is that we work hard each day to facilitate a range of new experiences for the chimpanzees within the framework of a regular schedule. Knowing what’s going to happen next helps the chimps to plan ahead, make choices, and be agents of their own comfort and happiness.

Jamie enjoys boomer balls, an enrichment device that we prepare once every few weeks. The chimps get some form of enrichment device each morning, but the type varies from day to day.

With so many new events occurring at the sanctuary, sticking to a familiar routine also seems to help the chimps adjust to each change. For example, even though Jamie and the Girl Gang are now residing in a previously unfamiliar area of the Chimp House, we still provide them with their favorite enrichment items at the same time each morning, serve their meals on the same schedule, and open the hydraulic gate each day so that they can explore Young’s Hill.

Fall at the sanctuary (Note: there’s a wild Nutmeg hidden in the background)

We’ve had some perfect fall weather for the past few days, and the Girl Gang (Annie, Foxie, Jamie, Jody and Missy) have been eagerly spending time outdoors. Just this weekend, J.B. and a group of committed volunteers built a new multi-level wooden structure on Young’s Hill. As Kelsi noted yesterday, the females were quick to investigate this new addition to their habitat. Even though nobody modified or enhanced the structure overnight, the girls needed some extra time today to reacquaint themselves with the new tower.

Annie warms up in the sun.
Foxie surveys the landscape from the highest perch.
Jamie conducts what appears to be an OSHA inspection.
Jody squats on the fresh grass growing around the tower.
Missy hangs out on the lower deck of the multi-tiered platform.

The new structure is located near the entryway into the chute. Now that they’re in the new area, Jamie and the others access Young’s Hill via the chute and therefore begin their patrols over on the southeast corner of the enclosure. Even though their patrols no longer start over by the Greenhouse door, they still walk in the same clockwise direction as they have since they first started exploring the Hill almost a decade ago. I have never seen them patrol in a counterclockwise direction. Just a few days ago, I jokingly asked J.B. if we could try to get Jamie to walk counterclockwise around the Hill with us. He dryly answered “No. You can’t do that.” We agreed that Jamie has a routine and it would be a crime to disrupt it.

So, when I opened the hydraulic door and the chimps hustled out of the chute onto the Hill, the unthinkable happened.

*** Imagine that the iconic jingle from the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia title card is playing right now ***

Anna and I were quite stunned when all five of the females started plodding their way uphill along the southeastern boundary of the enclosure. Missy led the charge, of course, but Jamie seemed a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. She started to follow the others, then fell behind, and was soon looking back at Anna (who was watching the events unfold from outside the electrified fence).

Sure enough, Jamie returned to the bottom of the slope and began to patrol in her normal clockwise pattern, gesturing at Anna to follow along. She encountered the others about halfway up the northwestern boundary and it was hella awkward. As Jamie trudged past each of the others, they had to stop and greet each other with a touch and a chimp kiss. Then they all just stood there, lined up along the fence, and watched her defiantly continue up the slope on her own.

Jamie passes Missy…
…and Annie…
…and Jody…
…and then leaves everyone behind…
…including Anna.

Jamie seemed a little off after that, because she abandoned her patrol, ditched Anna in favor of the Twister, and cut straight through the bamboo forest on her way back to the chute. Jamie can handle wildfires, social integrations and even snakes, but going counterclockwise around the Hill is too much.

This exemplifies the power of routine. Some chimps, such as Jamie, have personalities that seem to thrive on discipline and repetition. She likes to be in control. She did three patrols today, walking at the same pace in the same clockwise direction using the same path. The other four females, who tend to be more easygoing, didn’t seem scared by the idea of hiking the trail backwards.

Of course, there is the possibility that Jamie, like Derek Zoolander, cannot turn left. Let’s not rule that out.

Rain, nap, repeat

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The rain has poured down all day long here and is expected to continue through the night. It’s predicted to be sunny and a bit warmer the rest of the week so until then the chimps have been napping, grooming, enjoying pineapple coconut juice water buckets, food puzzles and some silly games with the humans as they continue to rest, recover and wait out the rainy day.

Burrito preparing for his after breakfast nap:

Cabin Fever

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My blog days always seem to be the quietest (e.g., last Sunday), which is odd given all the drama we have been experiencing lately. As we’ve mentioned, the chimps have been resting and recuperating after an attempt to introduce the remaining chimps did not go as hoped on Wednesday.

Because we rushed to separate the chimpanzees after severe fights repeatedly erupted in the Playroom, they ended up in slightly unusual social and spatial configurations. Burrito is physically isolated in one part of the building, with visual and auditory contact with the chimps in the Playroom. In there, Negra was effortlessly reintegrated with Honey B, Mave and Willy B and has been in her preferred state of passive cohabitation with them ever since. On the other side of the “Howdy Door,” in the newer wing of the building, Annie, Foxie, Jamie, Jody and Missy are spending time exploring the novel surroundings and trying to glimpse their familiar neighbors.

We’ve been giving the group of five females access to Young’s Hill via the outdoor chute. Today, however, the weather was damp and chilly and they spent most of their time goofing around in the Mezzanine.

Overall, things have been a bit odd lately. We’re planning on using this weird arrangement to the chimpanzees’ advantage, however, by giving certain individuals more opportunities to get to know each other. The tentative plan is to keep moving forward with the integration of the two groups, albeit in a more gradual and controlled manner. For now, we’re letting the chimpanzees hang out with their closest friends and (metaphorically and literally) lick their wounds.

Burrito was bitten a few times during Wednesday’s scraps and is probably sore from all the running, jumping, flailing and screaming (because, in case you haven’t heard, chimp fights can be physically and emotionally intense, even between friends). Although he immediately reconciled with Willy B and recovered quickly in spirit, he has needed some time to recuperate without the excitement and tension of another introduction. He definitely seems interested in the chimpanzees occupying the adjacent spaces, so we’re all eager for him to be back in the mix when he’s back to full strength. He certainly acts like he’s ready.

He’s also been taking some incredible naps. He’s not a skilled builder of nests, so volunteer Erin crafted a blanket nest for him during routine cleaning this morning. He loved it.

Burrito isn’t the only one eager for the next steps. The chimps are certainly aware of their neighbors, and most seem to be anxiously anticipating their next opportunity to interact. Willy, for example, continues to listen to the neighboring females from the safety of the Playroom. We’re not sure how the next meeting will go, but we’re continuing to be hopeful and trust that the chimps will figure it out eventually.

The business of being a chimp. And the business of being a human.

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Someone once said to me upon hearing of some particularly stressful aspect of our work (I don’t even recall what, I think we were preparing for a medical intervention for one of the chimpanzees), that they were “surprised.” They thought we all “just stood around holding hands and singing Kumbaya.” Ah. A once soul felt call for divine intervention from oppression and suffering taken from its suspected origins of the enslaved ancestors of the Gullah Geechee people in Georgia, to its then soft-voiced folk appropriation in the name of peace and solidarity, now used more often as an eye-rolling, head-shaking, somewhat barbed reference to considered…naivety? Cockeyed optimism? For many reasons, I wasn’t sure whether to be curious or annoyed. I think I fell somewhere in the middle, which is where I suspect the comment was meant to land.

My thoughts have snagged on that barbed memory these weeks as we navigate the pure, undiluted stress, exhaustion, joy, fear, and well, reality, of introductions with the chimpanzees. I think we’ve all hinted to these expected and unexpected challenges in varying degrees in our blogs lately. Diana spoke beautifully and openly to this just the other day in her blog post. And I think one of the biggest personal challenges for most of us, certainly for me personally, is the aspect of personal responsibility. Knowing intellectually that we are making the best decisions we can for the chimpanzees doesn’t negate the weight on your heart for being one more human controlling their lives, putting them in situations that aren’t easy for them, that cause unavoidable stress, fear and discomfort, and probable injury.

Chimpanzees are loving, gentle, sensitive, joyful, nurturing, creative, highly emotional and intelligent beings. And they can also be violent and unpredictable faster.than.you.can.blink.an.eye. Literally. Even toward their friends. It’s the business of being a chimp. (Also a human, I might add). And as a side note, reason No. 189 chimps aren’t pets and never ever should be. But in the end, I envy chimpanzees and their nature of unapologetically expressing exactly what they feel at any given time, then promptly sorting it out and moving along. It’s also the business of being a chimp. (But not so much a human, I might add).

So while our chests clench and we hold our breath as we witness the chimps scream, fight and come up against their own comfort levels, fears and social skills, we also hold our hearts as we witness increasingly amazing moments. Like arriving in the morning to see Honey B and Negra playing a slow game of chase upstairs. Or watching Jamie and Mave become increasingly inseparable as we marvel at Jamie’s ability to finally forge a true bond with someone of her own species. Or seeing Honey B reach out to Missy for reassurance after a fight, watch Missy place her hands gently on Honey B’s arms as Honey B held her mouth to Missy’s brow and then, see Missy slowly take Honey’s arm and wrap it around her back in an embrace. My hand flew to my heart, I teared up over that one. Even though it meant something different to me than them, me knowing their mother-daughter connection, it was no less powerful or moving. Especially seeing the distance they’ve come going from avoiding one another completely to more often than not being seen playing chase or just sitting quietly with one another. Or to see dear Annie who spent the better part of the first week of introductions screaming at the top of her lungs, intensely breathy-panting and grunting at Willy B while grabbing his feet in some socially awkward over-the-top play and reassurance gestures while huge, massive Willy B sat quietly wiggling his feet, letting her be herself.

We have a long way to go and some more tough days ahead. But I am so proud and in awe of Mave, Willy B, Honey B, Jamie, Jody, Foxie, Burrito, Missy, Annie and Negra. And I’m proud and in awe of the far-reaching team of humans standing in the wings, doing everything we can think of for the chimps and holding the space, trusting they’ll figure it out. Trusting we will all figure it out.

The chimps spent the better part of this day quiet, lounging in the sun, grooming, resting and eating. Not a lot of which was done within camera range. But here’s Willy B enjoying the view from the top of the toasty greenhouse:

And Foxie peeking over her doll, nap interrupted:

A Break in the Action

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Nothing exciting or noteworthy happened today.

That’s an exaggeration. We do, after all, have to manage a newly integrated group of chimpanzees and even the most stable groups of chimps have their drama.

Compared to the last few days, however, today was quite calm. There were some short bouts of screaming and slapping and lots of pant-grunts, but the arguments weren’t as loud and didn’t last as long. Honey B tried to extend one of the arguments by spitting water in Jamie’s face, but Mave acted as the referee long enough for Willy B to scatter everyone with a charge and a display. This situation, along with all the other conflicts, deescalated quickly. I don’t know if this stabilization marks a shift towards acceptance or if it is merely an aberration. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the chimps return to a more boisterous and confrontational state tomorrow.

Either way, today felt like a break and I’m taking what I can get.

Here are some photographs from today, along with a few from the past week. I hope that you all enjoy them.

Jamie grooms Mave this morning.
Honey B takes to the railing while playing with Negra this morning.
Jamie and Willy keep an eye on the Greenhouse today.
Jody pant-grunts at Willy B as he walks by.
Mave gently touches and grooms Jody.
Mave reassures Willy B during last week’s integration event.
Missy watches breakfast from her perch in the Greenhouse this morning.
Nutmeg
Meredith
Betsy
Honey

Trust Them

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I’m not going to lie, these last few weeks have been really challenging for all of the primates here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, and the challenges are not over.

Before you read this lengthy post, or after you read it, consider supporting the staff fundraising page now or on Tuesday, October 15th for Giving Day for Apes. We would really appreciate your support and friendship right now!

Intellectually, we humans knew that integrating the new three with the original group of seven chimpanzees would be stressful, but I’m not sure any of us knew just exactly how stressful it would be. Caring for captive chimpanzees is a weighty responsibility on an average day. For me, integrations have highlighted the added responsibilities that the sanctuary has taken on now and in the future.

We are a small sanctuary compared to many others, which means each staff member is part of the integration process and veterinarian Dr. Erin is playing the crucial and also stressful standby role in case someone gets injured.

Things are going remarkably well, but there have been fights with a couple of minor injuries. Chimpanzees do not generally hold their emotions back, as you have seen in the two integration videos we’ve shared. They scream when they are anxious, scared, angry, offended, or even just really happily excited. Since screaming is a high-arousal state, there’s more of a chance for fights to happen. And that’s just on a normal day with a group of chimpanzees who have known each other for a long time. Throw in complete strangers and the need for some of the chimps to stake their position within the group, and fighting is bound to occur. It’s just part of chimpanzee social behavior.

There are various levels of fighting. Often fights are loud and dramatic but without contact between participants. We know from the last eleven+ years, that sometimes the fights do result in fairly significant (at least significant from our human perspective) injuries. Aside from bites to the body, which are not infrequent but generally not concerning, both Negra and Jody have had toes bitten off, Jody had an eyelid torn, Missy had a large split to her lip, and several of the chimps are missing parts of their ears to bites that happened at the sanctuary or before they came here. It was only a few weeks ago when Burrito bit part of Foxie’s ear off, as described in this worth-your-read blog post by Anna. That incident seemed to be a sudden reaction to who-knows-what and happened in an instant. Since then, Burrito and Foxie have been friendly and playful with each other and we still consider them very close, which is why they will join the group together when we feel it’s time.

These injuries are rare enough that I can name them very quickly, but they certainly stand out in the minds of the humans, particularly when they have required us to separate the injured in order to provide medical help. You might be surprised what it takes for us to intervene. Chimpanzees are tough! They can casually walk around with an injury that would make any human I know go to the ER in a panic. When Jody lost her toe during a fight years ago, we gave her some analgesics and some antibiotics and she carried on as though nothing had happened.

So far we haven’t seen these more serious injuries during the introduction process, but it’s what we brace ourselves for when we hear the chimpanzees starting to scream. There’s not a whole lot that we can do to stop a fight from escalating but you can be sure we are standing by and watching. As much as possible, we try to stay out of the fight as we watch. Often the chimpanzees will approach us from the other side of the caging and ask for reassurance. Because we can’t actually back them up, it would be a mistake to reach out with a reassurance gesture in those moments. It’s not our place to take sides.

The best piece of advice that Amy Fultz from Chimp Haven has given us is to trust in the chimpanzees. They are meant to live in groups and they can usually work things out. The fact that all of the chimpanzees so far dived into the new group situation without hesitation, eagerly embracing each other upon meeting, bodes well for their future relationships. There are no guarantees, but there are so many good signs so far.

The potential benefits of bringing them together and allowing them to work things out are huge. Each of them will have an expanded social network. They all will have more options for who to groom, play with, or just sit next to at lunch. For chimpanzees who will spend the rest of their lives in captivity, this is a big deal.

While I wish I could take away every bit of everyone’s anxiety, that anxiety is part of being a social primate too. I remember being terrified on the first day of school as a kid. I wanted to meet new people but I was worried I wouldn’t fit in on day one or ever. I was sure the whole experience was going to be a disaster. Within a few days, though, things were fine and I had already made friends or reconnected with kids I hadn’t seen all summer. Eventually, I formed strong friendships with certain people, and those friendships were invaluable to my overall wellbeing, enriching my life like nothing else possibly could.

That is what we hope we can provide for all ten of these chimpanzees who we care for so deeply.

We know there will be fights in the future, but we also know there will be laughter, play, making nests next to each other, and the sharing of everyday happenings and not-so-everyday adventures. We have already seen some very touching and unexpected moments, like the play between Missy and Willy B and Willy B and Negra in the video above. Seeing potential friendships starting to build is so exciting!

I would love to skip ahead to the days of zero anxiety, but, in the meantime, I will keep reminding myself to trust them.

Did I mention that we humans would really appreciate your support and friendship right now? There’s actually a lot of sanctuary people you can support now or on Tuesday for Giving Day for Apes – the staff, the board of directors, and the volunteers and interns. Or just give on the main page! All donations from all pages will go to the care of the chimpanzees and the running of the sanctuary. 

Thank you!