chimp

A shock from the past

February 6, 2016 by Diana

When I was gathering photos the other day for the Share the Chimp Love Video, I came across the photo below of Jamie and gasped out loud.

I think it’s been a few years since I saw this image, but it’s very familiar. It was taken in September of 2008, three months after the chimpanzees arrived to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. J.B. posted it to the blog back then.

It was one of the best photo portraits we had of Jamie, and we even used it for some early postcards that we made.

But looking at it now, it’s just not the Jamie of today.

Her cheeks were hollow and her eyes sunken. Her freckles were more pronounced – maybe because they hadn’t darkened from sun exposure yet. And the look in her eyes just wasn’t the determined, curious Jamie that we now know and love.

Compare that before photo with the one I included in the Share the Chimp Love Video, taken last summer:

Or these that I took this morning of Jamie getting the most out of a new book:

Nap Time

January 30, 2016 by Diana

I love taking photos and video of the chimpanzees running around, being active, and getting into mischief. Active chimpanzees are generally happy chimpanzees, and when I watch them explore and run I think of all of the years they lived in small cages.

There’s also something incredible, though, about watching the chimps truly relax.

Today the sun is streaming into the playroom and seems to be making Jamie and Negra very sleepy.

Jamie, in typical Jamie fashion, is curled up in her nest with boots and toys:

Of course, being Jamie, this nap is not going to last very long:

Negra is in her spot on the catwalk of the playroom in front of the window – feet up in the air:

Doesn’t this just make you want to join them in relaxing in the sun?

Just the right piece

January 28, 2016 by Elizabeth

There is no shortage of snow on the ground in Cle Elum, so the chimpanzees don’t have to step far outside for a cold snack. They don’t have to, but with this sunny weather they’ve been venturing farther and farther onto Young’s Hill just to grab a handful of snow and bring it back inside to eat. It seems the snow is just an excuse to have a quick outdoor adventure.

This morning Jody walked outside with purpose, climbed up onto the shaky bridge, gathered a very specific chunk of snow from the bridge, and immediately climbed back down and went back inside.

Bold Adventurers

January 23, 2016 by Diana

Jody, ever the forager, harvested some big handfuls of snow this morning:

This is determination:

Meanwhile, Jamie was passing Missy on a structure:

It looks like they are hatching some sort of secret plan:

Or maybe Jamie always looks like she’s cooking up something:

Encouraged by these bold adventurers, the humans (me + Anna, J.B., and interns Courtney and Anthony) headed onto the hill (with the chimps safely indoors) and plowed and shoveled some more pathways.

Missy chose a high vantage point:

While Jamie immediately checked out the new trail:

Annie chose to collect some more snow and call it a day:

Negra was likely keeping herself cozy indoors:

And Burrito and Foxie (sorry, no photos of them today), took quick forays to get snow snacks. All in all, a very nice day at the sanctuary.

P.S. The buoy / boat bumper ball lives on! Kathleen and Sherry’s predictions were better than some of us who thought it would be deflated by now.

Personality

January 21, 2016 by Elizabeth

Foxie is about 60% sweet…

and 40% sass:

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

January 20, 2016 by Katelyn

Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Michael Horton in honor of his sister, Shelly Horton, on her birthday! Michael shared this wonderful message about today:

“My sister is the biggest chimpanzee fan in the world. In lieu of pursuing a career in Primatology, which is something she always wanted and still wants, she chose to become a teacher so 10-year-olds across our community will always be aware of the plight of the chimpanzee.”

In having the good fortune of getting to know Shelly as one of our incredible supporters, it’s been so wonderful to learn of her long-time love and respect for chimpanzees. Through her dedication and passion to help bring awareness to the issues chimpanzees face, she helps inspire her daughter and students so that they might feel empowered to make a difference in the world around them. What an incredible gift to give, not only for the chimpanzees, but for a young generation that the future of chimpanzees will depend upon.

Michael, thank you so much for celebrating Shelly by making the chimps’ lives better! We appreciate all that you and your family do for them and are thrilled to honor Shelly here today!

Shelly, thank you for all the support you, Lainey, and your students have shown the chimpanzees, we so appreciate all that you do! Never underestimate the ripple effect your compassion will have in the world. All of the primates here at CSNW wish you the best birthday yet surrounded by all that makes your heart happy!! And to start your day off, we’re sharing photos of people in your life who I know do just that:

Shelly’s adorable daughter, Lainey, with her impressive stuffed primate collection, begun by her mom:

We recently shared copies of “A Chimpanzee Tale” by Karen Young with Shelly’s amazing 5th grade students in Texas. They made the chimpanzees a beautifully detailed Christmas tree and birthday cards for Burrito in celebration of his recent 33rd birthday! We so appreciate the care and interest these children show for the chimpanzees and are thrilled to see them making a difference in the chimps’ lives as they learn about the amazing beings we share the earth with.

And of course, Shelly’s handsome pal, Burrito:

Chimpanzee Strength

January 16, 2016 by Diana

Chimpanzees are naturally incredibly strong. This physical strength, combined with their tendency towards sudden aggression that J.B. touched on in his blog post yesterday, cautions humans who work around chimpanzees to be very, very careful. This is why when you do a quick internet search on “chimpanzee muscle strength,” the resulting articles are often tied to a report on a human who was attacked by a chimpanzee.

The text of this article from 2012 after an attack is particularly helpful in providing information about why chimpanzees are so strong, explaining that the muscle fibers closest to the bones are much longer and more dense in chimpanzees than humans, presumably making those muscles much more powerful.

When the chimpanzees arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in 2008, their muscles were atrophied or had never fully developed from lack of use, but all of the chimpanzees were still stronger (in many ways) than any of us humans could ever hope to be.

Jody Before — Jody on the day she arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

I often wonder what it felt like to use those muscles exploring their new sanctuary home. To feel them engage while running and climbing and displaying, and then to feel their strength building over time.