Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee rescue

Let’s Get It Started

by

Even though the chimpanzees enjoyed a fabulous day long celebration last Friday for Foxie’s birthday, they’re not done partying just yet. Life in the sanctuary today was sponsored in honor of supporter Erin Yuhas’ birthday. Erin also donated some fun enrichment items and decorations for today’s affair. Thank you, again, Erin for your generous gift! The chimpanzees seemed to thoroughly enjoy their breakfast forage in the greenhouse this morning.

Jamie was quite content to forage her breakfast:
web_Jamie_forage_party_streamers_GH_ek_IMG_2698

web_Jamie_sit_corner_eat_lime_look_toward_camera_GH_ek_IMG_2779

And to relax in the cool playroom after a successful party:
web_Jamie_relax_PR_ek_IMG_2780

Annie and Foxie took particular advantage of the chow forage included in breakfast. Here is Annie:
web_Annie_forage_party_GH_ls_IMG_1786

web_Annie_profile_forage_chow_GH_ek_IMG_2746

web_Annie_close_up_handful_chow_party_GH_ek_IMG_2751

And Foxie:
web_Foxie_hold_troll_forage_chow_party_GH_ek_IMG_2724

web_Foxie_forage_party_hold_troll_look_toward_camera_GH_ek_IMG_2731

Foxie also continues to enjoy the new troll dolls she has recently received:
web_Foxie_forage_chow_hold_new_troll_GH_ek_IMG_2739

Burrito tried to carry as much food as he could all at once:
web_Burrito_handful_limes_forage_walk_GH_ek_IMG_2729

web_Burrito_forage_party_handful_apples_GH_ek_IMG_2718

Missy found one good spot and stuck pretty close to it:
web_Missy_apple_mouth_look_up_hold_box_party_GH_ls_IMG_1807

web_Missy_box_profile_GH_ek_IMG_2760

web_Missy_eat_limes_forage_party_GH_ek_IMG_2759

While Jody was a woman about town this morning. She enjoyed the forage from the top of the greenhouse to platforms below and afterwards relaxed with a good book.
web_Jody_party_cup_close_up_GH_ek_IMG_2721

web_Jody_forage_open_box_party_GH_ek_IMG_2704

web_Jody_streamers_read_book_party_GH_ls_IMG_1876

Negra, who has just recently started showing an interest in enrichment items, took a definite shine to the donated stuffed monkey in these pictures. She carried it around with her for most of the day, bringing it to meals and napping with it in between.
web_crop_Negra_stuffed_monkey_GH_IMG_1821

web_Negra_nap_stuffed_monkey_party_GH_ls_IMG_1850

web_Negra_play_with_stuffed_monkey_catwalk_PR_ek_IMG_2803

web_Negra_nap_catwalk_stuffed_monkey_PR_ls_IMG_2790

A Surprise for Foxie

by

Tomorrow is Foxie’s 38th birthday, and we’ll be throwing a big party to celebrate. We’re going to fill her day with the stuff that makes her happiest, including this impressive collection of new troll and Dora dolls:

web_new_troll_dora_donations_for_foxie's_birthday_ek_IMG_2530

Foxie hasn’t seen the new dolls yet. We want them to be a surprise on her big day. Be sure to check back tomorrow to see how she likes them!

web_Foxie_sit_cute_bite_thumb_look_out_barn_doors_PR_ek_IMG_2508

web_Foxie_bite_thumb_look_at_camera_PR_ek_IMG_2511

web_Foxie_look_at_camera_PR_ek_IMG_2513

Night Bag Noises

by

Nightbags, or night bags, are the post dinner treat for the chimpanzees here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Jamie, Jody, Missy, Annie, Negra, Foxie and Burrito all love these nut-filled bags and each has a preferred practice for how to get the most out of these small but delectable treats.

The sound of the chimpanzees crunching on nuts and seeds is, in my opinion, the sound of satisfaction and a job well done. No other noise is more evocative to me of hope, love, home, and sanctuary. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Listen for yourself and decide.

Jody and plants

by

Jody loves plants, of all varieties. In the wild, chimpanzees are known as “frugivores” meaning the majority of their diet is made up of fruit. But they also supplement with leaves, bark, pith, seeds, nuts, honey, ants, termites, and in some communities they will even hunt small mammals. Though Jody loves the fresh produce we offer, she also likes to supplement throughout the day with plants.

Sometimes she forages for native plants that grow wild on Young’s Hill:
web_Jody_walk_carry_wild_plants_harvest_green_grass_YH_ek_IMG_0391

web Jody walk green grass plants in mouth YH (ek) IMG_8998

or she also loves to munch on bamboo that we have planted in the greenhouse and on Young’s Hill:
web_Jody_with_bamboo_harvested_from_YH_FR_4_ek_IMG_9600

web_jody_dead_bamboo_look_kd_IMG_0062

web_jody_forage_bamboo_jb_IMG_1240

and other times she likes to collect plants we put out as a forage. The other day she collected some pea tendrils from our garden:
web_Jody_carry_pea_tendrils_forage_yh_dg_IMG_1395

web_Jody_sit_doorway_y_eat_pea_tendrils_gh_dg_IMG_1406

web_Jody_sit_doorway_y_eat_pea_tendrils_gh_dg__MG_1408

Today she found a mouthful of cattails and took them inside to enjoy at her leisure:
web_jody_cattail_forage_yh_dm_IMG_1563

(and she even found some leftover pea tendrils from the other day, too!)
web_jody_cattail_pea_tendril_forage_yh_dm_IMG_1569

Jody_sit_pea_tendrils_eat_gh_dg_IMG_1401

Negra’s lips

by

One of my favorite blog posts is one that J.B. posted about the stages of Negra’s lips drooping. I think her heavy lips are one of her more endearing qualities, wouldn’t you agree?

web_Negra_heavy_lip_close-up_gh_dg_IMG_2145

web_Negra_heavy_lip_close-up_gh_dg_IIMG_2146

web_Negra_heavy_lip_arms_crossed_close-up_gh_dg_IIMG_2153