A few photos of the dinner fun. The Tofurky dinner was a big hit, and of course, everyone loves cranberry sauce. Oh! And shots of punch (see Negra in the third photo below). A day full of food grunting!
chimpanzee rescue
Party!
Here are a few photos from the party thus far. We really can’t thank you all enough for the gifts and donations you sent to make this day so special for the chimpanzees in Cle Elum. They certainly do love a party. Little does Burrito knows his birthday is just around the corner! Hope you’re having a great day too!
Merry Christmas morning!
Happy Holidays to all. The chimpanzees got stockings filled with goodies last night and they are coming in for breakfast now. We’re serving them a special treat – fruitcake (more like fruit bread)! Elizabeth just let me know that everyone came in and we’re ready to get the day started. I’ll serve breakfast, then we’ll clean the playroom and set up the party with all of the donated presents – thanks everyone for making the chimps’ celebration so festive! More soon!
Gearing up to party
Packages from good friends of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees have begun to arrive and volunteers are busy getting ready for the big celebration on the 25th. The chimps? Well, Negra is doing her thing.
Volunteer Denice wrapping gifts that Robbi sent and getting into the spirit of the  holidays. (Beware when Diana and a camera are in the chimp house 😉
Volunteer Deb making treats from wrapped tubes and supplies sent by Candy
Negra doing her blanket thing in front of a window in the playroom (soon – no bars on the window!) Photos taken by Sarah earlier today
Caregivers’ Use of Chimpanzee Behaviors
Having recently finished my master’s thesis, I thought this would be an appropriate venue for talking about my thesis topic: the use of chimpanzee behaviors and vocalizations by caregivers. At CSNW, the caregivers incorporate chimpanzee behaviors when interacting with the chimps. For example, during play, we exhibit chimpanzee playfaces, laughter and other playful behaviors. In addition, we use submissive behaviors when the chimpanzees display aggressive behaviors. Chimpanzees are excellent readers of nonverbal behavior. Some natural human behaviors, such as walking upright, swinging our arms, and smiling, are all aggressive/territorial behaviors to chimpanzees. Therefore, although they understand human behavior, to prevent a possible miscommunication, we use behaviors to let the chimpanzees know we are their friends, rather than trying to dominate them. Playing this submissive role has produced relationships that are centered around cooperation and friendship. In my thesis research, when caregivers used chimpanzee behaviors, the chimps spent more time interacting with the caregivers and used more playful and friendly behaviors. I see the effects of this everyday, and feel this simple thing has greatly improved these chimpanzees’ psychological wellbeing. So, next time you see a chimpanzee, whether it be at a zoo or a sanctuary, try giving them a chimpanzee head nod or a playface (you’ll see these behaviors in the video). They will be elated to know someone out there speaks chimpanzee! And being submissive when the chimpanzees are displaying (as seen in THIS video), lets them know that we aren’t threatening them and that we are their friends. It can make a world of difference.
$900 to go for the cageless view
We’re more than halfway to a new chimp-proof glass window. Anna Kircher kicked it off with the challenge pledge of $1000 and $600 more was pledged almost immediately. Thank you Anna for initiating this gift and to all who responded so quickly. Replacing one of the windows that currently has a safety cage over it with clear chimp-proof glass will make a significant difference in the lives of the chimps. And we only need $900 more! Please see Anna’s original post and the responses so far: https://chimpsnw.org/?p=3082
Thank you!!
Through The Looking Glass
Today was a really nice day, so I was able to give the chimps access to their Outdoor Enclosure and their Front Rooms while Elizabeth and I cleaned the Playroom. Almost everyone was playing outside at some point, and they were very interested in playing with us through the new glass window. This has been such a wonderful addition to the sanctuary. It must be SO nice to look out and not see bars! And they’ve created a very fun (and distracting!) new game to boot!