Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee rescue

Happy Birthday, Nancy and Darrell!

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This day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees was sponsored by Krissy Brasfield, one of our amazing chimp house volunteers, in honor of her parents, Nancy and Darrell Brasfield! Krissy shared this lovely note about her gift:

“I’m sponsoring this day in honor of my folks’ 75th birthdays! Mom’s is today, the 27th, dad’s was on the 25th. My folks are both very compassionate animal lovers, and passed that love on to me. Now, they are living vicariously through my volunteer experience at CSNW – reading the blog, watching the videos, and listening to me yammer on incessantly about every little detail about my new chimpanzee friends! I hope that they get the opportunity to visit the sanctuary some day! I love you, mom and dad! Happy Birthday!”

Krissy, you so clearly hold the chimpanzees in your heart and consistently think of ways to contribute to their lives. From our hearts, thank you for all you do.

Nancy and Darrell, happiest of birthdays to you both from all of the primates here at CSNW! We’re so glad to be able to celebrate your special days with you!

The boss of Krissy (and us all), beautiful Jamie:

On one occasion this winter when we were running low on snow at the sanctuary, Krissy made a special snow delivery for Burrito from the next town over!

Annie, Missy and Foxie:

Chasing Happiness

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Snow one day. Warm(ish) weather the next. This has been the weather pattern this winter. When we drive up to the sanctuary on the mornings with a fresh layer of snow that accumulated over night, we usually walk in to the sounds of Burrito excitedly trying to get our attention. He usually wants the freshest of snow. On the days when the weather is warmer and the snow begins to melt (like today), there always seems to be more sense of urgency to get our attention to hurry us to bring him as much snow as he can hold.

Even when you think there is no possible way he could want any more snow, he let’s you know it is definitely not enough.

Later, when the group of seven went on Young’s Hill this morning, Missy and Jody began a game of chase.

When Jody was done playing, Annie tagged in and a pretty epic game of chase and foot grab.

On the other side of the Chimp House, Willy B was in a super playful mood. He wore out the staff and volunteers in long games of chase. I had to sneak these photos of Willy B during one of his breaks from his games.

Honey B, on the other hand, decided which enrichment she wanted to use.

In the end, she chose to bundle up in a sweater she was given this past Christmas.

Watching the chimps decide which enrichment they want to use is one of the best moments. As Honey B did today, she picked up several enrichment items, inspected them each carefully, and decided what she wanted.

But the best enrichment is a grooming session with your friend in your fort.

Jody on a Mission

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Today was The Big Melt, or at least One Big Melt (more snow is on the way according to the forecast). The roof was dripping all day and the patches of snow on the ground seemed to grow smaller with each passing minute.

For Jamie’s group of seven, that meant time on Young’s Hill.

I was going to write out a whole narrative to go along with these sequential photos below, but I thought I’d let you all enjoy them on their own and write the narrative yourselves.

It starts with a determined Jody (as seen at the top of the hill behind the yellow bamboo in the photo at the top of this page).

Missy background, Jody foreground (hiding behind the structure)
a blurry, still determined Jody in the foreground with Missy behind her
Jody with the ice, Missy facing her

Missy in the foreground after Jody had passed, Annie in the background

I don’t know for sure, but I would bet that Jody did not share any of her ice ;).

Later in the day, we opened up the doors from the chute to the fenced-in courtyard for Willy B’s group of three. Mave approached confidently, but turned back around before getting to the end of the chute. Honey B insisted on grooming all of the humans who seemed to be standing around for no reason, and Willy B went to the top of the chute, looked down, and then went back inside to play chase with Kelsi.

So, today was not the day for the three to bravely explore their outdoor habitat, but we will keep offering them the chance.

An Edible Landscape

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Yesterday, Diana and myself shoveled pathways onto Young’s Hill. It was still pretty cold outside, and we didn’t see any of the chimpanzees go out. After a day and some sun, the snow began to slightly melt. With some wider paths created with the melting snow, the chimpanzees decided to venture out today. Negra (of all people) was the one waiting by the door to Young’s Hill and was very eager to head out. After a few feet, she realized she was alone and reached out to Annie for some reassurance, which Annie obliged.

Once reassurance was given, Negra was okay.

Once Annie was out, she was immediately followed by Missy and Foxie.

For Negra, Foxie, and Missy, their first order of business was to sit in the sun on the platform and take in the snowy landscape.

Annie, on the other hand, went straight for Negra’s Cabin.

Annie seemed quite cozy there and stayed in Negra’s Cabin for some time. For the others though, there were was a bounty of edible landscape to be had. Foxie decided to take her bounty on the go.

And like the den mother she always is, Jody had to monitor those out on Young’s Hill to ensure they came back safe.

We just passed out their nighttime enrichment (Kongs) to wrap up today. Jamie grabbed her Kongs and bolted for Young’s Hill before I could close it.

She just returned and seems pleased with her last patrol of the day. The rest of the chimpanzees are already snug in their nests and I can see on our security monitors Jamie has started to grab some blankets of her own. Until next time, friends!

Cuddle Puddles and Tricky Puzzles

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There was a lot of activity in the Chimp House on this busy Sunday, but this post just focuses on the happenings in the newer part of the sanctuary’s main building.

In that wing of enclosures, Honey B, Mave and Willy B have continued to settle in and seem to grow more comfortable with each passing day. Mave, of course, is an expert nest-builder and can make herself comfortable in any place, at any time, and with any partner. This was true on her road trip from California, it was true when we introduced her to a group of strangers, and it remains true each and every morning.

Willy B

During the late morning hours, Mave sprawled out on the heated floor in a beam of sunlight and lazily picked through the remnants of breakfast. She was soon joined by Honey and Willy in what became a massive raft of fuzz. Grooming is done for more than just hygiene and maintenance; it is the glue that bonds chimps together and also serves to alleviate stress. It certainly seemed to be doing all of the above as the three chimps took turns dozing off while gently picking through each other’s hair.

The Cuddle Puddle

Afterwards, though, the chimps began to act goofy and rambunctious. Lately, Willy B has been making raucous displays using a pink toy car that he can drag and push around the front rooms. Last week, he used this unusual object to make constant noise for the entire duration of our weekly staff meeting. Even with the doors between the chimp area and the foyer closed, we still had to shout just to hear each other. He continued to drag the little car around today, but he seemed to be in a good mood. He interspersed the loud drumming with quick play sessions. During these bouts of play, Willy waits for a caregiver to approach the caging and then skips away with his characteristic double stomp serving as a figurative exclamation mark. I tried to take photos of him and Honey B chasing us around the building, but both were fascinated by the camera and kept trying to groom and kiss the lens.

Honey B’s intense stare
Honey B’s nose hairs
Willy B’s pink lower lip
Willy B’s nose hairs and inquisitive gaze

The day ended with a challenging set of enrichment puzzles that today’s volunteer crew worked hard to stock with nuts, seeds and raisins. Chimps don’t seem to have the finely-tuned dexterity that most humans have, but they still tend to do quite well for themselves and can even learn how to use simple tools for grooming and foraging.The three new chimps were skilled with such tasks long before the even arrived at CSNW, but it’s still fascinating to watch them solve the puzzles in order to extract the valued snacks that are tactfully hidden inside. Today’s smörgåsbord of hanging puzzles included raisin boards, boomer balls, shake bottles, and drop-down puzzles; each type requires a different perspective and strategy, but the chimps are intelligent enough to figure most of them out eventually. The seven original residents are experts at these tasks and even last year’s arrivals are not far behind, so the pressure is on us caregivers to devise novel challenges that also meet our standards for safety and durability. Kelsi recently highlighted some enrichment activities on the blog, and we also curate a public enrichment database on our website.

Honey B teases peanuts out of a ball puzzle
Willy B shakes nuts and raisins out of a bottle puzzle
Willy B uses a plastic tool to drag the raisins into the enclosure for optimal snacking accessibility
Honey B uses a chopstick to work raisins out of the board puzzle
Honey B successfully punches a raisin out of the board

Provisioning the chimps with a steady stream of enrichment objects, foods and materials is a massive endeavor. For blog readers and Facebook followers, the best ways to ensure the chimpanzees have ample enrichment are to purchase items directly from our wish list or to become a Chimpanzee Pal. As Diana highlighted yesterday, an amazing supporter will be giving us bonus donations for every new Chimpanzee Pal and Bovine Buddy who signs up before the end of this month. Honey B, Mave and Willy B (the three chimps mentioned in this post) are all available to be sponsored. Of course, we appreciate all the generous people who have already made contributions to the sanctuary!

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P.S. I mentioned that Mave is an expert at maintaining a constant state of warm comfort. As I sit here putting the finishing touches on this blog post, I can see her silhouette on the security camera. Even with the limited night vision, her Ewok frame and hobbit feet are easy to distinguish. She’s snuggled up in a giant blanket nest on the heated floor of Front Room 7 and her right leg is propped straight up on the caging. She’s one of a kind.

P.S.S. Mave just lazily rolled over and I’m shutting down the Chimp House for the night. It’s easier to leave when you know that the chimps will be safe and warm in their nests until morning. I hope that you all do the same!

Something’s Different

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See if you can relate: you have a distinct feeling that something’s different, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is. That’s how I felt this morning.

It wasn’t overly warm, but it felt nice outside. With the weather in mind, I tried to be quick with the morning routine so that all of the chimps could get outside – Jamie’s group on the hill and Willy B’s group into the chute.

When I let Jamie’s group onto the hill, all seven chimps flowed out.

The first order of business was trying to see who was in the chute:

Even Negra, who often chooses nesting over going onto the hill made a short foray, in all of her Negra glory (I like the bonus Missy action shot in the first photo):

Watching Negra go outside made me realize what was so different about the morning. No wind!

Having lived in Kittitas County for a total of fourteen years, you would think the lack of wind would be something I’d immediately notice. It’s not the windiest place in the world, but it’s the windiest place I’ve ever lived.

Historically, spring, which we are rapidly approaching, is the most gusty. But this morning was as still as… (insert something that’s really still).

I think the chimpanzees noticed too.

Missy and Annie started a game of chase:

Burrito waited for me to catch up to him for a walk (me on the outside of the fence, of course):

Then he spotted Foxie and Jamie on one of the structures:

so he decided to join them instead:

I got some photos of Willy B, Mave, and Honey B in the chute, but they didn’t pass my approval for posting on the blog. When Mave went back inside, I followed her around to take a few other photos.

Get ready to sigh with affection at Mave’s gorgeousness…

Here she is in the lower portion of their current indoor area:

And here’s a close-up of Mave grooming herself in the mezzanine. There are many, many things about Mave to love (as the video from yesterday illustrates), but I discovered something specific with the photo below. All of those wonderful wrinkles below her eyes when she’s scrunching up her nose! Big sigh. I’m smitten all over again.

I posted another sigh-worthy photo of Mave on our Instagram account – go look if you didn’t catch it earlier.

Of the three new chimpanzees, Mave has the most pals right now.

Surprisingly, of Jamie’s group, Burrito, Annie, and Missy are tied for the fewest pals. Maybe someone reading this will give Honey B, Willy B, Burrito, Annie, or Missy some love by becoming their Pal?!

Don’t forget that the sanctuary will receive a bonus $20 for every new pal that signs up in the month of February and $10 for every new Bovine Buddy thanks to a generous donor. Share the love!

Fall in Love with Willy B

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Happy Valentine’s Eve!

On Saturday, we shared the Fall in Love with Honey B video, so you’ve probably been anticipating this one!

For a little background in case you missed Saturday’s post: a few years ago we made ‘Fall in Love with” videos for all of the chimpanzees. Like right now, these videos were part of a February fundraiser highlighting the Chimpanzee Pal program. The videos are at the bottom of each of the chimpanzees‘ webpages.

I now present to you: Fall in Love with Willy B (see video above).

I anticipated a lot of slinky footage for Willy B’s video, and I knew I would enjoy putting it all together, but it was even more delightful a process than I had anticipated.

One thing you may have noticed from Willy B and Honey B’s videos is the lack of images and footage of them outside. That’s because they are still wary of the electric fence and are choosing not to go into their “courtyard” even when given the opportunity. This hopefully will change with time, and it makes our continued expansion even more important so that they can enjoy a large playroom and indoor-outdoor greenhouse space too!

Tomorrow is the first Valentine’s Day that Honey B, Willy B, and Mave will be celebrating at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

Help us celebrate this special occasion by signing up to be a pal to one of the new three (Mave’s video is in the works) or to any of the chimpanzees at the sanctuary.

For a smaller donation, you can even be a Bovine Buddy to one of the three rescued cows or steer Nutmeg at the sanctuary (video to come before the end of the month)!  Pal and Buddy sponsorships help pay for the care of these unique and charming non-humans.

Thanks to everyone who already contributes to the sanctuary in a myriad ways, including through the Chimpanzee Pal and Bovine Buddy programs. Your donations are very much needed and appreciated!