Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee retirement

Giving Days and Days of Gifts

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Today’s theme: gifts, giving, and gifts given.

Before we get to today’s update, though, I want to remind everyone that Giving Day for Apes is this Tuesday! It’s not too late to set up your own fundraising page via the sanctuary’s Giving Day for Apes page (just click on the big “Fundraise” button to get started). To see pages that others have created, scroll down on our page and look under “Campaigns supporting this organization.” All donations made on any of those campaigns will go directly to the sanctuary and will be eligible for the cash prizes offered!

Of course, the special fundraisers aren’t the only times that our supporters make generous gifts to the sanctuary.

Earlier today, we posted the following message:

Mary Horton sponsored this special day of sanctuary for her mom and long-time friend of the chimpanzees, Vicki Fagerlee… Vicki, you make a lasting difference in the chimpanzees’ and cattle’s lives, helping us ensure their joy, well-being and comfort for all their days forward. We’re so grateful to have you as part of our chimp and bovine family. Happy Birthday, from all of us here at the sanctuary!

It may have been Vicki’s birthday today, but she has been the one buying gifts for the sanctuary lately. Last week, we received notice that someone purchased a new mirrorless digital camera from our Amazon Wish List. Shortly after, the device arrived at our front gate with all the accessories we need to keep taking photos for the blog. The new Canon RP is much newer, lighter, and versatile than the donated Canon Rebels we have been using, and it has many new features that we have yet to master. Today, I spent some time to tinker with the auto-focus settings, low-light capabilities, and preset modes, but it definitely feels like learning to take photographs all over again. This technology has advanced quite far over the last ten years, so we appreciate that Vicki is helping us to stay current. I can’t wait to see what content we can create with this generous gift, and I really can’t wait to share the final products with you all.

Annie
Foxie and Missy
Jody and Foxie
Burrito
Burrito

P.S. Even the newest cameras have a difficult time focusing on Burrito’s face when he plays chase and tickle like an absolute maniac. In this case, I think I focused on his tiny white nose hairs. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tuesday is the Big Day + Feeling Good

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First, a reminder to all that Tuesday (just a few days away!) is Giving Day for Apes.

In addition to our main fundraising page, if any one person or group out there wants to create their own fundraising page to raise funds for the sanctuary, you can do that! It’s pretty easy. Just go to our Giving Day for Apes page and click on the big “Fundraise” button and it will walk you though the steps. To see pages that others have created, scroll down on our page and look under “Campaigns supporting this organization.” All donations made on any of those campaigns will go directly to the sanctuary and will be eligible for the cash prizes offered!

Did you go look? Okay, good, now here’s the blog for the day:

Yesterday during the video event with Senator Tom Udall hosted by Animal Protection of New Mexico, animal welfare scientist Dr. Katie Cronin said something that really struck me. She said that having an enrichment program is not about what you provide but rather about how the animals feel about it. This is obviously true and yet somehow profound because it is not historically the way enrichment programs have been talked about or evaluated.

Enrichment is all about engagement and finding things that interest the individuals in your care, so if you give some type of enrichment to an animal and they don’t engage with it all, well, it’s not enriching for them and that means new things should be tried and evaluated.

So, fast forward to today. Kelsi and I were cleaning the greenhouse and I looked up at an eye bolt that Anthony had put under the top platform of the structure last year sometime. I said outloud that we should hang something there, so Kelsi and I talked about it for a bit and she mentioned wanting to get another hay feeder like the one filled with lettuce that Mave and Honey B enjoyed so much recently.

That made a dim light bulb go off in my (above my?) head, and I got to work filling the hay feeder with layers of blankets and lettuce to hang from the aforementioned eye bolt. I admit that I thought I was being quite clever. I had to stand on a step stool to hang the feeder and thought to myself that this was going to be a great challenge for the group of seven.

After letting the group into the greenhouse, I anxiously turned the corner to spy on the chimpanzees to see if they were engaged with the hay feeder. I was presented with a very rewarding scene: Annie was on top of the platform lying down to reach the lettuce and Missy was down below standing as tall as she could to reach the enrichment.

I left, once again feeling very clever.

I returned just a few minutes later, and Missy had solved the puzzle her own way, beating me at any contest for cleverness.

Soon, Negra came out to the greenhouse from the playroom and discovered all she had to do was sit below and wait for the lettuce to fall down as Missy picked through the blankets.

Meanwhile on the other side of the building, Mave and Willy B enjoyed some enriching social time in the outdoor chute in between rain showers:

While Honey B performed magic tricks with some new scarves:

All in all, I would say today was enriching for both the chimpanzees and me, and now I hope for you too.

If you enjoy the blog, please do consider making a donation to our Giving Day for Apes page. To get the most bang for your buck, donate between 10-11am PT on Tuesday, October 13th, but any donation at any time helps! Thank you for helping enrich the lives of the chimpanzees!

New Camera. Who Dis?

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Through the generosity of a donor, we received a new camera recently. Today was just a test run, but hopefully after a more thorough trial and error period, we will be able to provide you all with some amazing photos:

Jody in one of the front rooms.
Foxie going into the Greenhouse with a mouthful of water.
Jamie laying down in one of the windows of the Greenhouse.
Honey B unsure of the new camera.
Missy taking her lunch to go.
Annie enjoying some peace by herself in the Greenhouse.
Burrito interrupting the peace because he wanted to play and not want me to take photos of Annie.

Obviously after that last one, I obliged Burrito and played a game of chase and tug-o-war with him. I wasn’t able to get a photo of him with the new camera, but was able to snap this with my phone after he won our tug-o-war match.

And just as a little extra, here are some photos I took throughout the day of what everybody was up to (sans new camera):

Negra was found in a huge pink pile of blankets this morning when we arrived.

For the Group of 7, they received Boomer Balls tonight as their nighttime food puzzle. Jamie grabbed what she could and lined them on a bench before going to forage some after dinner lettuce. Everybody knew those Boomer Balls on the bench we hers and let them be while their owner was away.

Foxie, on the other hand, grabbed a couple herself and headed straight to the Greenhouse to enjoy them in peace and quiet.

For the Group of 3, we wanted to try something new tonight. After doing some research fro new ideas, one I came across called “Pineapple Tops.” It is similar to our Pine Cones, just with a different vessel.

Generally, when we try something new, we get a little nervous if they will like what we concocted.

In this case though, they loved them!

Willy B’s first step to this was to search through the leaves for peanut butter, seeds, and raisins.

Mave went straight for the sweet stuff: the left over pineapple at the bottom.

Honey B rushed to the Chute, so I wasn’t able to get photos of her, though I could just make out she went with a method similar to Willy B.

We are so grateful to all our supporters and followers. You all have helped us try to provided the best support we possibly could to these 10 unique individuals.

As you may have heard, Giving Day For Apes is coming up on October 13th! It is a yearly fundraiser drive among all the ape sanctuaries across the world to raise donations to maintain the best care we can provide. There are several events throughout the day that could help earn additional funding to expand, maintain the best care we can provide, as well as bring more chimpanzees home. We hope you will be able to help and donate what ever you can that day. For the Chimpanzees. For the Cattle. For Sanctuary.

A Morning Stroll and Confession of a (new) Caregiver

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As you all know, Jamie usually requests/demands a walk around Young’s Hill first thing in the morning. In fact, Jamie is about the only individual to request a go around the hill. But then yesterday, something peculiar happened. Jamie had requested a walk with caregiver Katelyn. This usually is the time Burrito and I find ourselves in a play session. Occasionally, he would sprint out of the raceway and onto the hill, but then sprint back into the Greenhouse where our games continued. But instead of running back inside, he kept going! He stopped turned around and waited for me. I sprinted to play catch up with him. It was then Jamie/Katelyn in front, followed by Burrito/Chad in the middle, and Missy/caregiver Anthony/Gator in the end (though Missy sprinted as fast as she could and found herself waaay ahead of all of us). This was a tale that had zero video or photographic evidence. It was something I felt I could tell, but nobody would ever believe because there was no proof. There was no way Burrito would invite anybody on a walk. That’s a Jamie thing.

Flash forward to today…

As I drove up to the sanctuary, there was some light fog hanging overhead.

But shortly after, it was a clear, beautiful day.

As I let the Group of 7 onto Young’s Hill, a few went out, but not many. I gave it a little while before I went back to check on them and try to get some photos, since today was going to be a eventful day (wait for it toward the end of today’s post). Jamie was inside the Greenhouse watching everything happen through one of the windows that looks into the Playroom. Burrito, however, was very energetic and wanted to play chase, tug-o-war, tag, among many other games. I told him it would have to be a quick play session since I still needed to help clean. Then it happened. He looked at me, then looked at the door that leads to the hill, and sprinted outside. I thought this would not be the same scenario as it was yesterday. “This couldn’t possibly be another invitation to go around the hill,” I thought. But as he made his way further out, he stopped, looked back, and bounced up and down. So I was off to the races.

The video above are small clips of a walk, with short bursts of sprints, around the hill. (Please do not mind my out of breath panting! I always forget how difficult it is to run with a mask on.)

In between those clips, I tried to take photos of others enjoying Young’s Hill.

Missy and Foxie were found on one of the platforms.

Annie was on one of the platforms that one of the furthest up on Young’s Hill.

And Meredith watched as Burrito and I played chased around the hill.

And I took this one of Burrito and I coming back after our second time around Young’s Hill.

Before I continue, I must admit, I cannot help but cherish moments like this with Burrito. I always have cherished any moment I have with him (and all the other residents here). But after his scare with the rattlesnake bite, I can’t even describe the feeling. Though most of us on staff are exhaling huge sighs of relief more so now since he is doing so much better, you can catch glimpses of slight being on edge still between all of us from time-to-time. Some of us even still talk about what we were doing when we found out what had happened. I remember it perfectly. I was still at the local farmers’ market, pretty much buying out every stand that sold sunflowers (I was buying them to prepare for Annie’s birthday). I had just posted a photo on my own personal social media accounts about how happy I was to find such big and lovely sunflowers for such an occassion. Not two minutes after I posted that (I hadn’t even started my car yet to go home), I got the call. This part I admit I don’t remember so well. All I heard was “Burrito” “rattlesnake” bitten”, and some how, some way the next thing I remember is that I was at the sanctuary hearing over the radio, “Chad, after you have changed over, please come in here and keep B company.” He was still his goofy self, but at that point you could tell something wasn’t right. As more and more staff arrived as well as our veterinarian, it gets very blurry after that. I do remember afterwards, when it was my turn to monitor his recovery after the procedure, telling him as he was coming to, “Oh Bubby. You will be fine. You will pull out of this. I know you will because what would I do without you? I honestly can’t imagine a life without Burrito.” So my confession is this, I was scared. I was on a level of scared I had not been in such a long time. The rest of the staff would agree that I am one of the least likely to show or share my feelings, but this one I will share. The next few weeks, as Kelsi said, were filled with sleepless nights for all of us because we just didn’t know what was going to happen next. And the worst thought to pop into our heads was we might lose him (I think Diana said it better than I could). We honestly had no idea what was going to happen with Hoot! after we added his medical expenses page. But within 24 hours, so many people had donated to ensure he was covered. I think we all got a little sentimental about that. I have said this before and I will say it again, in all sincerity, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Thank you for helping with this unexpected cost. Thank you for all your support. And thank you for helping us keep our friend alive. Without your unwavering support, days like today might not have happened. One last time: THANK YOU!

Sorry for the long winded rant. No onward to other happy news.

As I mentioned before, there was a lot happening today. Both groups were very interested.

What are they looking at?

THIS!

Today the construction crew began laying out the concrete floors to the new playrooms.

Progress is being made! Soon enough, days like today will seem like a distant memory as we watch Mave, Honey B, and Willy B, as well as a new group of chimpanzees, enjoy these rooms!

Hashtag Grateful.

Greeting Tour

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A while back, one of our followers specifically requested a video of us greeting the chimpanzees in the morning.

Well, here it is.

I hope y’all appreciate the chimps’ enthusiasm as much as I do.

Moments with Jamie

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I had approximately 25 ideas for a blog post today, from the flighty and frivolous to the deeply profound (at least in my head).

This video is neither. Or perhaps it is both.

As one of her caregivers for more than twelve years, I can tell you that some of the best days in the chimp house are when Jamie is in a good mood, which seems to be the case more and more lately.

Not all of the clips in the video were from today. The one from today is the opening clip with Jamie wearing a troll scarf;  the others were moments with Jamie that I had recorded on my phone that I have been hanging onto.

Right now, while the other chimpanzees are eating the last scraps of dinner, working on their food puzzles (nuts in kongs tonight), and gathering up their blankets for their nests, Jamie is sitting in the doorway that goes out to Young’s Hill, the outdoor habitat.

She might be waiting for the rain to subside so that we can go on another walk, or maybe she’s just making sure I remember that she’s the one who runs this place.

I just love Jamie.

Happy Birthday, Donna and Paula!

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Donna Haggarty-Robbins sponsored today in honor of a double celebration with this really lovely message:

“Today is my sister Paula’s (Andrews) birthday and mine! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our birthdays (4 years apart) than to support the wonderful work you all are doing at Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW. These retired and rescued medical research chimps deserve all the loving care the dedicated Sanctuary staff provides them, year round.”

Happiest of birthdays to you both, Donna and Paula! Thank you so much for your generous support and kind words. We’re so grateful for the love and abundance that surrounds the chimpanzees and their home. All of us hope you have a beautiful day!

Annie and Missy:

Jamie and Foxie:

Burrito and Jody:

Honey B and Mave: