Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee retirement

Happy Birthday, Negra!

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Lucky June 13th. Today is one of the biggest and most special days of celebration at the sanctuary. Nine years ago today seven chimpanzees found themselves at the end of the road trip of a lifetime, having made their way across the country from a windowless basement in Pennsylvania and decades of use in biomedical research, to pulling up the driveway to a new life, a second chance, in their sanctuary home. A home that was created just for them. A home where every single thing that happens, where every single human who enters (in person or from afar) is to ensure their comfort, dignity, safety and well-being above all else for the rest of their lives.

And as such, this is also the day that was chosen as Negra’s honorary birthday because it’s the day her life was returned to her and her six chimpanzee friends. Today we are celebrating Negra’s 44th birthday!

To kick off the celebration, dear friends of the sanctuary and Negra’s pals, Althea and Ahmad Dani, are sponsoring this first of two days of sanctuary and shared this sweet message:

“Happy Birthday Negra! We’re wishing you the most beautiful and perfect day for the most beautiful and perfect girl! We love you very much! Althea and Ahmad.”

Althea and Ahmad have two of the most generous, compassionate hearts you could ever know. They share so much love and make such a difference in the lives of many chimpanzees and orangutans and we’re so fortunate to have them as part of our chimp family.

Althea and Ahmad, thank you so much for sponsoring the Queen’s special day and for all you’ve done to make it a celebration to remember!

Her Royal Highness / Birthday Girl:

Festivity preparations are in the works so be sure to check back later today as we all celebrate hope, love, home, sanctuary, and Neggie!

Morning grooming fest

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When I arrived to the chimp house this morning I found the whole family (with the exception of Missy who was still asleep in her nest) at the top of the sunny greenhouse together nesting and grooming. Grooming is extremely important in chimp society. While it does serve to care for wounds and keep each other clean, it’s a primary means of building relationships, maintaining bonds, and offering comfort.

The chimps had a doozy of an argument yesterday (as chimps’ often do) and while it was pretty much resolved by the end of the day, it was really nice to see everyone relaxing together this morning, amends made, grievances forgiven. The business of chimp families.

Annie and Negra (background):

Annie self-grooming:

Annie in her nest, Jamie grooming Jody:

Jamie is grooming Negra, but Burrito was actually trying to get Negra to play by ruffling her hair, play-stomping and laughing. Negra was not remotely interested in anything but being groomed.

After making the grooming rounds with her chimp family, Foxie swung down to say hi:

It’s been a peaceful day in the chimp house. And good thing, because the chimps need to rest up for the big celebration tomorrow! Not only is it their 9th anniversary since arriving to their sanctuary home (9 years?!!), but it’s Negra’s 44th honorary birthday! And it’s going to be a party fit for a Queen, naturally.

the privilege of being a caregiver

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I first started working with chimpanzees in 1998, and I have been with the Cle Elum Seven for the entirety of their life at the sanctuary, even meeting them before they arrived on June 13, 2008.

And I still can’t believe that I have the privilege of caring for these amazing, playful, temperamental, intelligent, sensitive, wild, unpredictable, joyful, unique people.

For Jody and all the mamas

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The weekend of celebrations continues in the chimp house today as we celebrate not only Mother’s Day, but beloved Jody, on her 42nd honorary birthday!

I was in my gracious neighbor’s magical backyard bright and early this morning, heisting two armfuls of lilacs. Many of the chimps enjoy smelling and eating them and even now, late in the day, the scent of fresh lilac occasionally is wafts through their home.

We started the celebration off with a beautiful breakfast forage of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, watermelon, and baby bananas on a bed of lettuce, strawberry and banana smoothie, and more sparkling cider.

The greenhouse was bright and sunny as we set up the party. Pineapple tops are a favorite of the birthday girl so we hoped Jody would find this pokey treat:

And she did:

Nothing says party like shoving an entire pokey pineapple top in your mouth:

Dora had a gift for someone:

Foxie gazing at Dora while enjoying her fresh lilacs and melting my heart into a big ol’ puddle:

Annie enjoying a party plate:

For Jamie, parties are even (or maybe I should say especially) serious business. She was methodically looking for her favorites and keeping a watchful eye on the three pinatas hanging from the ceiling until she could get to them. Jamie loves a challenge so this was her kind of party:

The lilacs are quite popular with a few of the girls and Annie was doing her best to collect some on the sly while avoiding the eyes of the more dominant Missy and Jamie and she collected quite a few:

Gorgeous Missy enjoying a treat box:

Burrito was a wild man all morning long. Riling up the girls, rattling the caging, displaying throughout the chimp house. Pretty much normal stuff, but with an extra dash of wild today. But he did find time to settle down and enjoy the company of his friends on their special day and even went to Annie’s defense to reassure her when she got yelled at for picking the “wrong” lilac:

Burrito and Foxie:

And then there’s Negra, who ended the celebration by collecting all the lilacs she could and winding up with a beautiful bouquet:

Mother’s Day is a special day at the sanctuary. If you’re new to the blog and just learning about the chimps, we only know that Jody was most likely born in the wild sometime in 1975. We chose this day to celebrate Jody in honor of the nine infants she gave birth to, but who were stolen from her during her time in biomedical research. With the exception of Jamie and Burrito, all of the chimps residing here had children and were denied the right to raise them. So today, with full hearts, we honor each of the chimps, their loss of their own mothers, and their children who lost the opportunity to grow up with their amazing mothers. You can learn more about each of their stories here.

Mother’s Day can feel like a bittersweet celebration here at times. But what I am finding is that with each passing year, as we’re astounded and privileged to witness the strength, healing and resiliency of these amazing beings, the pain of knowing the horror they endured for so long starts to fade into the shadows, eclipsed by the incredible light of each of these special souls. While we will always honor all they’ve been through, it’s really become about celebrating all they’ve overcome as unique individuals, the hope and joy they embrace each day with, and the family you’ve made possible for them to have. I hope with all my heart that they feel the same.

Happy Birthday, beautiful Jody!! We love you so very much!! And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there! And I really think that’s all of us in some shape or form. 🙂

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The Queen appears

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The second I opened the door to Young’s Hill this morning all the chimps immediately filed out together (minus Negra) and made their way up Young’s Hill:

As I was watching them I noticed they all occasionally paused to glance back toward the greenhouse, particularly Missy:

When I finally looked to see what they were watching for, the Queen herself emerged. Spring at the sanctuary means the return of swooping swallows and raucous birdsong, wildflowers, neon green grass, bees, butterflies and HRH (Negra) on Young’s Hill. Negra didn’t need to venture far to find a lush patch of her beloved spring grass:

She was immediately so relaxed, she sat with her royal drooped lip and took in the morning sights, sounds and sun:

Then she went back to her private grass forage:

Negra was only outside for about 5 minutes, but for her, that seemed enough to fill her with contentment and she headed back to the greenhouse. As I passed by a minute later I saw her climbing to the toasty top platform with an armful of blankets for her morning nap. The life of a Queen:

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