Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee retirement

Today is in memory of Maxine Stark

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Kimberle Stark in memory of her mom, Maxine Stark. Kimberle shared this lovely message about her mom:

“My mom passed away on July 4th and she loved chimps and loved the sanctuary for the good life you’re now providing for the chimps who deserve a better life.”

Kimberle, we’re just honored that you would think of the chimpanzees today. Thank you so much for wanting to give them a special day in honor of your mom. It makes us so happy to know how much Maxine loved the chimps and we will all be celebrating her life with you, along with all the many forms of freedom generous supporters like you make possible for the chimpanzees to experience in their sanctuary home. Especially, the freedom to just be. Our hearts are with you today and we wish you a day surrounded by the love and memories of your mom.

Jody:

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Negra:

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Annie:

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Summer mornings

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Our recent heatwave is on the down-slide, but it’s still quite warm and the chimps and humans are each enjoying the summer days in their own way. After breakfast, most of the chimpanzees headed for the still cool grass of Young’s Hill (with the exception of Negra who took a break from her adventures for the day and made a nest at the top of the greenhouse where she could enjoy the morning breeze). Annie chose to take a walk up the hill bipedally to join Foxie and her troll. If you look closely you can spot the troll’s red hair on Foxie’s back.

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Missy took her breakfast chow and literally ran out to climb up a structure where she could enjoy it with a view:

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Jody was the first to head out onto Young’s Hill this morning and quickly disappeared into the tall grass to forage for wild greens before her buddy, Burrito, could catch up with her. So he opted to sit in the raceway which leads from the greenhouse to the hill and enjoy the morning sun with me, remaining on the lookout for Jody’s return.

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After a busy morning on the hill, by late morning things got pretty warm and Jamie sprawled out in a comfy nest to cool off and doze in the summer breeze.

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How profoundly grateful we are that the chimpanzees’ days are filled with such serenity, comfort and peace. Thanks to all of you who make the hours, days and seasons of their lives so beautiful.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored for the chimpanzees by Jim Thompson! Jim is a long-time Chimpanzee Pal with Burrito and wanted to celebrate his special day by gifting B and his chimp family with their own special day!

Jim, we can’t thank you enough for your continued support of Burrito! Your gifts have helped make it possible for Burrito to expand his boundaries, inside and out, and we so appreciate you including him in your celebration! All of us here at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays! And Burrito would probably hope that your day is filled with more good food than you could possibly eat. (Although, I’m not sure he would believe there is such as thing as more food than one could possibly eat). 🙂

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Burrito with chow in mouth

Burrito, All Wrapped Up

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In many ways, Burrito is a typical male chimpanzee. He can be blustery and macho. His loud, boisterous displays often involve him swatting the girls as he charges by them, hair standing on end.

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Still, there is something innocent about him. After living for decades in lab cages with extremely limited contact with others of his species, he has encountered many obstacles on the road to understanding chimp behavior. It seems that he genuinely cannot imagine why the girls would get angry with him when he acts out against them during displays. After hitting someone and inciting their wrath, he has been seen running to that individual for a hug of reassurance – asking for reassurance, not giving it.

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When the other chimps give him submissive greetings, instead of receiving them graciously, he squeezes his eyes shut and looks the other way. Whatever he is feeling in these moments looks a lot like social anxiety.

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Considering how uncomfortable he can sometimes be around the other chimps, it is always inspiring to see him try. And he does try. Joining the others in a grooming session or accompanying Jamie on a perimeter walk will probably always give him a little anxiety, but he is determined to keep pushing his own boundaries.

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Intangible expansions

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I’d like to say that I no longer think of the decades the chimpanzees spent living as biomedical research subjects in open slat cages the size of a bathroom stall, the last couple of years which were in a windowless basement. But I do. I’d like to forget the images of my friends’ familiar eyes peering out from between the bars that their familiar hands clung to. But I can’t. I wish I couldn’t picture them having spent their days – their years – with no enrichment, nothing to nest with, no room to rip and run and climb, unable to engage in natural chimpanzee behaviors and family relationships, or just be free to be themselves, however that looked. But these thoughts, and most importantly the chimps’ histories, are inversely proportional to the growth and expansion they demonstrate with each passing day, season, and year.

We are fast approaching the anniversary of the chimpanzees’ arrival to their sanctuary home eight years ago, on June 13th. Eight years! And yet every single time I see them foraging on the hill, climbing new structures and taking in unobstructed views, pushing their own comfort levels with such courage, grace and dignity, it takes my breath away. No matter how many times I see all these moments in each of their lives, it never for one second feels less than wondrous and breathtaking.

And this morning, one of now countless particularly beautiful mornings the chimpanzees have had here, was no different. As they foraged for breakfast al fresco on Young’s Hill, as they traversed seemingly every inch of every structure, their hair shining in the sun and blowing in the breeze, moving as a family, each step through the electrifying green grass another step further from their histories, my friends’ familiar eyes cast to the expanse of sky and valley and mountain beyond, I watched, my heart on tiptoe.

Jamie:

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Burrito and Jamie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie and Annie:

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Foxie and France Dora:

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Annie:

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Annie and Missy:

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Missy:

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Jamie taking in her new viewpoint from the new structure, Twister:

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And then moving on to check out the view from Jamie’s Tower:

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And not to worry, Jody and Negra were both at the far reaches of Young’s Hill foraging for breakfast with a side of wild greens right along with their family, but unfortunately my photos of those two beautiful ladies didn’t turn out.

The Queen of late night

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While Burrito and Annie utilized their bipedal skills to navigate the growing grass on Young’s Hill in the hopes of finding a missed piece of forage, or a new patch of wild greens sprouting up…

Burrito:

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Annie:

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Jamie, of course, opted for something a little higher up.

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And in other news, if you’ve been following the blog for awhile you’re probably aware that as the weather grows nicer boss lady, Jamie, often keeps us out late walking around the perimeter of Young’s Hill with her. After the chimps are served dinner at 4:30 they typically start heading inside to collect their evening food puzzle and make their nests for the night (unless you’re Jamie). The humans’ day ends at 5:30 after the chimps are all safe inside and mostly asleep. But if anyone (again, Jamie) wants to stay out late, we stay until they are ready to come inside. But who do you think stayed out past bedtime this evening?…

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Yep, that’s Negra!! Sitting on her current favorite mound at the very top of Young’s Hill happily eating prickly lettuce! No matter the evening sky is growing darker with the threat of a storm coming, the Queen is in no hurry to come in. So it looks like we have a second boss lady in town. But that’s what sanctuary is all about. And this is probably a rare job where one’s heart grows a little bigger every time your bosses make you work late.

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