Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Jody is the master, or shall we say mistress, of leading a blissful life. She spends the better part of any given day doing exactly what pleases her most in each moment. And today those moments were composed of foraging and lounging in the hot greenhouse. On repeat. Just as it should be.
It’s an incredibly lovely spring day at the sanctuary today. Every day for at least the last two weeks Missy has been asking us to open up the barn doors on the playroom. With minimal wind and temperatures close to 70 degrees, it’s finally warm enough to grant her request. The chimpanzees get so excited when we open those doors up for some reason. Whether it’s the fresh breeze suddenly wafting through the playroom or the chance to check out the garden side of the chimp house they don’t get a clear view of from their windows, it elicits spring fever in us all.
As soon as the doors swung open, the chimps started hooting, laughing and chasing one another. Missy had the biggest play face I’ve ever seen (and of course, I didn’t have the camera at that moment!). As the fresh spring air spilled in, it was as if pure joy leaped and tumbled through the chimp house with it.
After the excitement died down, Jamie decided to build a super cozy next in front of the doors and just take in the peaceful view and sunshine:
Our bluebird neighbors have returned to their nesting spot on Young’s Hill (despite have three perfectly lovely bluebird houses set up for them elsewhere):
Jamie meandering during a walk around the hill and taking in the views:
In other news, Jody is lounging in the toasty greenhouse:
Welcome, spring!
Negra doesn’t pull any punches. She knows exactly what she’s willing to put up with and exactly what she isn’t and she has no problem letting you know where she stands. When we humans do something to displease her she typically threat barks at us, hits the caging, and if we’re in the greenhouse she throws (repeatedly and with force) bark mulch in our faces. If there is a chimpanzee equivalent to swearing, I am pretty sure we hear a lot of profanity directed our way. This in turn usually elicits the quick back-up of her chimp family against the offending human. What would we do to displease our beloved Queen Negra that would call for such reprimands you might ask? Oh, things like offer her something during meals that she already told you she doesn’t want. Serve something stupid when there is obviously a better choice right in front of us, like lettuce or night bags. And sometimes just hand her something she actually asked us for!
Over time, Negra has chosen to interact with her caregivers more and more. And given her particularly heartbreaking history, that’s no small gift. Negra loves us to dance for her and typically nods her head and taps the ground along with us. That said, if she suddenly decides our dancing skills aren’t up to par she gives us a disgusted wave of dismissal and turns her head away. Negra also frequently pushes her lips through the caging to offer us kisses and while we would never miss an opportunity to offer the back of our wrist for a Neggie kiss, it’s truly 50/50 as to if you’ll get a kiss or a sharp poke and a threat bark. As I type this Negra is clacking her teeth against the caging and clapping loudly to alert us to the fact that it is dinner time (and in her mind it has been for the last hour).
Negra is akin to the sharp-tongued, intolerant, sometimes a little bit scary older family member who tells it like it is and yet, you can’t help but love her all the more for it. And none of this means that Negra doesn’t have the most endearing, sweet side as well. Like most of us I suppose. We are thrilled she finally gets to have her say, speak her mind, and be heard with love and respect. Even if it does mean picking bark mulch out of places bark mulch has no business being for days afterward.
Beautiful Negra:
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Seneca, Edan, & Gavin Konturas in honor of Meg Konturas for her birthday! They shared the following message about today:
“On her birthday, Meg wanted her gifts to be the chimpanzees’ gifts.”
This is so lovely! Seneca, Edan and Gavin, thank you so much for not only honoring Meg’s birthday wishes, but for giving the chimpanzees the gift of sanctuary!
And Meg, happiest of birthdays to you!! It is so kind of you to request that your gifts be to make the chimps’ lives better! What a compassionate way to celebrate life. We are honored to celebrate with you here today and happy birthday hoots from all of us, chimpanzee and human alike! And if you need any party ideas, the chimps just so happen to be Master Partiers…
Jamie:
Burrito:
Annie:
Jamie:
Age: 33. His actual birthday is January 6, 1983. Click on the link to find out more about Burrito’s history prior to arriving at CSNW.
Nicknames: B, Mr. B, Bub, Bubs, Bubba
Best friend: Foxie
Favorite food: FOOD!!!!!
Best known for: His love of food, playing chase with caregivers, getting massaged while playing tug-of-war, playing with Foxie, his impressive displays, banging on the doors and spitting water (especially geared toward the lead caregiver while he/she is operating doors)
Distinguishing physical characteristics: Well, he’s a boy, so that part is pretty obvious. He has a lot of white freckles on his face and is missing the top part of his right ear. He’s pretty excited a lot of the time, so his hair stands on end (pilo erect) making him appear “fluffy”.
Personality: Fun, sweet, playful, cute, goofy, silly, charming, handsome and energetic. He can also be a very boisterous troublemaker!!
Other: Sometimes while walking around Young’s Hill, he does a little “goat-like kick” and although he is the only male of the group, he is not the most dominant.
One of my favorite videos is of Burrito playing with his new friend.
We woke up to a dusting of snow at the sanctuary but the rest of the day has remained cloudy, cool and dry. Perfect walking weather for chimps and humans – or if you’re Missy – perfect running weather. The following photos all took place within about a 10 minute span of Missy’s day.
First she chased after Jamie, Burrito and I around the perimeter.
And then she spotted her best friend, Annie further down the hill and took off to join her:
And they ended up chasing each other all the way back to the playroom which ended up in a game of wrestle. Naturally.
Caring for chimpanzees with traumatic pasts is probably a lot like caring for anyone with a traumatic past. You’re aware of the person’s history and how it has affected them, but you probably don’t dwell on it on a day-to-day basis. There are even moments when you don’t think of the past at all; you’re just focused on the here and now.
Interestingly, the times I find myself reminded of the chimpanzees’ histories are the moments when they seem to be feeling particularly happy or relaxed or free. I think about how moments like that were few and far between until they made it to sanctuary. I hope that in those moments, the chimpanzees are thinking about anything but the past.
