Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimpanzee retirement

Negra playing chase

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As many of you know, Negra isn’t the most active chimp. Her favorite activity is curling up in a nice big nest with a blanket over her head (second only to eating night bags!) Today, Diana got a special treat when Negra decided to play chase with her. Of course, Neggie’s version of chase was basically moving from one door to another door that is about five feet away — meanwhile Diana had to run all the way through the kitchen and to the other side of the building to meet her. This went on for a few rounds and I was wondering what was going on, but figured Diana was playing chase with Foxie or Missy, who are both known for their playfulness. But no, it was Negra! So I rushed to grab the camera, and only got the last bit of their chase bout. Annie got Negra’s attention and ran around with her for a little bit, which was also a treat to see. We love seeing the chimpanzees come out of their shells—even six years after they first arrived they still continue to surprise us.

Annie, believe it or not, is turning 40 tomorrow! I’m a little late on this request, but if you’re interested in sending Annie a few (belated) birthday gifts, check out our Amazon wishlist. I added some of the toys she likes the most (and have worn out, so we’d like some new ones!) plus there’s plenty of other supplies we need to keep Annie and the rest of the Cle Elum Seven living in a clean home and happy as can be. Based on the video above, I’d like to think we do a pretty good job at giving these deserving chimpanzees the best life possible. 🙂

We’ve got a fun party planned for Annie tomorrow, but here’s a picture of her to tide you over until then!

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Cowboy Party

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What’s one way to make seven chimpanzees awfully happy? Throw a spontaneous party. Supporter Lisa Stuverud sent us a box of decorations and enrichment for a cowboy party (and of course we already had dozens of cowboy boots thanks to Jamie’s obsession), so we had everything we needed for a good time.

Jamie was the first into the greenhouse, and she was throwing back her first drink before most of the others even made it out the door.

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She checked high and low for hidden treats. Here she’s getting ready to use a fire hose to swing up into one of the windowsills where we often hide food:

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Foxie sampling the pomegranate juice:

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Annie:

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Negra went through several of these boot bags filled with shredded paper searching for sunflower seeds.

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Burrito’s strategy was simple: to find as many pieces of chow as one man could hold.

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Thanks, Lisa, for making the chimps’ day!

Annie and Foxie

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Foxie and Annie both have a habit of getting mouthfuls of water and holding it for awhile. Annie sometimes uses the water later to wash her face, and Foxie tends to just take her time to slurp. Today they happened to both have mouthfuls of water, while in the playroom, and while looking at each other. They look like they’re having some kind of stand off.

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Then Annie started to groom Foxie (they still had their mouths full) briefly.

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And Foxie looked through some enrichment, testing out the trolls that were in front of her.

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Good old summertime days

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Missy and Annie are usually found on the go. Running, leaping, laughing, wrestling, and more running every chance they get. But with the first sudden hints of autumn in the air, I caught them both taking advantage of the lingering end-of-summer days and the warmth of the greenhouse.

Missy, just being her cool self:

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And right next to Missy, her best friend, Annie, of course. Relaxing in classic Annie style:

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These feet!!

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Unbelievably, we will be celebrating this beautiful chimpanzee woman’s 40th birthday on September 10th! Maybe she is resting up for the big party.

Beautiful chimps

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I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed, but the Cle Elum Seven are really attractive chimpanzees. Just look at these beautiful faces:

Negra:
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Jody:
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Missy:
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Annie:
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Choosing a Companion

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Each day we put out a variety of enrichment for the chimpanzees to play with. This is usually some assortment of toys, socks, scarves, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, scrub brushes, buckets, paper, stuffed animals, and anything else we think the chimps might enjoy. There are two types of items that we absolutely must include with each day’s enrichment: boots for Jamie and dolls for Foxie.

This morning Foxie spent a few minutes in front of a pile of dolls in the playroom, choosing which one(s) she should carry around for the day.

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Foxie frequently uses the bite test to assess a doll’s worthiness:

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In the end, she chose all three dolls, and the four of them headed into the greenhouse for some rest.

Today is in memory of Lilian Corrigan

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Janine Clark in memory of Lilian Corrigan. We are always so touched when someone is moved to provide a special day for the chimpanzees in memory of a loved one or special being in their life. It’s such a beautiful way to honor that individual’s life and send it forward to make the lives of others better.

Janine, thank you so much for thinking of the chimpanzees today and including them in Lilian’s memory!

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