Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Really Big News

by

First of all, the HOOT! 2019 event was a great success and so, so much fun! Thanks to everyone who attended and raised their paddles for the chimpanzees!

We were able to share some very exciting news in person at the event. If you are an e-news subscriber, you got this news in your inbox this morning.

Here’s the highlight: three more chimpanzees will be coming to the sanctuary later this summer! Honey B, one of the three, is Missy’s 30-year-old daughter. Honey B was removed from Missy right after she was born in the laboratory, but now they will have a chance to get to know each other as adults.

You can watch the video (above and below) that we shared at the event right before Give a HOOT! where guests raised their paddles to give direct donations to the sanctuary. After watching the video, we raised over $100,000 for Give a HOOT! We’ll need these funds to continue the care of all of the chimpanzees, including Honey B and her friends Willie B and Mave.

If you were not able to attend, but would still like to help, you can make a celebratory donation too. We appreciate it!

We really couldn’t be more excited to be making this announcement. Thank you, blog readers, for following the sanctuary and investing in learning more about the chimpanzees. Your support means so much.

 

 

 

Memories for Monday

by

Every now and then I like to look back and see what life was like at the sanctuary on this same day in CSNW history.

On June 17th in 2008, the chimpanzees had just arrived in their new home in Cle Elum. Diana took this haunting photo of Jody that we can now compare to this photo of her today. What a difference sanctuary life has made!

On June 17th in 2009, Diana shared a couple stories about Foxie and how her life had changed after one year in sanctuary.

On June 17th in 2010, big beautiful nests were all the rage!

On June 17th in 2011, JB and volunteers were in the throes of building Young’s Hill.

On June 17th in 2012, Burrito played a silly game (some things never change).

On June 17th in 2013, we mentioned our Amazon wishlist. This list is still up and running and today it includes some exciting new items such as our washer and dryer that we are going to need in our expansion!

On June 17th in 2014, Missy got a good view from the top of the hill!

On June 17th in 2015, Katelyn wrote about a private moment of friendship between Foxie and Burrito.

On June 17th in 2016, JB took us for a trip down Memory Lane.

On June 17th in 2017, it was a perfectly ordinary day 🙂

And last year on June 17th, we threw the chimps a slightly belated 10 year Anniversary party!

We can’t wait to see what will come our way next year!

The day after the party

by

City HOOT! (our annual gala and auction) and Country HOOT! (the chimpanzees’ version of the party) were both wonderful successes! We’re beyond thrilled and grateful and we can’t wait to share the exciting details of our annual gala with you soon!

In the meantime, the chimps have been taking it pretty easy today. But then it’s been a big week of celebrations. In addition to last night’s festivities, June 13th was the chimpanzees’ 11th anniversary since their arrival to sanctuary and also the day we celebrate Negra’s honorary birthday (she turned 46 this year!). And since the chimp house looked more like a frat house this morning, it makes sense that they are enjoying a leisurely day (as they should) and the humans’ not so much (but of course it’s worth it).

Best friends, Missy and Annie, had the greenhouse to themselves this afternoon while everyone else napped inside the cooler chimp house, so they enjoyed a good amount of quality time together, grooming the warm late-spring afternoon away:

That leg in the air! Missy!

We hope you are all having an equally enjoyable end of spring, almost summer kind of Sunday!

City HOOT! and Country HOOT!

by

It’s here!! Our annual gala and auction, HOOT! 2019 The biggest, most exciting party of the year for the humans, who of course are gathering for their love of the chimpanzees and bovines who call Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest their home. The number of people who come together whether as staff, volunteers, guests, or online supporters is truly incredible and we could not be more grateful. The lives that the chimpanzees and cattle are living here, not to mention the humans who care for them, would not be possible without the amazing community that has come together to ensure hope, love, home, and sanctuary for them and for all those who may be calling this their home in the future.

While so many wonderful humans are partying in the city, the chimpanzees, mistresses and master of partying, will of course not be outdone. So while City HOOT! 2019 is happening in Seattle, Country HOOT! 2019 is happening right here in Cle Elum.

On the menu for Country HOOT!: Field Roast celebration roast, rose petal and chive smashed potatoes, green beans, and cherry tomatoes served a bed of lettuce. (Those of you attending the gala may recognize some similarities on your menu, though try not to be jealous that you probably aren’t being served Gatorade in Dixie cups and having whole coconuts smashed on your table. Though if you decided to try something like the latter, you’re at least in the right crowd. And those of you at home, we support you smashing a coconut on your table if you’re so inclined. I mean, it’s your home, right?!):

Apologies for the low lighting and blurry-Jody-in-full-on-the-move-forage-mode, nevertheless…

Jody’s tactic, as is classic Jo, was to gather all she possibly could and eventually find a comfortable spot to lie down and enjoy it:

I’m not sure you’ll have peanut butter pinecones in the Dessert Dash, but one can always hope:

Jamie enjoying chives and a peanut butter Kong:

Annie:

Missy enjoying a firehose knot (we stick nuts inside) after dinner:

Belly full, Burrito is partied out. Again, for everyone at the gala if you, too, are partied out at night’s end, you’re probably still with the right crowd that you could pull this off. At least Burrito won’t judge:

And rest assured, Foxie and Negra had a great time, they were just ladies of the loft and I couldn’t capture a photo. 🙂

Whether you’re attending the gala or following from home, thank you again to every one of you for your support in all it’s varied and amazing ways, every day of these last eleven years, tonight, and for all the chimps’ days forward. HOOT! from these chimpanzees! MOO! from the bovines! Goodnight, all!

Negra’s 46th birthday party!

by

Today we celebrated Negra’s 46th birthday and the 11th anniversary of the chimpanzees’ arrival to their sanctuary. Since it’s Negra’s (honorary) birthday, we geared the day towards the things she truly loves. The morning started with a beautiful brunch featuring buckwheat carrot waffles (with a peanut butter drizzle) made with love by volunteer caregiver Patti, hard boiled eggs from my happy chickens, fresh roses and juicy plums!

I think this video of the waffle feast pretty much sums up how absolutely delighted Negra was.

Then for lunch we set out a giant lettuce forage. It’s really nice that simple things like a whole head of lettuce can still be so exciting to the chimps (even after 11 years!!).
Everyone enjoyed their lunch, but Jamie really wowed us (and not just because she collected a bunch of lettuce). It had more to do with what she decided to do after she filled her hands and mouth:

We were all in awe as she crossed an entire tightrope like this:

Here’s to many more years of waffle and lettuce celebrations!

Happy, Happy!

by

Dear friend to all the primates (and bovines) at the sanctuary, Kathleen Corby, also sponsored this extra special day of celebration! Woot! Or rather, Hoot! Kathleen shared this beautiful, heartfelt message about her gift today:

“Happy Birthday Negra! For eleven years you have been blossoming into your true self and during this time you have shown us what a brave and beautiful chimp woman you truly are. It is an extraordinary pleasure to witness the small, consistent transformations you have made over this short period of time. The love in my heart that I hold for you expands each and every year so I sponsor today to celebrate you on your honorary birthday. Much love to you from me. XOXO And I celebrate eleven (11!!!) years of Sanctuary. Happy Anniversary to all! Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, like Negra, is always growing, expanding, transforming — especially now with your Bring Them Home Campaign. You are one of the finest animal welfare organizations, every thought is filled with compassion and care for the Cle Elum Seven and the new Bovine Gang. Best of everything to you in your 11th year of Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary…. 7 (Seven amazing chimpanzee people). 11 (Your eleventh anniversary). 13 (the lucky day the Cle Elum Seven came to their new sanctuary home) Forever Lucky Numbers now!!!”

Kathleen, we are so grateful for the abundance of love and compassion that flows from your heart. The lives of so many beings are enriched by your presence here on earth. So much gratitude to you for helping us celebrate this special day!

Negra:

Jamie:

Jody:

Foxie:

Annie:

Missy:

Burrito:

And of course, we also celebrate Betsy, Honey, Meredith, and Nutmeg, the bovine members of our sanctuary family:

Among the Tall Grass

by

It’s our favorite time of year when the grass is green and so tall that you can barely see the chimps!

Burrito hidden in the grass:

Jody protecting and foraging:

Annie:

Missy:

However, with tall grass means patrolling for snakes becomes even more important (Missy and Annie looking for snakes in the morning which they did find one in later in the day):

And tiny Foxie: