Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Love for Rayne

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Rayne is next up in our Valentine’s series!

Rayne was born at Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) on January 29th, 1990. Once the lab closed down she was sent to Wildlife Waystation. When Waystation closed in 2019, Rayne and her family moved to CSNW in 2021. These days she lives with her half siblings Lucky and Cy, along with a few others.

If you’ve spent any time around Rayne, you already know she’s the heart of her sanctuary family. She is that rare, grounding presence that makes everything feel a bit more whole. Rayne at CSNW isn’t just a blessing, she’s the friend everyone wishes for: steady, loyal and she has your back when you need her. When Cy is searching for some peace and quiet, Rayne is the one he often chooses to share that with, they will quietly look through magazines or work on enrichment together often. When she lived with Willy B and he was having a tough time resisting the urge to act out, she would respond with a calm patience most of us only wish we could muster. And there’s her frequent food trading ritual with Lucky, where they’ve worked out their own system for swapping food items that don’t want during meals.

Rayne enjoying a blissfully sunny day:

Taking in the view from her perch on the Bray:

Lucky and Rayne enjoying time together in the chilly weather:

Cy, Rayne, & Lucky hanging out together:

Rayne & Lucky looking down at their caregiver:

Cy & Rayne enjoying some quiet time together:

George and Rayne didn’t hit it off right away. Their first meetings were rocky—full of awkward moments and the occasional misunderstanding. But these days, they’ve found their rhythm. Most of the time, you’ll catch them racing each other around in a game of chase. If misunderstandings happen between George and someone else in the group, Rayne doesn’t automatically take sides. She steps back, assesses the situation, and sometimes, instead of jumping in with the others, she’ll offer reassurance George or simply stay out of it altogether.

Rayne currently has 9 chimpanzee pals who donate to her care but if you also want to donate to Rayne to keep her fully stocked up on her beloved sheets and make for more blissful days in the sun you can become her pal too! Become Rayne’s Pal here!

 

Not Your Typical February

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I can’t believe the weather we’re having. Now, I am not a cold-weather person; my ideal weather is a dry 80-degree day, so you won’t hear any complaints from me. But it’s 45-degrees with no snow on the ground in February? It’s just a little baffling!

I am not sure what this means for our summer, however, it has been wonderful for the chimps to be able to get outside.

Lucky:

Terry with his key:

Gordo:

Cy playing chase on the Bray:

 

Snapshots of a Winter Day

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Today was a beautiful winter day. The chimps spent most of their time exploring outside and lounging in the warm greenhouses. We’ll let the photos do most of the talking!

Negra was the first out this morning:

Annie:

Foxie took one of her dolls out for a stroll:

A little traffic jam this morning with Foxie and Burrito:

While Annie and Burrito decided to commute together:

Dora drinking some Gatorade out of a bowl in the cozy greenhouse:

Lucky enjoying the warmth of the greenhouse:

Gordo grooming his foot:

Gordo laying down in the greenhouse:

Later, as he was laying Rayne came up and started grooming him:

And a side profile of sweet Cy, we played a slow game of chase in the greenhouse:

Lucky Seven

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As some of you may have noticed in J.B.’s blog last Monday, we added Gordo into the intro group! With Gordo joining the group, that left Dora as the final remaining member. While Gordo adjusted to his new group, Dora and Mave spent the entire week together so Dora wouldn’t be alone, because nothing is better than a little getaway with a friend.

As of this Monday, we took the final leap and officially added Dora to the group. So far, things have been going smoothly. Throughout the few days they have been together, Dora and George have shared some really lovely small moments together. In fact, as I write this, I just watched Dora approach George and offer brief reassurance after the group had a minor disagreement.

Of course, this is only the beginning, and where the real work begins. Now that everyone has been added to the group, they’ll need time to figure out their dynamics and learn how to navigate conflict together. Still, I think it’s incredibly important to celebrate the wins, big or small.

When I reflect on the George I met in May, I still can’t quite wrap my head around how brave George really is. Coming to a new place, meeting new caregivers and volunteers, exploring new enclosures and outdoor spaces, and then joining a group of chimps! George has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. I truly don’t think there are words that can express how proud we are of him, but I am in utter awe of how courageous this little chimp is!

Mora: Girl Time & Good Vibes

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It’s Tuesday, and that means lots of meetings for the humans of CSNW so I will leave a few pictures of Mave and Dora during their private girl time here for you all to enjoy!

 

Dora, feeling playful

Many of you will note the raw spot on her face and this is just a pick mark, which are common among chimpanzees in captivity and can happen from boredom or more often from over grooming either of themselves or from others (like Mave) grooming them.

Mave, feeling ultra relaxed during her girl time with Dora

Little Moment with Annie

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Annie is one of our quieter chimps. She doesn’t ask for much attention from her caregivers, not because she doesn’t enjoy it, but because Annie is truly more of a chimp’s chimp. I’ve written before about how some chimps naturally gravitate more toward people, while others find their comfort and fulfillment primarily within their chimpanzee group. When we talk about those differences, we also recognize the fact that many of our residents didn’t get to live natural lives, and some grew up with humans.

What matters most to us is that Annie gets what she needs from her group, which she does! Seeing chimps maintain strong, healthy relationships with one another is always a priority here. We are constantly encouraging chimp-to-chimp interactions because those bonds are so important, which is why if we are interacting with a chimp and another chimps joins, we will remove ourselves if they chimps are engaged with each other.

Because Annie gravitates more to her group, interactions like today feel all the more special! It is a gentle reminder that trust can look different for every chimp, and that honoring who Annie is means celebrating both her independence and the moments she invites us into her world.