Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey!

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From all the primates here at CSNW, a big heartfelt thank you to Jeffrey Abramczyk for sponsoring this day of sanctuary!

“Today’s my birthday and what better way to celebrate it then sponsoring a day to celebrate with the CSNW residents!”

We totally agree, Jeffrey- thank you so much for sharing your celebration with us! We hope you have a wonderful day- cheers to you!

In honor of your celebration, here’s some photos of the chimps celebrating too!

Cy:

Honey B:

Sweet, sweet Jody:

Missy:

Negra:

Willy B:

 

 

The Boss and Her Rules

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Yesterday, Sabrina wrote about the walk she took with Rayne around the Bray. It’s so exciting to see Cy’s group explore their new habitat- if there’s anything we’ve learned from Jamie’s group and Young’s Hill, it’s that seeing them explore outside truly never gets old.

So, earlier today (and every day, really), when Jamie wanted to go for a walk, I was pumped! While I was trying to figure out what she needed for the walk, I realized I had my blog topic for the day. Jamie has rules when it comes to her walks, naturally, and we have to abide!

Today, we were cleaning the front rooms when Jamie popped up in the loft of the playroom. I was walking into the chimp area from the kitchen and she started pointing, so I stopped cleaning and tried to figure out what she wanted. First, I tried showing her a few different boots to see if one was what she wanted. She didn’t stop pointing (aggressively) so I knew I hadn’t gotten it right yet. Her short, black boot had been drying on the kitchen boot dryer so I snagged that and she nodded at me, but still pointed towards me. I was getting closer, but wasn’t quite there yet, so I put the boot on and grabbed her favorite bonobo books and she was gone! I met her outside the greenhouse and off we went. Almost everyone joined us today, but Negra opted to remain in the super comfy nest she had made in the greenhouse.

After walking with Jamie, she will usually want one or all of the items she asked you to bring around the hill. Since it’s chimp approved enrichment, we give it to her! Today she wanted her three bonobo books, but didn’t want her boot, so I put it aside to give to her before closing up the chimp house this evening.

After you have successfully navigated the pre-walk steps of figuring out what exactly you need to bring, done the actual walk itself, and given her the things from the walk she wanted- then she will often want to sit and groom for a bit. 🙂 These are all ways to build your relationship with her and, when the day can get so busy, they’re also nice quiet moments that we can spend with her.

We don’t always get it all right when we try and figure out what the chimps want, but it is one of the most important parts of our work here so we always try… Even if it means disappearing from cleaning for a little while (thanks, Lizz and Courtney!)

BONUS PHOTOS:

Jamie’s group wasn’t the only side to explore outside today! Rayne, Gordo, Cy, Willy B, and Lucky all enjoyed some time out on the Bray this afternoon.

Rayne and Gordo going all the way to the top:

Your eyes didn’t deceive you- Rayne was rockin’ some Sporty Spice fashion on the Bray today!

Willy B enjoying the sunshine:

Terry being his handsome self:

 

Foxie enjoying lunch:

 

Girl Time and Happy Birthday, Carrie!

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For today’s blog, I wanted to share a peaceful little moment while everyone else was out exploring The Bray. Though Mave, Honey B, and Dora may not be quite comfortable enough to go outside yet, at least they are spending some quality time together! Sometimes our days get hectic and busy, this video was a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the company of good friends. I hope this video brings you as much peace as it brought me.

We also want to give many thanks to Jenara Miller for sponsoring a day of sanctuary today in celebration of long-time friend of the chimps and bovines, Carrie Miller, on her birthday! From everyone at the sanctuary, we hope you have an amazing birthday Carrie!

Honey B:

Bubba:

Honey cow:

 

 

 

Mornings In The Chimp House

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Mornings in the chimp house are often super busy! The to-do list is impressive and as soon as we arrive we get started on breakfast prep, enrichment, laundry, and other morning tasks. Then, after breakfast is served to both groups and we’ve finished shifting, we start cleaning the enclosures. Despite the long to-do list, there are often sweet moments to catch all morning. Whether it’s the precious greetings the chimps offer us when we first arrive or little goofy moments between friends as we scrub and squeegee, there’s always something to make you smile.

Today was no exception! As we cleaned, chimps in both groups enjoyed the beautiful summer day. Check out today’s video for more! 🙂

BONUS PHOTOS:

Cy, looking on as his family explores the Bray:

Gordo, getting more and more comfortable on the structures:

Honey B enjoying the sunshine:

Jamie, resting after lunch with one of her cowboy boots:

Rayne, exploring the Bray:

The Rayne Attraction

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Rayne seems to be very well-liked within her group, but also among the humans that care for her too. I don’t know if everyone is aware of how obsessed we are with Rayne, well, besides Rayne herself, she is probably aware of how awesome we think she is. There is something about her, it feels like Rayne can handle just about anything with grace. I think we are all drawn to her self-confidence. She can stroll out onto the Bray, something so unfamiliar and scary, and later leave with all the confidence in the world, like it was just another day. She is truly a friend you want to have around. Rayne is not afraid to stand up for her friends, she will encourage them to go out of their comfort zone even when it seems scary, and reassure her friends in times of need. Rayne really is a sweet and gentle soul, but when she does decides to display, oh man, is it epic! The other thing we love about Rayne is how socially savvy she is. Raynie can somehow allow Honey B scream and chase her during a conflict and miraculously redirect into play. She is always finding ways to bring out Willy B’s silly side, but also accept him for the socially awkward chimp he is. Personally, I think she is incredible because she seems to take people as they are: the good, the bad, and the in-between. Rayne also reminds me of my friend Tatu, who is her half-sister, and for some reason it brings me comfort.

Another thing we love about her is her sense of fashion sense. It is unreal!

Rayne standing bipedal on the Bray as a train goes by:

I don’t know how we got so lucky to know a chimp like Rayne:

Bonus photos!

Lucky on the Bray today:

Willy B in the grass <3:

Foxie with 5 dolls:

Annie watching her noisy neighbors:

Can you believe Negra is turning 50 this year? As many of you might know, our Trifecta Jubilee is coming up on June 13th! We will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Cle Elum Seven’s arrival, Terry’s birthday, and of course Negra’s 50th birthday! On Saturday, June 10th at 2pm, we would love for you to join us for a virtual Sit Down with the Co-Directors!

Birthday Girl Herself, Queen Negra:

Celebrations, Forages, and Sunshine!

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Today we celebrate a long-time supporter of the sanctuary! Karen Young and her family have made so many things possible for the chimps in our care and we are so very grateful. From Young’s Hill to Ryan’s Lookout on The Bray, they continue to help provide amazing moments in the chimps lives. Karen- from each and every one of us here, thank you and happy, happy birthday!

Today, all the chimps enjoyed forages of avocado cups, corn, celery, and more! It’s been a beautiful sunny day here in Cle Elum so Jamie’s group enjoyed the forage on Young’s Hill. I hope you enjoy the photos and videos from today!

Burrito enjoying his forage on Young’s Hill:

Cy, staring lovingly at his corn:

Foxie enjoying a moment of sunshine on Young’s Hill:

Gordo choosing to enjoy his corn behind the cover of bamboo plants:

Honey B, mid-forage:

Rayne enjoying her avocado cups:

Jamie, after a moment of grooming with her caregivers:

Annie, waiting for the lunch forage on Young’s Hill:

Members of Cy’s Group exploring Ryan’s Lookout (sponsored by Karen Young and her family in memory of their son, Ryan) for the first time:

Jody’s Family Legacy

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Since I started working at CSNW in February I, unfortunately, did not get a chance to know Jody very well. I did get put through some hazing by her when I first was learning to serve meals to the group, she would occasionally try to poke me or she would have to spit some of her smoothie on me if I put too much in her mouth at one time. I always found her reprimands to be very gentle in contrast to another chimp I worked with in the past, Jody’s son Levi!

Like Jody, and a lot of chimps when they first arrive to sanctuary, when Levi arrived he was a little more rough around the edges. It was tough to even get a good look at him in person because he was well known for his penchant for throwing feces and he has impeccable aim. When I began working with him, a few years after he first arrived, I discovered how much Levi really loves to play chase and tickle with people and I convinced a coworker who worked with him in his early days at the sanctuary, to come along. When we arrived at Levi’s play yard he immediately came out to greet us and my coworker said to me “that’s him?” because she had never really been able to sit with him or have any positive interaction with him but now they have a relationship with a lot of positive interaction.

In the last couple weeks I have heard so many stories about Jody and how she used to haze people and would spit relentlessly on her caregivers but that she really came to accept and trust the people who cared for her. This really speaks to the difference sanctuary makes in the lives of the chimpanzees we care for and the capacity they really have to forgive humans for the things they’ve experienced in the past.

While Jody is no longer here with us physically anymore, she will never be truly gone. She lives on through her chimp family at CSNW, in our memories of her and in stories shared by those who knew and love her. But she also lives on in her children, like Levi, who not only carrys on her genes but remind us of her quirks and personality, and like Jody are getting to live out their lives in their chimp families in sanctuary.