Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

For Patti Sims and Anne Roberson

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Mary Ann Baltich has sponsored today in honor of Anne Roberson and Patti Sims.  Anne and Patti are coworkers and friends who are both longtime supporters of the chimpanzees, and this year they started volunteering together at the sanctuary.  Mary Ann said, “Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate time to thank them for all the work they do and support they provide!”

We’re thankful today for Mary Ann’s generosity, and for all the love and support Anne and Patti have shared with us and with the Cle Elum Seven!

Negra loves pumpkin

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Yesterday was volunteer Katelyn’s birthday and she decided to dedicate her day to spending time with the chimps. Being the amazing person that she is, she, instead of throwing a party for herself, threw a party for her seven chimp friends. She decided to pick up some mini pumpkins and fill them with all kinds of delicious fruits and veggies. They looked amazing!

We scattered the pumpkins both in the greenhouse and on Young’s Hill. Negra has learned a funny little trick when we do that – while everyone else is busy foraging on the hill, she collects all that she can in the greenhouse and basically gets her own forage. While she did go out on the hill a few times, she made the best profit with what was in the comfy greenhouse. But even the greenhouse was a little too chilly for Negra. She went around collecting as many as she could and made a stash in the front rooms. She would carry the pumpkin bowls in her mouth into the room, carefully set it down on the bench, and then head out for another. Smart lady!

Here she is in the front rooms with what is left of her stash:

After things settled down a bit, she was spotted sitting next to an empty pumpkin bowl, rubbing her tummy a bit, and then picking it up and diving in for more. She loves her pumpkin! Thanks so much, Katelyn!

Routine and Choices

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As much as possible, we make a point of sticking to a daily routine here at the sanctuary.  We think it’s important that the chimpanzees know what to expect each day and when to expect it.  (I’d imagine that one of the horrors of laboratory life would be never knowing what’s going to happen to you next.)  We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time each day.  The chimpanzees are asked to shift to a separate area of their enclosure if they’d like to participate in the meal.  Since we never enter an enclosure with the chimps — last Tuesday’s fight serves as a great reminder why — we need them to leave an area before we can enter to clean.  Once in awhile someone chooses to skip a meal and stay out (usually Missy when she’s looking to have the Playroom to herself for a little while), in which case we just put off cleaning until the next meal.  The vast majority of the time, though, everyone willingly shifts for the meal and we’re able to access the area they’ve evacuated.  Since this is part of our daily routine, none of the chimpanzees are ever blindsided by the consequences of their choices.  If Missy chooses not to shift for a meal, she knows that she’s also choosing not to eat that meal.  She also knows that another meal will be offered a few hours later.  Most days, if someone stays out for breakfast, everyone will shift at lunch and we can do our Playroom cleaning then.  Very occasionally, someone will stay out for both breakfast and lunch and we’re unable to clean until dinner.  Whatever happens, we have to remain flexible.  Chimpanzees are intelligent and willful, and when they’re given the opportunity to make their own choices — like they are in good sanctuaries — they will.

Today Missy and Annie have skipped both breakfast and lunch to hang out in the Playroom.  (If Missy chooses to play hooky from a meal, Annie almost always joins her.)  It’s a rainy, gray day and I can’t blame them for not wanting to stray too far from their nests.  If they choose to come in for dinner, Jackie and I will clean the Playroom then.  If not, we’ll try again tomorrow morning.  Either way, we’re happy that Annie and Missy and the rest of the Cle Elum Seven are now able to make their own choices for the first time in their lives.

Sleeping Jody

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Since her injury, it’s been all about Jody on the blog this last week. We like to mix things up for you as much as possible, but I snapped a few photos of her in and out of sleep in the front rooms this morning and I couldn’t resist sharing them. She has one of the prettiest faces I’ve ever seen.

Tough chimps

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Not only is Jamie one of the most intelligent people I know, she’s also one of the most intense. While she can occasionally be insecure about her position as the boss of the group, she can also come across as super tough and confident. And apparently she’s feeling pretty confident lately because I was looking through photos from the last week and couldn’t help but notice how hardcore she looks in almost every photo. She is one tough cookie!

but despite all that toughness, she also has a sweet side:

And speaking of tough chimps, for those of you wondering about Jody today, her toe is looking better and she seems to be feeling fine. It always amazes me how tough chimps are and how quickly they heal, even from pretty serious injuries. Just Wednesday, I cut myself on my hand and you would have thought there was a 6 year old in the chimp house! No actual tears were shed, but it was close. And then there’s Jody, who lost part of a toe just the day before, and she’s out exploring Young’s Hill like it’s no big deal. Hats off to hardcore, resilient chimps!

Missy in her element

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There is no doubt that Missy is the athlete of the Cle Elum Seven. Her strength, agility, and playfulness amaze and amuse us everyday. Young’s Hill is her playground. Whether she’s climbing the tall bamboo, sprinting up and down the hill, or walking “tightrope” on the fire hose, she’s always on the move.

Most of yesterday’s snow has melted, allowing the chimps to venture out onto the hill without having to walk in the cold stuff. There are still plenty of patches to eat, though, so there’s been lots of activity outside today despite the chilly temperatures. Missy has been having a great time.

She did quite a lot of tightrope walking:

She also did some sprints.

Missy is happy to play by herself, but sometimes she comes to a dead stop mid-sprint:

and looks behind her to see if anyone is chasing her.

Today she was on her own, but you can see by her playface below that she was okay with that.

First snow

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Today is the first truly snowy day of the season.  This morning, as we were getting ready to let the chimpanzees out onto Young’s Hill, Jody gazed out the window longingly while food grunting (snow is a delicacy for the Cle Elum Seven).  Nobody has ventured too far outside yet – I guess even delicious snow isn’t worth freezing feet – but they’ve been spending the morning standing at the door to Young’s Hill and reaching outside for a handful to enjoy in the relative warmth of the greenhouse.

Annie:

Jamie:

Missy: