Today, the chimpanzees were being pretty playful, especially Missy and Burrito. I wasn’t able to get the best video while trying to play tug-o-war with Missy, but I got a short clip. Burrito was playing a lot with Jackie at the barn doors. You’ll want to watch until the very end!
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Happiness on the hill
Missy was such a goof when I opened the door to Young’s Hill this morning! She ran right out (and lots of folks followed her) and went up to the new climbing structure in the bamboo.
After sitting there for a little while, she decided to get a better view of the hill:
And then goofiness with her best friend Annie ensued
Play with me!
Burrito can be a little reserved in social situations, so it was especially nice to see him working so hard to get Foxie to play with him this morning.
Fostering Friendships
Volunteer Katelyn is in training to be a caregiver. We like to think of training as not only a time to teach people about chimp behaviors and how to safely interact with the chimpanzees, but it’s also a time to foster new friendships. The process usually takes several months beginning with the trainee sticking close to the trainer until gradually the trainer gets further and further away and the trainee gains more independence. It’s a fun process to watch, especially when you watch the chimps become more and more comfortable with the person, and watching their friendship begin. That’s what I witnessed today with Katelyn. She hasn’t had many interactions with the chimpanzees, but today we spent a good deal of time interacting with almost everybody! We played tug of war with Missy and a sock, and Annie came over and tickled the back of Katelyn’s hand– a rare treat! Later, we spent some quality time with Foxie in the greenhouse. Foxie was so playful! She literally rolled the entire length of the deck during a chase game– a sure sign that Katelyn going to be a fun friend.
I feel I should point out that Katelyn and I are standing on different steps in the next couple of photos 😉
For Jay Johnson
Caryle Johnson has sponsored today in memory of Jay Johnson on his 60th. What a lovely memorial. Thanks, Caryle!
Relaxing Foxie
Foxie just looks so content in this photo.
More on the new structures
As I mentioned the other day, Ben Parks and Boy Scout Troop 336 from Federal Way worked with J.B. last weekend building new climbing structures on Young’s Hill. I also mentioned that we got some GoPro footage, however, unfortunately there were some technical difficulties with the file and the videos were lost. We did get some footage with our camera though. Thanks again Ben and Boy Scout Troop 336!
