If you “like” us on Facebook, you may have seen our update yesterday that the chimps got to enjoy breakfast in the sunshine on Young’s Hill. It was a gorgeous day– absolutely perfect for a tropical forage (coconuts, pineapple, and lettuce).
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Role Reversal
Jackie got some excellent footage of the chimps switching roles the other day. As many of you know, The Cle Elum Seven chimps all have unique personalities. Negra usually keeps to herself, is quiet, and likes to rest a lot. Missy is super playful, loves to run, and tries to get the other chimps to chase her. Foxie (not shown in this video) is a troll connoisseur. In this video, we see Negra initiating play, holding trolls, and stealing nests. Missy forgoes play with her best friend Annie in order to take a nap Neggie-style. Even though they all have their individual personalities, they definitely continue to surprise us!
A Closer Look
Foxie took an up close and personal look at the Go Pro Camera the other day.
Celebrating Jody and all moms
Today’s joint Mother’s Day/Jody’s birthday celebration has been one big loungefest (just like Jody likes it). The weather is gorgeous today (high 70s/low 80s) and the chimpanzees have spent the majority of the morning and afternoon in the warm greenhouse foraging, grooming, and going through gift bags – with breaks for leisurely excursions onto Young’s Hill, of course.
We normally limit the number of blankets we put out in the chimps’ enclosures each day to the maximum number that we can wash in a day. Today, though, in honor of the birthday gal’s love of relaxation, we threw caution to the wind and put out all the blankets we could find. Jody couldn’t be happier (see photos at the bottom of this post of her nesting with a few of them).
Annie found a new necklace in a gift bag:
Foxie kicked back with a new troll near the raceway to Young’s Hill:
Negra pondered a while before committing to going out…
…but she eventually took the plunge.
Missy, Jody, and Annie (l-r) checked out the hill from the raceway while Foxie took it easy:
The birthday girl spent much of the afternoon sifting through gift bags and inspecting new toys from her favorite reclining position. Eventually all this activity took its toll. Here she is mid-yawn:
Thanks so much to Robbi and Dick Brown and Rita Stevenson for the party goods, to everyone who has donated today (if you haven’t had a chance, there’s still time!), and of course to all the moms, who make the world go ’round.
Mother’s Day
It is a beautiful May day in Cle Elum as we celebrate Mother’s Day like so many of you. I hope you enjoy your day with your mother and your loved ones.
Unfortunately, Jody and our other mother chimps do not get to spend this day with their children. Or any other day for that matter. We know that Jody had at least nine babies born to her and taken away from her during her years as a biomedical test subject. I could not imagine the anguish that a mother must feel when a baby is taken away from her and for the years of memories that will never happen.
In honor of our chimpanzees who are mothers, I hope you will consider making a donation to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest today. We are hoping to raise $1,000 to support Jody and our other mother chimpanzees as we reflect on what this day means. They deserve to have a day in their honor and in the memory of the children they had who are still in biomedical research labs. Thank you for supporting our chimpanzee family.
Greetings from a new team member
Happy Friday! I wanted to take a few lines here on our blog and introduce myself. My name is Michael Moore and I’m delighted to have joined the amazing team at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest as the new Development Director. I’m excited to be back working in animal welfare and in particular for the Cle Elum 7. I’ve been on board for a few weeks now and I’m in the process of getting to know the staff and chimps and they are getting to know me. In fact, I’ve been spit on by Jody and Jamie wanted my boots on the first day so I’m feeling very welcome already. I’ll be joining the team in sharing stories about the chimps with you, some insider information you can only get here, and hearing about your connections to the chimps and passion for animals! I’ll also be working at building on the great fundraising work the staff here have already done – which has been amazing! So, I’m looking forward to having fun sharing fundraising ideas with you, hearing your suggestions about fundraising, and asking for your help in promoting the Sanctuary! Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].
Are you ready to race?
In case you haven’t heard the news, we are only 10 days away from our first ever Race for the Apes! On Sunday, May 20, folks will be gathering at Rotary/West Ellensburg Park for a 5K run and troll stroll along the Yakima River. Whether you are a serious runner or simply a troll enthusiast (troll-stroll participants are encouraged to adorn their outfits accordingly), all are welcome, and it’s sure to be a blast.
In case you need inspiration on how to appropriately train for such an event, you could get some pointers from the Cle Elum Seven.
Serious runners may train for months and months, like Missy, who has been training since September 20, 2011. Currently her low speed on the hill appears to be approximately 15mph.
And when Missy’s running, Annie is usually not far behind her!
For you troll stroll participants, Foxie can show you how it’s done:
Perhaps even Negra found Foxie’s troll strolling inspiring today. She “strolled” out on the hill a bit further than usual and just sat down to take in the view! She’s been reluctant to go out much until this past week, and even then she would only run out to grab some grass and immediately retreat into the greenhouse to enjoy it. Knowing that she “strolled” a bit further and is getting comfortable enough to take in the amazing view is very exciting for all of us!
Here she is on the move!
So, in honor of the Cle Elum Seven, tighten those shoelaces and get ready to Race for the Apes! We hope to see you there!
