We know that some of the chimps seem completely comfortable with Young’s Hill, especially Missy, as well as Jamie. Annie has gotten more brave with help from Missy, and Burrito and Negra have ventured out for a little bit, too. Jody and Foxie are more hesitant and have only been a few feet past the raceway tunnel. Today, Jamie encouraged both of them to come out further and even hugged Foxie and guided her along.
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Fearless Missy
I know we’ve said it before, but Missy has been quite a star on Young’s Hill. She’s been so confident and fearless out there! We knew she would love the Hill, but I don’t think any of us could have predicted the level of bravery she would have. I’m so proud of her! GO MISSY GO!
First few days out
I know all our regular blog readers have been waiting to see some more video of the chimps out on Young’s Hill. If you haven’t yet, watch this video from KOMO News that shows their first moments out (but have some tissue close by!) This montage is of highlights from the following days. Enjoy!
The simple things
There are so many beautiful stories to tell about these first few days of Young’s Hill- it’s been an exciting time for all of us- but sometimes it’s the simplest things that move me. Seeing blue skies behind them and the sunlight shining on their backs, no caging surrounding them, and the incredible view they get to enjoy. It is an amazing thing to see.
Missy:
Jamie:
Watch Seattle’s KOMO 4 Sunday
The national broadcast of the chimps’ going onto the hill is still up in the air, but I did receive confirmation from Eric Johnson of KOMO 4 that they will air the story Sunday night at 11:00pm and it will re-air Monday at 6pm. So, for those in the Seattle area, set your DVRs and come to the blog after you watch it to tell us your impressions.
It was a pretty emotional day and we were lucky that the film crews were gracious, understanding and also really excited to witness the chimpanzees taking their first steps onto Young’s Hill.
Here’s a photo of 2/3 of the Young’s Hill clique. Maybe tomorrow someone else will join Burrito, Missy and Jamie in exploring the wide-open part of their home.
Sunflowers
It’s that time of year again! It’s been a pretty cloudy, raining day here at the sanctuary, so I gave the chimps a little something from the garden to brighten up the day. The chimps really seem to enjoy picking all the petals off and then munching on the seeds. Burrito and Foxie weren’t too into it, but everyone else was pretty excited. I wasn’t able to get a good picture of Jody because she quickly took hers inside to munch on in her nest- smart woman!
Jamie:
Missy:
Negra under her blanket:
Annie:
Laughing
As many of our regular blog readers know, Annie is coming out of her shell more and more. We’ve seen her become more confident and play with chimps other than Missy. Foxie seems to be someone she likes to play with, and the other day I caught them in an intense wrestling match. Their laughter was amazing! It really makes me smile so much when I think about how much Annie and the other chimps have all changed since their arrival to the sanctuary over 3 years ago. I can’t wait to see what other changes we might see in the chimps’ personalities after Young’s Hill opens!
Speaking of the ever-changing chimps, in this clip, you’ll see Annie and Foxie playing with Foxie’s new doll that I mentioned on her Facebook page. This is not a troll doll, and although it resembles a troll, it’s still great to see her expanding her usual very narrow focus on “enrichment objects worth interacting with.” As seen in this blog from just a few days ago, Foxie is well on her way to making nests with blankets! Like I said above, it’s amazing to see how the chimps have all changed and keep on changing.
