We’re taking another break from intros until next week which means it’s been a laid back kinda afternoon at the sanctuary. Sometimes in can actually be pretty nice when there’s no major significant event to note about a day.
An assortment of moments
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Chimp ID: Lucky
Since Lucky’s group is still new to all of us I thought it would be fun to do another chimp ID. Who better than Lucky to do it with! Lucky is really special. As we get to know her, she is super fun and really silly. There is something in Lucky’s eyes too, they are warm and inviting. She really is just awesome!
Lucky seems to like these scarves we put out as enrichment.
Lucky has no white marks or freckles on her face, but she does have a distinguished white beard.
Lucky isn’t a small chimp, she has a little belly that moves around when she breathy pants, it’s the best!
Lucky has very kind eyes and loves to make deep eye contact with you.
From certain angles Lucky reminds us of Washoe, sometimes Lucky looks just like her!
But Lucky really looks like her full sibling Cy! Lucky has a large browridge, which is why she looks like her brother.
But looks aside there is no one in the world like Lucky, as I said before she is a really special individual!
Clack of the Titans
As we continue to develop our plan to move forward with the introductions between Cy’s Group and Willy B’s Group with two-on-twos, we are continuing with the one-on-one introductions between group members in the meantime on a varied schedule. Today, both titans met for the second time today. When the doors opened between them, Cy tried to initiate a game of chase with Willy B, though he was a little hesitant at first. But once Willy B’s courage built up, they engaged in chase. Afterward, they had a very long grooming session with each other.
As you may hear in the video, both were breathy panting and teeth clacking. Teeth clacking is one of the noises chimpanzees produce when they are engaged in grooming. There are a few theories as to why chimpanzees make these noises when they groom. One of those theories is that it is a way for one chimpanzee to indicate to the other that their intention is to groom them. These noises become more prevalent when the chimpanzees find something particularly interesting to groom on their partner. Grooming also plays a big role in chimpanzee social life. Besides the hygienic aspect of removing any dead skin, scabs, or parasites, the act of grooming itself is a way to initiate, maintain, and enhance the social bond between individuals. There’s a certain level of trust that goes into letting somebody groom you, and in the case of chimpanzees, the area in which they groom.
These are all positive signs between the two big gentlemen.
Other Bonus Photos From Today:
Can’t Help Falling In Love (With Fall)
For those of you who aren’t acquainted with this slang term, a “basic” person has uninteresting interests.
To be fair, being labeled as basic isn’t necessarily bad. Basic things are, by definition, quite popular.
In a way, basic people are anti-hipsters. Rather than having eclectic or unique tastes, they enjoy activities that are universally-liked by everyone else. The cliché basic person is a 20-something educated female who listens to Taylor Swift, uses TikTok, watches The Office, and drinks pumpkin spice lattes in August. Oddly, a common stereotype is that these people all LOVE autumn and anything even loosely associated with the season. (Of course, fall is also the perfect time to show off a diverse collection of flannel shirts and take artsy photos of fallen leaves.)
While the term has only been applied to humans, I’d like to argue that even chimps can be basic.
For example, Negra’s hobbies include eating spring grass, eating peanuts and chow, watching the caregivers work, and napping peacefully on high platforms. None of these interests are avant-garde, and Negra seems totally fine with that. She doesn’t want to be surprised, shocked, or inconvenienced; she just wants to enjoy the simple, familiar pleasures. She’s basic to the core and seems to be proud of it.
Perhaps the world would be a better place if we were all, like Negra, comfortable with our own basicness.
I’m sure that if Negra had her own Instagram, she’d be posting selfies of herself enjoying the cool autumn breeze under a pile of fleece blankets today. Since she doesn’t have her own social media, I decided to post on her behalf today.
Photos from the day
I don’t have a theme, but I have photos! Today was one of those days where I got some photos, but didn’t have a theme to tie them all together.
The seven enjoyed a cool morning on Young’s Hill, especially Burrito!
Burrito:
Jody:
Missy:
Cy, Rayne, and Lucky enjoying an after breakfast rest.
Here is how some of the chimps spent their afternoons.
Mave was enjoying the Greenhouse.
Jamie was keeping a close eye on Katelyn.
Terry was waiting for a game of chase!
On to the Next Challenge
This post is both about the great staff at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and about the chimpanzees who they care for; the chimpanzees who lead the way towards embracing challenges and demonstrating resiliency.
I’ve been incredibly impressed with our staff during the last few of years of challenges and uncertainty. We’ve done some hard things and been faced with difficult decisions, and the staff have embraced it all and moved forward with hope.
The most recent challenge has been starting introductions between the two groups of chimpanzees from Wildlife Waystation.
There are risks involved in introducing chimps to one another, risks we have experienced firsthand. It would be easy to decide to just not try, to keep things as they are. But the staff realize that the benefits to the chimpanzees’ welfare far outweigh the risks.
The chimpanzees themselves have already given us glimpses of these benefits – male friends for WillyB! So many new grooming partners for Mave! Half-sisters to play with Honey B! Lucky, Cy, Terry, Gordo, Rayne, and Dora could also benefit from living in a larger group with more choices for social partners.
I’ve been incredibly impressed with how the chimpanzees have reacted to the initial one-on-one introductions. Each of them have been able to overcome any anxiety in meeting those in the other group. In fact, they have embraced the opportunity, sometimes making it difficult to get the pairs we want because there are chimps who stay in the room, attempting to be the one who is next in line for an introduction.
Chimpanzees are amazing that way.
While we humans live in our heads much of the time, worrying and wondering, chimpanzees most often assess the situation and pretty quickly dive in. It’s not that they can’t think ahead – they certainly can. And it’s not that they never experience worry – for sure they do. But when something goes awry or they encounter something unexpected, they are usually able to quickly reassess and adjust, or just turn to the next good thing they know is coming, like pears for dinner.
While it’s true that Burrito is a very special being in so many ways, his ability to bounce back is a trait he shares with many of his species. Chimpanzees are tough, both physically and mentally. Sadly, that is one reason they were used so readily in biomedical research.
I’ve been particularly impressed with Rayne’s group and how they have so quickly adjusted to their new home. They marched in and claimed their space, quickly finding favorite spots and embracing the sanctuary’s routine.
J.B. shared yesterday that the new group was given access to the Chute for the first time this week. And he let you in on a secret: many (perhaps even the majority of) chimpanzees LOVE cage tunnels, choosing to spend time in them over larger areas that humans might describe as more “natural” looking.
This might be a good time to remind everyone of this blog post which is subtitled Caging is OK.
It’s not up to us to decide for chimpanzees in captivity what areas are their favorites; it’s up to us to provide them with variety and give them the choice to decide for themselves. For now, Lucky’s group has clearly decided that the Chute is awesome, even when they have access to the new beautiful greenhouses with grass and bamboo.
Today when we were cleaning, I snapped a couple of photos of all six chimpanzees in the Chute. I couldn’t even tell where one chimpanzee began and another ended. Gordo was the only one not in the chimpanzee puddle at the top of the Chute, instead laying claim to the spot closest to the end.
At another point during the day, I found brother and sister Cy and Lucky lying next to each other, facing opposite directions at the top of the Chute:
While Dora was trying out a small perch for a bed:
Thank you to all of the wonderful chimpanzees at CSNW who embrace change, find their thing, and power through the challenges towards the good times that may be just out of sight, but are surely there. Thank you to the staff who do the same. And thank you to all of you for reminding us, with your comments and support, what a special mission we have.
Pumpkin Spice (without the spice)
Pumpkin seeds are a regular part of the chimps’ diets. Earlier this summer we noticed that several seeds had gone unnoticed and sprouted into full pumpkin plants on the grassy floor of Greenhouse 2. We’ve been admiring the vines’ growth as they’ve spread out and blossomed remarkably well. Also to our amazement, the chimpanzees have been ignoring the foliage (if Jody’s group lived there we are certain the plants would never have made it this far).
However, as Sam reminded me the other day, pumpkin spice season has already begun. Almost on cue with the yearly debut of the autumn flavored latte, we caught Gordo and Dora snacking on pumpkin leaves in Greenhouse 2 this morning. Perhaps this is a trendy new way to enjoy an old seasonal favorite?
Dora (in a box):
Gordo:
