Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimpanzee sanctuary

Happy Birthday, Akos!

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Today was sponsored by Dorottya Alpek for Akos Kery-Nagy on his birthday! Dorottya shared this message about today:

“Akos is the biggest chimpanzee fan ever since he was a little boy. Since the 14th of February is his birthday, this is my birthday present for him! We start our day and end our day checking the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest page to see the furry little chimps. They brighten up our day. We would love to thank you for your endless work for the chimps.”

Dorottya, thank you so much for sponsoring Akos’ birthday for him and the chimpanzees! It makes us so happy to know the chimpanzees have so many wonderful friends around the world.

Happy Birthday, Akos! All of the primates at CSNW wish you the best celebration yet! Thank you for caring about the chimpanzees and making a difference in their lives by sharing your day with them.

Burrito:

Morning solitude

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We continue to experience what feels like spring, just a much a colder version. There are moments when, much to my delight, I think it’s autumn. Despite this morning being in the low twenties, the hillsides are greening up, vines are sprouting, garden plans are swimming in our heads, and the trills of the red-winged black birds have been dipping and swirling across the pond and into the fields as they reclaim their place in this corner of the world. And it’s all happening at least a couple months early. But neither chimpanzees nor humans are complaining.

When I opened the hill up this morning the chimps marched out with purpose, each seemingly with the intent to find their own spot of sun and solitude.

Annie was the first one out:

Foxie, her Strawberry Shortcake dolls, Jody and Burrito headed up the hill together:

Foxie peeled off from the group with her dolls to head in another direction:

Missy took her chow from breakfast and raced past everyone to enjoy some privacy on a structure. But it wasn’t long before Foxie decided to join her (though I think she invited herself):

You can spot one of Foxie’s dolls on the post above her. Foxie often likes to put her dolls in precarious positions and then rescue them:

Foxie eventually decided to climb higher and join Missy:

Missy didn’t seem ready to give up her solitude as she quickly relocated:

Jamie was busy inside preparing for a walk around the hill, but to my surprise even Negra ventured out with her pine tree snack to enjoy the sun for a few moments. I love that the chimpanzees can each find solitude within whole, a space to be with one another, but apart, knowing they have each other to return to as soon as they’re ready.

Happy Birthday, Judy!

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Today was sponsored by Kathy Sorensen in celebration of her sister Judy Ford’s birthday!

“This is in honor of my sister Judy’s birthday. She has appreciated the souls of chimps for a long time. Last summer I brought her to the sanctuary and she loved it! I wish her a wonderful birthday!”

Kathy, thank you so much for including the chimpanzees in celebrating Judy’s special day! What a lovely gift for all primates involved! We’re so glad you were both able to make it out for our summer visit program.

Judy, we hope you have a beautiful birthday and so appreciate you helping to make a difference in the chimps’ lives! May your day be filled with all the things that make your heart sing!

Soul sisters, Annie and Missy:

In memory of Susan

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Jen and James Douglas have graciously been sponsoring this date for the past few years in loving memory of their dear friend, Susan von Beck Turner. Today is Susan’s birthday and a beautiful day to remember her legacy of compassion and care and the difference she made in the lives of so many dogs and humans. Learn more about Susan here.

Jen and James, thank you for honoring such a lovely human and all the good she brought to the world. Our thoughts are with you and Susan’s friends and family and we’re sending you all good thoughts for memories of comfort and joy.

Beautiful, beloved Annie:

Annie chin hair

Wednesday musings

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I am feeling quite lucky today as I just got back from a beautiful family vacation last night! After being away for a little while, the humans at the sanctuary are always happy to be reunited with their chimpanzee friends, and the feeling is usually mutual. I was delighted to see that Central Washington has maintained its mild winter, so the chimps and I celebrated the morning with multiple walks around a snow-less Young’s Hill.

Ellie the neighborhood elk has been spending most of her winter away from the sanctuary, but now that the snow has gone, she made an appearance on the property this morning.

At one point, I saw each of the 7 chimpanzees get some fresh air, including Foxie accompanied by her Dora doll.

More walks are in order this afternoon, so I’ll just leave you with a bonus photo of this much smaller non-human primate we saw leaping through the trees of a Costa Rican national park.

Cebus capucinus (white-faced Capuchin Monkey)

 

Adventure Interrupted

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Jamie may be the leader of the Cle Elum Seven, but Jody is the den mother. She always looks out for the other chimps – making sure they’re safe and accounted for – and sometimes this means “collecting” them if they venture too far outside.

This morning Negra seemed in the mood for a little outdoor adventure, but “mama” Jody wasn’t so sure.

Mysteries of the heart

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Foxie’s love of her dolls is an endless source of heart-melting joy, fascination and mystery to us. If you’ve been following the chimpanzees for awhile you are probably aware that Foxie’s love of her dolls (that we’re aware of) began shortly after the chimps’ arrival to the sanctuary in 2008 with her subsequent discovery of “Trixie” the troll doll. For several years, Foxie lived and breathed troll dolls and showed little to no interest in other dolls or forms of enrichment.

Then Dora the Explorer appeared on the scene and for reasons known only to Foxie, she was utterly smitten. Dora quickly raised through the ranks to join the status of the trolls. While we’ll never know what mysterious criteria Dora met, we were happy to see Foxie branching out with her interests. She became particularly enamored with France Dora. She definitely has a certain “je ne sais quoi” and to this day I think she remains Foxie’s most treasured of all the Dora dolls.

Fast forward a few years and Foxie branched out even further to include Dora’s friends:

It’s hard to resist wanting to interpret Foxie’s behavior with her dolls and in our curiosity to make guesses as to Foxie’s doll criteria, we thought maybe it was the combination of big hair and big eyes. Most recently she’s incorporated the new Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Big hair: check! Big eyes: check!

And then…Foxie threw us a curve ball by falling in love with the new old-style Strawberry Shortcakes. Big hair: meh, not so much. Big eyes: no, beady!

When Foxie adds another doll to her collection that doesn’t mean her trolls and Dora dolls lose their status. Her comfort level just seems to expand allowing her natural curious nature to investigate new things. And it seems her heart feels increasingly safer to let new experiences in. And we certainly know that our fellow animals experience the same emotions we humans do. That said, it’s tempting to read too much into Foxie’s behavior and it’s emotionally appealing and comforting for us to think her love for her dolls is all about a chance to be the mother she was never allowed to be to her four children she gave birth to in the labs who were stolen from her. After such incomprehensible trauma, it’s clear the dolls bring Foxie enormous comfort and joy and I think it’s safe to say she does engage in mothering behavior with them, but at the same time she often beats them up. And I mean beats.them.up!

And so as curious as we are and as well as we know Foxie, just as with any other person, we can never know for sure what she is thinking. Nor would we be so species-centric if you will, to assume. And the thing is, it doesn’t matter. Foxie is Foxie and her happiness doesn’t need definition. Nor does our love for her. Her happiness and well-being, that’s the only thing that’s our business.

It’s been a few weeks since Foxie has received a new Dora and when we surprised her with one a supporter had sent, it was evident that Dora’s still got it. Whatever “it” may be.