Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Today is all about Missy. Missy is known for her acrobatic skills and living life to the very fullest! For lunch we had a forage on Young’s Hill. Missy found a hot route by walking on the fire hose and then flipping off to get some corn and sweet potatoes.
Missy walking on the fire hose:
Missy flipping off the hose:
And Missy sticks the landing!
After, Missy got a good stash and started heading in:
There are a few foods that a lot of caregivers mildly dread serving to the chimpanzees. One of these foods is corn on the cob. Corn is a hot commodity for the chimps and with its distinguished deliciousness, comes a wave of competitive desire from a few of the dominant individuals (namely Jamie and Jody) to try and steal as many pieces of corn as possible from the other chimps. This as you might imagine, is not seen as a popular tactic and can cause chaos and screams to ring through the sanctuary. We rarely serve whole pieces of corn any more because it causes so much drama, and instead will break the cobs in half, or cut them into many tiny pieces for play room forages. Today however, we decided to spread whole corn far and wide out on Young’s Hill. There is something about having all that extra space for foraging out on the hill that the chimps seem genuinely satisfied and lose a little bit of that competitive tension.
Of course there are some chimps that are a bit more successful…
Jody:
Negra seemed so pleased with her one large corn that she headed right back inside with it to enjoy:
Burrito needed a lot of reassurance from Foxie because he was so thrilled (note how “fluffy” he looks with his hair standing on end). Foxie was perfectly happy to pick up a bunch of primate chow that we also scattered with the corn.
Jamie and Missy were moving and eating quickly, but I promise they got lots of lunch too!
Annie ate all of her corn while she was outside:
Today Reilly and Eamonn Coyne are turning 7 years old! Kate O’Keefe chose to celebrate her twin grandchildrens’ special day by sponsoring this day of sanctuary in their honor! Kate shared this lovely message about today:
“We are sponsoring this day in honor of our twin grandchildren, Reilly and Eamonn Coyne.They are turning 7 on July 29th! Thank you for all your wonderful work. It is a joy to see your posts of the chimps happy and thriving.”
Kate, we are so touched that you thought of the chimpanzees in celebrating Reilly and Eamonn and their birthday. It’s lovely to know your compassion and your grandchildrens’ lives are making a difference in the chimps’ lives. We are so happy to celebrate with you all today.
Happy Birthday, Reilly and Eamonn!! Here at the sanctuary we think the number 7 is a pretty big deal. These seven chimpanzees have brought more joy, love, fun, laughter and hope into all our lives and we hope your special day is full of all the same. Thank you for caring about Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Negra and sharing your big day with them!
Burrito:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Jody:
Annie and Missy:
Negra:
Rachel Ruggeri sponsored this day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees as a wonderful way to celebrate life! She shared this really beautiful message about today:
“This day is in honor of my 48th birthday! The sanctuary gives me hope that we can create a better world where all living creatures have some sense of freedom and happiness. And it is that hope that I look forward to with each passing year…”
Rachel, you are an amazing friend to the chimpanzees. From our hearts, thank you for all you do for them, for helping us care for them and give them lives their unique and special selves deserve, and for being part of their family. Holding your touching message in our hearts, we are all wishing you the happiest of birthdays yet and many, many more to come. Have a fantastic day!
Annie and Missy:
Burrito:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Jody:
Negra:
Jody has become more and more invested in her chimpanzee family over the years. When the chimps first arrived at the sanctuary nine years ago, Jody kept to herself much of the time. I’m sure she appreciated living with other chimps, but she didn’t seem to feel the need to socialize with them much.
Over the last several years, though, Jody has stepped up as the mom of the group. When we open the door to Young’s Hill (the chimps’ two-acre outdoor habitat) each morning, Jody is the first out the door. She sits just at the end of the raceway and spends a moment visually scanning the hill, presumably checking for any dangers that might have appeared overnight. If one of the other chimps gets a little too adventurous out there, Jody is the first to show her concern by rushing up to them, hair standing on end, and monitoring their activity or trying to usher them back to the safety of the building.
Jody loves to forage for wild plants on Young’s Hill. She will gather as much as she can in her mouth and arms, and then hobble back down the hill toward the greenhouse, where she lies down to munch on her bounty and keep an eye on the hill in case she’s needed out there.
Sanctuary means different things for the seven chimpanzee individuals that live in Cle Elum, Washington.
Negra’s sanctuary lies in the solitude and comfort of a giant nest:
And sometimes the chance to peacefully pick wild greens on Young’s Hill
Jody finds sanctuary in the company of others:
as well in moments of quiet:
and bounty:
If Annie had to spell sanctuary, she would spell it M-I-S-S-Y:
Missy’s sanctuary is all about movement!
Jamie’s sanctuary is filled with cowboy boots:
And boot related activities:
Burrito’s sanctuary needs to be delicious:
and fun!
Foxie’s sanctuary wouldn’t be complete without dolls:
and friends!
and friends that steal said dolls and play keep-away!
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Ben Chandler in honor of Tamara Beus! “In celebration of Tamara’s birthday we hope all the beautiful chimpanzees have a wonderful day!”
The chimps are so fortunate to have so many friends both near and far and we’re always thrilled to see them included in so many thoughts, celebrations, and well, families!
Ben, thank you so much for choosing to celebrate Tamara’s birthday in such a thoughtful and compassionate way! It’s so lovely that her special day is making a difference in the chimps’ lives.
Tamara, all of us here at the sanctuary wish you the happiest of days! And we hope it’s filled with all the good things, all the things that make your heart happy. Have a beautiful day!
Jamie:
Missy:
Foxie:
