Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee sanctuary

Happy Birthday, Foxie!

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This special day of sanctuary was sponsored by Tracy Headley in honor of her pal, Foxie’s, birthday! Tracy is a luminous soul who holds the chimpanzees in her heart and welcomes them into her life at every opportunity. She is such a good friend to the chimpanzees and humans alike, advocating however she can to make the lives of so many, better.

We would also like to thank Karen and Don Young for ensuring that today’s Dora the Explorer themed celebration is one for the records! Karen and Don have also been a big part of the chimpanzees’ lives and have made possible their amazing outdoor area, Young’s Hill. We have watched Foxie (with Dora and trolls) explore Young’s Hill this year like no other. Walking the perimeter with her caregivers, bravely testing out climbing structures, and often leading the way on adventures with her chimpanzee family. Karen and Don send this special message for Foxie:

“Happy Birthday to beautiful Foxie, the first chimp we met at CSNW and the reason we became involved with this amazing sanctuary. To witness the comparison of how you are today to how you were then is miraculous! We hope you have fun at your birthday bash and wiggle your toes at all of the food goodies and a new Dora doll! Happy, Happy Birthday! Karen and Don”

Tracy, Karen and Don, thank you so much for all you do to ensure the chimpanzees live the lives they deserve, filled with hope, dignity and love.

As we prepare to celebrate our beloved and endearing Foxie’s 39th birthday, we are filled with gratitude. Gratitude that despite all that she endured and had stolen from her during her three decades in biomedical research, she is full of joy, courage and love. All of which we are profoundly honored to witness, and share in, each day. Happiest of birthdays yet to you, dear Foxie! We love you!!

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We are so touched and grateful to all of you who have reached out to make sure Foxie and her family have a wonderful day. She has received new France Dora dolls, new troll dolls (including a France troll!), decorations, toys, and treats. It’s going to be quite the special bash for a special lady so check in later today to join in on the festivities!

Happy Birthday, Erin!

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We are so fortunate to have two of our amazing supporters sponsoring today’s day of sanctuary! This day was also sponsored by Erin McKenna, who has been part of the chimps lives for several years. Today happens to be Erin’s birthday and she is choosing to celebrate her special day by enriching the lives of the chimpanzees!

Erin, we hope you have a day fit for a Queen (Queen Negra, that is!). Thank you so much for all you do for the chimpanzees and for helping to ensure that all of Negra’s days are fit for the special person she is. We hope you know that you make a difference in all of the chimps’ lives and how much we (and they!) appreciate your support. Whether your celebration today includes a party, enjoying a peaceful summer day, or relaxing in a cozy nest (or all three), all of us here at the sanctuary wish you the happiest of days!

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Happy Birthday, Doug!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Natasha Yankoffski in honor of Doug Engmann! Natasha is a long-time friend and supporter of the chimpanzees who also works to help rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured marine mammals. Natasha shared this lovely message about today:

“August 3rd is my boss’ birthday. He is a very kind, caring & generous individual who is very supportive of my passion for wildlife conservation. I wanted to give him a unique holiday present and what better way to honor his caring spirit than to ensure that your wonderful chimps live their days in a safe, happy & fun environment (with lots of good things to eat!).”

Natasha, thank you so much for being such a wonderful advocate for not only the chimpanzees, but all animals. We truly appreciate your desire to make a difference in the chimpanzees’ lives as you honor Doug today.

Doug, thank you for your support of wildlife conservation and the passion of those who advocate on behalf of so many special beings. We hope you have the best birthday yet and a day full of celebration and joy. You sound like a wonderfully special being yourself and all of us here at CSNW send birthday pant-hoots your way! Happy Birthday!!

Annie enjoying pea tendrils and corn on the cob (and lips 🙂 ):

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We are so fortunate to have two people sponsoring this day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees so please tune in later this morning to help us celebrate with our second sponsor! The chimpanzees have the best friends!

Happy Birthday, Diane!

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Diane Koosed who shared this lovely note: “Celebrating my birthday by feeling a bit connected to CSNW!”

Diane, thank you so much for your generous gift to the chimpanzees on your own special day! We are continually amazed at all of the connections these seven special beings draw not only to their lives, but to all our lives. Thank you for helping to ensure that all their days are filled with hope, love, home and sanctuary. May your day be filled with the same in return. From all of us here at CSNW, we wish you the happiest of birthdays!

Jamie:

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Foxie’s evening

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Each night after dinner the chimpanzees receive their food puzzle for the evening. This is typically a pretty exciting time and once everyone has their puzzle they find a quiet spot to enjoy their treats in peace and the chimp house begins to wind down for the day. This evening’s puzzle was frozen applesauce and banana in PVC tubes and I caught Foxie enjoying hers:

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When the chimps finish their food puzzles, they usually head straight to their chosen sleeping spot for the night, blankets in tow, and begin making their nests (with the exception of boss Jamie who still has a lot of things to do). But this evening, Foxie decided to hang out as we finished the closing routine and seemed to be enjoying the peaceful time, occasionally glancing out the window next to her as the sun began to sink lower over the sanctuary.

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About this time we gave Jamie her “boot package” for the evening. Jamie often requests her favorite “boots du jour” before we leave which we fill with enrichment items for the evening (such as a toothbrush, cup, comb, nail file, scarf, etc) and pass to her through a chute. As she also requested the boots she had me wearing at the time, I happened to be barefoot. And at the sight of bare human toes, Foxie thought it would be a fantastic time to play one last game of chase, interspersed with pirouettes, through the chimp house (never mind that people were settling down to sleep).

After a few minutes of play, we said goodnight to everyone and turned off the lights in the chimp area, answered by the chimpanzees giving nest grunts goodnight in return. Nest grunts are a vocalization that chimpanzees make when they are settling into their nests for the night as a way to check in with each other before they go to sleep. (Admittedly, it’s one of my absolute favorite moments of the day).

As I was closing the door to the chimp area I saw Ms. Foxie head out to the solitude of the greenhouse. I went to say goodnight and found that she had decided to camp out on the top platform, looking out over Young’s Hill, as she held Dora (with some wild hair) close to her. Goodnight dear Fox.

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Happy Birthday, Rachel!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Rachel Ruggeri! Rachel recently sponsored a day of sanctuary in memory of her father, Robert. And today she generously chose to celebrate her own special day with the chimps and sends this message: “It is my birthday and since the chimps sent me a card, I want to send something to them!”

Rachel, it means so much to us that you have chosen to mark these special days in your life by making the chimpanzees’ lives better. And it means the world to them. All of the primates here at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays and hope your day is filled with all the love, compassion and joy you share with others!

Missy:

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Today is in memory of Robert Ruggeri

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Rachel Ruggeri in memory of her father, Robert Ruggeri. Rachel shared this note about today: “My father, who passed away on 7/25/13, loved animals big and small. We miss him dearly.”

Rachel, thank you so much for including the chimpanzees in remembering your father, Robert, today. You have both made a difference in their lives. All of us here at CSNW are so sorry for your loss and we are touched to be able to play a small part in honoring his life. What a lovely thing that he and love of animals continues to live on through you. We are all holding you and your family in our thoughts today.

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