Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Kindred Beings release

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One of our guest bloggers, Dr. Sheri Speede, has a great new book released today called Kindred Beings: What Seventy-Three Chimpanzees Taught Me About Life, Love and Connection. Be sure to check it out! Sheri will be doing a book signing tour, and will be stopping in nearby Seattle on October 10th at the Elliott Bay Book Company. We’ll post reminders about the book signing on our Facebook page—you definitely don’t want to miss the chance to meet with Sheri.

You might recall Sheri’s post on Jacky. Here’s an excerpt from her new book about a chimpanzee named Nama.

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Sheri Speede’s first interaction with adult female chimpanzee Nama, who was tethered by a five foot chain around her neck for 16 years . . .

As I walked slowly within her reach, she took my arm, and I allowed her to pull me in close to her.  I sat down beside her in the wet dirt, trying to avoid the diarrhea. She looked at my face curiously for a few moments, glancing at my eyes but not really looking into them. She was inspecting me, rather than trying to communicate. After a minute or two, her hand hovered in front of my face, and she began smacking her mouth open and closed rhythmically. Understanding that she was about to groom me reassured and relaxed me, but her fingers on my face were not really so gentle. She was digging at the corners of my eyes in a way I didn’t enjoy. I turned my face away. When I looked back at her, she perused my face again briefly, and then tried picking my nose with a finger that smelled of feces. I turned away again. I clacked my own mouth and tried to groom her face, but she didn’t like it either. She turned her head to escape my hand as I had done with hers. This wasn’t going perfectly.

Finally, when I lowered my hands to groom her chest, she pushed her shoulders back and straightened her neck to give me good access. I moved both my hands over her chest the way I thought another chimpanzee would—parting the grayish hairs, flicking off dirt particles, gently scratching at blemishes on skin stretched tautly over easily discernable ribs. After about 10 minutes, Nama lowered her head and returned her chest and shoulders to normal posture. When I looked up to see what she wanted to do next—not more face grooming, I hoped—her eyes were seeking mine with a desire to communicate that startled me. While she held my gaze, she took my right hand and placed it purposefully on the chain around her bony neck, rubbed bare of hair by the shackle. Her lower lip hung open, and her eyes were steady, beseeching. She was requesting the freedom she needed most of all and was expecting no less than simple action as an answer from a friend. All I could give her was a promise that she couldn’t understand, although I meant it with all my heart.

“Nama, I will take that chain off of you, just as soon as I am able to. I will never rest a single day until I do.”

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Nama on her chain she wore for 16 years. Photo © Sheri Speede.

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Niete and Nama (standing on right) greeting each other at Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center. Photo © Agnes Souchal.

Pick up a copy of Kindred Beings today!

 

Let’s Talk Body Language

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You may be aware by now that Jamie can be a pretty exacting boss. She knows just what she wants AND when she wants it. For example, as I type she insists that I should, instead, be taking a walk with her while wearing a cowboy boot. Right. Now. Seriously, NOW. Often people will ask about her specific requests (like wearing a boot while walking around Young’s Hill) “But how do you know that’s what she wants?”

The simple answer is she tells us. Chimpanzees rely heavily on the use of non-verbal communication to get their point across. Gestures such as foot stomping, play bowing, pointing, arm reaches, and hugs & kisses (just to name a few) are all part of the daily vocabulary of chimpanzee life. Additionally, facial expressions, body postures, and vocalizations all provide a potential social partner (whether chimpanzee or human) with important information to help understand the context for interactions. Sometimes those cues can be subtle and sometimes not. Often behaviors can be used in multiple settings (play and aggression, for instance) so it’s vital to make sure we’re paying attention to the full picture painted by someone’s body language.

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As I mentioned, Jamie is insistent about that walk. How do I know? She’s stomping her foot loudly and repeatedly while gesturing frantically towards the bin that holds her boots. If I pick one out and bring it to her (which I promised to do just as soon as I finish!) she will tell me to put it on by staring at my foot then gesturing to the boot and then my foot again. She usually won’t take off running for Young’s Hill until I have it on my foot. Then she’ll run faster than Forrest Gump for the entrance to Young’s Hill pausing every so often to to look back, make eye contact, and make sure I’m following along. For me, the question is not how I know, but how could I possibly not? The chimpanzees communicate their wants and emotional states as clearly as if they were speaking. In fact, I often wonder if life wouldn’t be less complicated without the use of spoken language confusing the matter at hand!

In memory of Robert C. Thompson

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Today was sponsored by Madelaine Thompson in memory of her dad, Robert C. Thompson. Madelaine shared the following sentiments:

“My dad and mom welcomed strays and rescue pets into our household from the time I was a baby. At times, pets outnumbered humans – and there were nine kids! I am ever grateful for his compassion and sense of humor in dealing with the challenges and rewards of a chaotic, loving household.”

Madelaine, thank you so much for including the chimpanzees with such lovely memories of your family. What a generous and compassionate way to honor your dad. Something tells me he would have appreciated the chimpanzees’ household!

annie and missy playing

Life as Jamie’s assistant

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Jamie is the supervisor of all of us here at the sanctuary, chimps and humans alike, and today Jamie had many projects for me. Thank goodness I had her direction to structure my day. All of the chimpanzees are well aware of the daily routine and are amazing time keepers. And not just at mealtime. They typically know when it’s time for them to be given access to each area after we complete cleaning and if we are running behind, they start showing up to let us know. And as you can imagine, nothing gets by “the boss.”

Jamie followed me throughout the cleaning of the front rooms today, supervising my cleaning skills and making sure to request numerous drinks from the hose at each door. When it was time to give the chimpanzees access to the front rooms, I asked Jamie which door she wanted me to open first.  She immediately indicated her choice and we repeated this until all the appropriate doors were open.  With cleaning done, Jamie let me know it was time for a walk around the hill.  Immediately! Jamie typically has a specific boot in mind that she wants us to wear on our walks with her and sometimes it can take trying on several pairs in her collection before we find the one she wants. But you know have the right one when you put it on and she takes off running toward Young’s Hill!  Today, this was THE boot of choice:

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After taking several loops around Young’s Hill together, Jamie’s and my routine (per Jamie) is to sit together so she can groom the prized boot.  When she has groomed the boot (and me) sufficiently, she indicates she is ready to be given the boot by running into the front rooms where I drop it in a shoot for her. Once in her possession, she gazes adoringly at the boots, hugs it to her and kisses it:

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Jamie then let me know that she wanted to check out the chimpanzees’ garden (of course, with the boot in tow). Thanks to the hard work of volunteer, Denice, the chimps’ garden is in full bloom! Every day this week, Jamie and Missy (The Tomato Queen) have excitedly asked for cherry tomatoes which they can see growing outside the play room windows.  Here Jamie is watching me pick some for her:

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It’s hard to tell here, but I am serving her a few to try out:

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And while Jamie looks like she has a huge smile in this photo, she’s actually getting tomato seeds out of her teeth.  Nevertheless, I think she was still pretty pleased.

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Jamie is one of the toughest bosses I have ever had, but I can’t think of a more rewarding job, or anyone else I’d rather work for.

Play and laughter

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Everyone needs a good laugh… sometimes it takes friends to get a smile out of us, and other times we can make ourselves crack up.

Be here now

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The most invaluable lesson I think I have learned from working with chimpanzees is this: what matters is this moment, right now. The Cle Elum 7 had already lived so very many different lives before coming here to sanctuary and so much of that history is unthinkable, unconscionable to my mind. Not only have they survived difficult lives but they have also thrived beyond my imagination. Rather than languishing over the dark years of the past they enjoy the gift of freedom of today. I believe this is one of the reasons they, and so many other chimpanzees in captivity, can experience such a transformation under the right care. My hope is that all great apes in captivity will know such care. I consider it an honor to be a part of this moment. Thank you to everyone who makes it possible for us to be here now.

Negra and Jody foraging for breakfast on Young’s Hill this morning:
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Jody on her own on the hill:
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Negra on the hill:
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Burrito enjoying his breakfast beside Negra’s cabin:
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Playing with Foxie

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If you’re playing with Foxie, chances are there’s a doll involved. She often initiates play with a caregiver by passing us one or more of her dolls. We’re then expected to entertain her by acting as silly as possible. Caregivers Diana and Debbie filmed one such play session yesterday.