Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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A colorful, crunchy lunch

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The chimps had what only could be described as a gorgeous lunch in the greenhouse today– mini bell peppers, carrots, rhubarb and red grapefruit. Not only was it delicious, but it was colorful too.

Annie and her mini bell peppers:

The rhubarb came from volunteer Renee’s garden. She brought it out yesterday when she came out to help me in the chimps’ garden (Thanks, Renee!). I’ve never thought the chimps liked rhubarb all that much, but they seemed to enjoy it today. Here’s Missy munching on hers:

Annie:

Foxie was especially content with lunch. She kicked back with a couple of carrots

and you know you’ve done good when you catch her rubbing her troll’s belly.

Breakfast on the hill

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If you “like” us on Facebook, you may have seen our update yesterday that the chimps got to enjoy breakfast in the sunshine on Young’s Hill. It was a gorgeous day– absolutely perfect for a tropical forage (coconuts, pineapple, and lettuce).

Role Reversal

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Jackie got some excellent footage of the chimps switching roles the other day. As many of you know, The Cle Elum Seven chimps all have unique personalities. Negra usually keeps to herself, is quiet, and likes to rest a lot. Missy is super playful, loves to run, and tries to get the other chimps to chase her. Foxie (not shown in this video) is a troll connoisseur. In this video, we see Negra initiating play, holding trolls, and stealing nests. Missy forgoes play with her best friend Annie in order to take a nap Neggie-style. Even though they all have their individual personalities, they definitely continue to surprise us!

 

Celebrating Jody and all moms

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Today’s joint Mother’s Day/Jody’s birthday celebration has been one big loungefest (just like Jody likes it). The weather is gorgeous today (high 70s/low 80s) and the chimpanzees have spent the majority of the morning and afternoon in the warm greenhouse foraging, grooming, and going through gift bags – with breaks for leisurely excursions onto Young’s Hill, of course.

We normally limit the number of blankets we put out in the chimps’ enclosures each day to the maximum number that we can wash in a day. Today, though, in honor of the birthday gal’s love of relaxation, we threw caution to the wind and put out all the blankets we could find. Jody couldn’t be happier (see photos at the bottom of this post of her nesting with a few of them).

Annie found a new necklace in a gift bag:

Foxie kicked back with a new troll near the raceway to Young’s Hill:

Negra pondered a while before committing to going out…

…but she eventually took the plunge.

Missy, Jody, and Annie (l-r) checked out the hill from the raceway while Foxie took it easy:

The birthday girl spent much of the afternoon sifting through gift bags and inspecting new toys from her favorite reclining position. Eventually all this activity took its toll. Here she is mid-yawn:

Thanks so much to Robbi and Dick Brown and Rita Stevenson for the party goods, to everyone who has donated today (if you haven’t had a chance, there’s still time!), and of course to all the moms, who make the world go ’round.

Are you ready to race?

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In case you haven’t heard the news, we are only 10 days away from our first ever Race for the Apes! On Sunday, May 20, folks will be gathering at Rotary/West Ellensburg Park for a 5K run and troll stroll along the Yakima River. Whether you are a serious runner or simply a troll enthusiast (troll-stroll participants are encouraged to adorn their outfits accordingly), all are welcome, and it’s sure to be a blast.

In case you need inspiration on how to appropriately train for such an event, you could get some pointers from the Cle Elum Seven.

Serious runners may train for months and months, like Missy, who has been training since September 20, 2011. Currently her low speed on the hill appears to be approximately 15mph.

And when Missy’s running, Annie is usually not far behind her!

For you troll stroll participants, Foxie can show you how it’s done:

Perhaps even Negra found Foxie’s troll strolling inspiring today. She “strolled” out on the hill a bit further than usual and just sat down to take in the view! She’s been reluctant to go out much until this past week, and even then she would only run out to grab some grass and immediately retreat into the greenhouse to enjoy it. Knowing that she “strolled” a bit further and is getting comfortable enough to take in the amazing view is very exciting for all of us!

Here she is on the move!

So, in honor of the Cle Elum Seven, tighten those shoelaces and get ready to Race for the Apes! We hope to see you there!

Happy birthday, Rena!

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Today is Rena Schwartz’s birthday and Melissa Pendleton has sponsored the day in celebration.  Sponsoring a day of care for the chimpanzees in a friend’s or loved one’s name is such a thoughtful way to spread the love.  Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Negra, and all of their humans at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays, Rena!

Here’s Jamie checking out a gift bag at one of Foxie’s birthday parties: