Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

For Terry, Foxie and Missy!

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Mike Stockdale sponsored a day of sanctuary today with this fantastic note: “This donation is in honor of my wife Terry on her birthday August 14 and to the chimps who share her birthday month. Please use the extra money for enrichment for the entire group.”

We love this! Mike, thank you so much for celebrating Terry and our August birthday ladies, Foxie and Missy! We really appreciate you thinking of them all in such a sweet and generous way!

Happy Birthday, Terry! This was a good month to be born! 🙂 Even if your birthday doesn’t involve smoothies, watermelon bowls, Orange Blossom dolls and more tomatoes than you can possibly eat (unless you’re Missy), we hope it’s the best one yet!

Missy and Foxie:

In honor of everyone who is helping the chimps

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Darcy Collart sponsored this really lovely day of sanctuary for, well, us all!

“Thank you to all the people who work so hard to rescue, take care of, and support these wonderful and deserving chimps! This includes all the rescuers, caregivers, donors, and/or defenders. You are so needed and appreciated!”

Darcy, this is such a kind, uplifting thing to do! Thank you!! As you stated so beautifully, there are a myriad of ways to care for each of these amazing chimpanzee people, none of which would be possible without the incredible support, dedication and love of so many amazing humans. We couldn’t do it without you all. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making the chimps’ lives here in their sanctuary home possible.

Honey B:

Foxie:

Mave and Willy B:

Jody and Burrito:

Jamie:

Jamie, Foxie, Missy, Annie and Burrito::

Day of Portraits

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Unlike yesterday, the chimpanzees were very lively today and I was able to grab some better photos!

The chimpanzees were given access to Young’s Hill just a couple minutes before breakfast. But five minutes was too long for Jody. She was the first one out and immediately began foraging for some local plant life that grows on the hill.

Jody must have also anticipated Negra waiting for her. She initially brought two back, but ended up with one, and Negra with the other.

Later on in the day, I found Foxie out in the Greenhouse.

Though this one is a little blurry, I still like the pose in it and would consider it a crime not to share anyway.

Also unlike yesterday, I was able to finally capture Willy B in all his handsome glory. I had to be quick though because after hearing the shutter of the camera, he raced to the caging to see his portrait.

Happy Birthday, Erin!

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Today was sponsored by Maureen McHorney in honor of her daughter, Erin Yuhas, to wish her a Happy Birthday!

Erin is a long-time friend of the chimpanzees and she and her colleagues at Hartford Healthcare Medical Group Norwich recently got together to generously sponsor a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in celebration of World Chimpanzee Day, complete with heaps and piles of gifts.

Maureen, what a lovely way to celebrate Erin and her compassion heart! Thank you so much for making a difference in the chimpanzees’ lives in Erin’s honor and for giving us the chance to celebrate her with you!

Happy Birthday from all the primates at CSNW, Erin!! Have a beautiful day! Thank you for all the joy and love you help bring to the chimps’ days!

Jamie:

Honey B and Mave:

Willy B:

Annie and Missy:

Burrito:

Jody:

Foxie:

Batting A Thousand

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I was sure batting a thousand today in terms of not being able to get any decent photos. Though, that may have actually described today’s feel. Not that there’s anything is wrong with it or anything bad happened, but it was just quiet. Really quiet. Suspiciously quiet.

The only decent photo I was able to get was right after breakfast of Burrito and Foxie trying to spy on their neighbors.

Once cleaning was over, that was it. The ladies all decided to keep quiet and to themselves in the most difficult of spots around the sanctuary to get photos. As evident by Honey B here.

It’s enough to know who it is, but not enough to get a decent photo of.

There were, however, two strapping gentlemen who were within sight. As some of you know though, these two gentlemen can be extremely difficult to get photos of. Each for their own reasons.

In one of many failed attempts to get photos of the Group of Seven, Burrito insisted it was not photo time, but another play time. I had to opportunistically get whatever photos I could during our play session.

Wait for it….

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A very blurry kiss to the camera!

So I tried my luck on the other side, again, in one of many failed attempts to get photos of the Group of Three.

As you may know, Willy B usually likes to be very close to the camera and makes it difficult to take photos of him. But I gave it my best attempt.

First he allowed me to snap this photo.

I had to show him what I was able to capture. Apparently he liked it because…

Wait for it…

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He wanted to kiss it!

Again, like the prior Burrito kiss photo, he was super close and out of focus. I thought it was just interesting both of them had done the same thing by trying to kiss the camera.

And one last “model” shot of Willy B. Though close to the caging and camera.

UPDATE:

I was able to get some photos during dinner that tells a semi-interesting story.

First, I was able to capture sweet Annie enjoying her corn at dinner. (Make note of the piece of corn at her feet.)

Then seemingly out of nowhere, Missy comes by and swipes the corn that was at Annie’s feet.

Annie didn’t seem too worried about it. If you looked closely, you can see only the very top of the ear of corn was left.

But also…

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Annie spotted the cob Missy was given earlier for dinner. Coincidentally it was with roughly the same amount of corn kernels still left. So I guess that’s not really stealing. More like a long roundabout form of trading.

Tutorial: How to Clean an Enclosure

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The blog often shows the highlights of each day, but we don’t always show the less-glamorous aspects of our jobs. As caregivers, most of our work day is actually spent cleaning, securing, and maintaining the spaces that the chimpanzees live in.

Just confirming that an area is safe for humans to enter is a chore in itself, and then each enclosure requires daily attention so that the chimps can be healthy, comfortable, and entertained. On top of that, there are always dishes to scrub, toys to wash, puzzles to prepare, and paperwork to organize.

This evening, I chose to demonstrate our standard procedures for cleaning and sanitizing a chimpanzee enclosure so that you can all partake in the fun!

Happy Birthday, Foxie!

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Our second generous gift of a day of sanctuary was sponsored by Foxie’s Pal, Jordan Bower, in honor of Foxie’s 44th birthday! Woot!

“Happy Birthday to the sweet, sweet Foxie Chimpanzee. Watching the kind of peacekeeper and friend she is, makes me a better person. I believe this Shakespeare quote fits her perfectly: ‘And though she be but little, she is fierce’. I hope her day is spent doing and snacking on all of the things she loves.”

Jordan, that is the perfect quote, and one we ourselves often use in regard to Foxie. Thank you so much for thinking of her today and helping to make her day even better. Foxie is such a special person and we couldn’t be more grateful to be celebrating her today.

Happy, happy birthday, beloved Foxie! You make all our lives better just by being your beautiful, magical, endearing, loving, pirouetting, joyful, sassy-pants self. We love you more than you will ever know.

Foxie and Troll:

Burrito and Foxie:

Jody and Foxie:

A favorite. Annie, Missy and Foxie:

Be sure to tune back in later today to see Foxie’s celebration!