Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

Reaching for New Heights

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Today is absolutely a terrific day for many reasons. The weather is bright and sunny with temperatures near the 70s. Many of the seasonal birds are back and gleefully darting back and forth, grabbing what they can to make their perfect little nests for the Spring. The cattle are out grazing in their new pasture. And Willy B hit another milestone in his adventures outside.

You’re eyes are not deceiving you. Willy B made a couple of attempts to climb the outdoor structure. He is capable of climbing the structure in the Courtyard, however, it is still really new to him. He first would poke his head up to scan the platform for any food. When he noticed there wasn’t any up there, he would come back down and just sit. After the first initial scan for food, it seemed like his curiosity wasn’t about food anymore.

It seemed like he was determined to conquer any fear he may have had and want to be on the platform. However, today was not that day. After several attempts, he decided it was best to just sit in the open air Courtyard, and take in the scenery. This in itself was another big milestone. Willy B ventured out further than before, and stayed out longer with out constantly darting back to the safety of the Chute.

He also made attempts to walk on the grass multiple times today.

But his excursions onto the grass weren’t long.

He even performed a mini-display. We’re still not sure if he was hyping himself up for another attempt to climb, or to show his neighbors who is in charge of the Courtyard now.

To think of the places he has been in life, to now experience grass, open air, dirt, cattle neighbors, can be somewhat over stimulating and frightening for someone with a past like his. I truly admire Willy B’s spirit.

Willy B just has that kind of spirit. The spirit to take on new adventures and try new things in new surroundings.

And the determination to come out on top in the end at his own speed.

Hopefully, his confidence and sense of adventure will spread to Mave and Honey B soon so they can enjoy the wonders of their Washington home. Mave, just like yesterday, seemed like she’s hyping herself up to take that first step. It may be tomorrow. It may be next week. It may be a year from now. But that isn’t our call. There is no way to tell when either her or Honey B will be ready. The only thing we can do is try to show them it is safe and wonderful to be outside.

You can help us continue to provide care and a safe home for the 10 chimpanzees and four cattle by participating in Washington’s Give Big Fundraiser Drive. This is the first year we are eligible to participate in this annual drive, and we hope to make a big impact. The smallest donation can have the biggest impact for the 14 residents of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. So we hope you are able and willing to participate today or tomorrow.

For Susie and Epin

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Lynn Williamson, long-time volunteer and friend of the sanctuary and it’s residents, in memory of two very special women in her life, Susie and Epin. Lynn’s lovely tribute:

“Today, May 5th, was my mother, Susie Williamson’s birthday. Tomorrow, May 6th, was her sister Epin Lewis’s birthday. Susie was born just one day shy of exactly 18 years after my Auntie Epin. Not only was Epin like a mother to Susie, she also took me on as a newborn and cared for me most of my childhood, and sheltered me into my early adulthood. These women were very different from each other. But one thing they had in common was their deep love of animals. I was well supported with all of the critters I brought into the household from pollywogs all the way up to a pony – well for one year anyway. Epin and Susie would have loved the chimps. When I see Negra clap her hands during mealtime I am reminded of my Auntie Epin in her later years – seriously the exact same clap! It makes me so happy every time. Thank you CSNW for letting me honor the memory of these two important women.”

Thank you for sharing part of your story with us, Lynn, and for making a difference in the chimps’ lives through your family memories. We’re grateful for your kind heart your mom and Auntie Epin helped nurture in their own ways and we’re hoping your memories of them bring them back to you in all their good today. Take good care, Lynn, and we hope to see you back in the chimp house before long!

Foxie and Jody:

A bounty of lilacs and courage

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It got down to freezing last night, but by the time the chimpanzees were ready for breakfast it was warm and dazzlingly sunny outside. My neighbor and her incredible grandmother of a lilac tree graciously allow me to bring blossoms galore for the chimps to enjoy each year, so today was their first taste of the brief lilac season with a breakfast forage on the hill.

Jamie:

Negra’s food squeaks could be heard across the land, though she was all about the chow:

Missy joined her, but she was all about the lilacs:

Then Jody joined in, but she was all about the fruit. So it worked out well for everyone:

Jody:

No one seems to outdo Missy’s love of lilacs, but each year it seems someone new is suddenly interested in them and much to my surprise, this year Foxie was really enjoying them. Her face!! Guh, my heart!:

After the seven returned to the chimp house later in the morning, it was time for the three to have access to their courtyard! And of course to wait with bated breath as to what Willy B (or Mave or Honey B) might decide to do today. We put the forage a little bit further out on the platform, with some high value items (a bunch of grapes and a whole apple) the furthest out to encourage Willy B’s continued courage at venturing into the great outdoors. And it worked! It took him a little bit to drum up his courage, but he went the furthest he’s been today!

We are careful not to overwhelm them with our presence and want to decrease their worry that something unexpected will happen, so right now we try to have 1-2 staff stay nearby, but in a bit of stealth mode. J.B. managed to get these photos and look at this guy! Willy B! Outside!:

Getting a little more comfortable:

We really cannot impress the level of courage this involves. Imagine leaving the comforting familiarity of the only thing you’ve known, enclosures with caging, and then stepping onto a strange platform, under open sky, surrounded by strange feeling wood chips. Every single sensation something new and strange and potentially very frightening and unpredicatable. Some chimpanzees, understandably so, are never comfortable enough to leave their enclosures. We’re just so proud of this guy our hearts are ready to burst!

And while we weren’t able to capture any photos, Mave decided to venture down to the doorway to the platform today! She saw Willy B enjoying all that forage and while she wasn’t ready to go out, she did reach out at one point on her own and touch the platform. She spent quite awhile at the doorway sitting with Willy B (and probably admiring his food) and we have high hopes she will be next to take a step outside. I know that may not seem like much, but for someone who’s first time touching the earth under open sky to have been a bit rocky (after touching the electric fencing), it’s taking an incredible amount of bravery for these guys to give it another go. Honey B is not yet showing any interest, but she has all the time she needs to choose what feels best for her.

Once the chimps came back inside later in the afternoon Willy B was the craziest, most playful guy. We always say we can’t know what they are thinking, but honestly, it really felt as though he was just elated with himself at the adventure he’d conquered. As well he should be.

And last, but not least, our bovine family continue to revel in their newfound summer pastures. Here’s Nutmeg with Honey licking Betsy in the background:

Another Few Steps, Another Adventure

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The sanctuary has a relatively small staff, so each of us knows how to do the essential duties and can safely manage the sanctuary on any given day.

Still, we all have certain skills and interests that translate to specialized roles apart from the core caregiving responsibilities. Anna leads the volunteers and staff, Katelyn manages the office, Kelsi coordinates our outreach program, Chad curates the enrichment program and has a mustache, Dr. Erin is the dedicated veterinarian, and I have started focusing on projects related to animal health and behavior. At the helm of all this are the sanctuary’s co-directors who do most things as a team (although Diana is chiefly responsible for the development of the organization while J.B. primarily oversees the sanctuary’s operations).

It’s somewhat unusual for sanctuary directors to participate in activities like cleaning enclosures, maintaining the property and folding laundry. Anyone who knows Diana and J.B., however, won’t be surprised to read that they are still involved in various tasks around the sanctuary on a daily basis. For example, it’s not unusual to see J.B. play chase with Burrito, fly the drone, do hours of office work, hang up safety signs, drive to Wenatchee to pick up produce, help serve chimp dinner, weld together a Foot Box, and then mow the lawn in the span of a single work day. Diana and J.B. have regular shifts when they are scheduled to do chimpanzee care, but that doesn’t prevent them from helping out on most of the days in between. Sometimes, they even do things for the chimpanzee and bovine residents when we’re not expecting them to be working at all.

That’s exactly what happened this morning.

As Sunday’s lead caregiver (a responsibility we all share on a rotating basis), I pulled into the driveway a little before 9:00am. I always scan the surroundings as I cruise up the dirt road towards the Chimp House, but my heart skipped a beat this morning because there were cattle in a place where we don’t usually have cattle. Had anyone been sitting in the passenger seat, they would have heard me mumble “Oh, $#%&.”

Betsy, Honey, Meredith and Nutmeg were trotting around the expansive pasture which separates the chimpanzee’s outdoor enclosure from the neighboring ranch to the South. As of Thursday evening (the last time I was here), the fencing was incomplete and it looked like it might be a few more days, if not weeks, before the pasture would be ready for our herd of four rescued bovines. Some projects, such as giving the cattle their spring hoof trim and breaking ground on the new wing of chimpanzee enclosures, have been temporarily postponed due to the ongoing public health crisis. We had previously discussed hurrying the fencing project to give the cattle some more grass to turn into mass and gas, but it was unclear when we would get around to it.

Before accelerating up the driveway, I squinted at the distant fence-line and was both relieved and shocked to see that the posts were connected by shimmering aluminum wire. This wasn’t a jailbreak event and the cattle were still safely enclosed. Someone had finished securely enclosing the pasture.

I looked further up the hill and eventually spotted J.B. on the Gator, proudly watching over the three cows and one enormous steer-child. Sure enough, he had just finished enclosing the pasture by himself on a Sunday morning so that the cattle could have a full day to acclimate to their new digs. I probably shouldn’t be surprised by this sort of thing anymore. It’s become normal that the sanctuary looks like a slightly different place every time that I leave for a few days, and little changes can accumulate quickly. It really makes me appreciate how Anna can return from a three-month maternity leave and jump right back into managing the Chimp House during a global pandemic. To see such changes taking place, even in the most uncertain of times, is evidence of the slow but steady growth of the sanctuary.

That wasn’t the only big change to happen while I was away. We have recently been brainstorming ways to help Willy B, Honey B and Mave to adventure out into their section of Young’s Hill. On Friday, just two days after we all decided to start putting out more food on the boardwalk that extends out into the grassy enclosure, Willy B took his first steps out of the chute and into the open courtyard in order to retrieve some scattered food. Even though he appeared hesitant and calculating, it also clearly took some extraordinary guts. We’re not sure when the new three were last able to walk on real grass or go outside without caging overhead (if ever), so Young’s Hill must be a scary place for them. I wasn’t at the sanctuary on Friday, but I was happily bombarded by texts and videos from the staff who were working. Willy did it again on Saturday and I, once again, spent my afternoon smiling while watching the uplifting video over and over on my couch at home.

Today, I had the joy of seeing two amazing events first-hand: Willy going out into the courtyard for a third straight day and the cattle being brave enough to venture out into a new pasture. It’s strange to see how the two events parallel each other despite the obvious fact that cattle and chimpanzees behave quite differently. I’m ecstatic that the sanctuary’s residents are opening up to new experiences, regardless of whether they have hooves or big hairy feet. I’m also really proud of our sanctuary’s team (and community of supporters) for providing them with these opportunities to go beyond their past experiences. It gives me confidence to see us surging forward, one little unexpected step at a time.

The Cattle
Betsy
Honey
Meredith
Honey (L), Betsy (C), Nutmeg (R)
Nutmeg (L) and Betsy (R) [Note that despite the obvious size difference, Betsy is actually Nutmeg’s mother]
Honey
A swallow perched on the electric fence today
The view from the sanctuary during last week’s initial wildflower bloom
Missy eating a kiwi while watching J.B. drive around the pasture this morning

More progress for Willy B

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The video above really speaks for itself. It was quite an exciting day for all of us!

As though Willy B’s bravery wasn’t enough to make our hearts soar today, guess who I just spotted at the TOP of the hill? I had to take a quick photo with the phone.

Small steps

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One of the ongoing and typically lengthy discussions at our weekly staff meetings involves coming up with ways to encourage Honey B, Willy B, and Mave to go outside. Would a forage in the courtyard help motivate them or lead to frustration? Does the presence of staff reassure them or do we make them nervous? How can we modify the chute or the courtyard to put them more at ease? While we are willing to try anything and everything within reason, we also know from experience with the Seven that it often just takes time.

I’m excited to share that Willy B’s time may have arrived because this morning he took a few small steps outside.

Sorry – no good photos of the occasion! But squint really hard and you can see Willy B making his first step onto the boardwalk outside as the photographer hides around the corner.

During his first few attempts, he clung with one hand to the inside of the chute, leaning out as far as he could without losing his connection to something safe and familiar. Once back in the chute, he would psych himself up for another go while tapping his knuckles on the floor, all while keeping his eyes on the prize – a handful of grapes, scattered just outside the door. Eventually, when he had retrieved all of the grapes within reach, he released his grip on the caging and sat squarely outside of chute on the boardwalk. It was then that he stopped reaching for grapes altogether and just sat for a moment to look around. Over the course of about 30 minutes he did this again and again, until he decided that he’d had enough for one day and returned to the building. Sometimes we make progress in small steps.

You wouldn’t know it now, but many of the Cle Elum Seven were just as terrified to go onto Young’s Hill when they first had the chance. Missy and Jamie took to it almost immediately, but Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jody, and Negra were extremely hesitant (click the links for blog posts we wrote at the time). It took time – in some cases months or years – and plenty of encouragement from friends for them to overcome their fears.

Here’s Jamie, back in 2011, throwing her arm around her pal Foxie to encourage her to walk further outside.

And here’s Foxie again, this time with a little extra motivation…

We hope that Willy B will step further and further outside each day. Who knows, maybe one day he can be the one to throw a reassuring arm around Mave or to lure Honey B through the grass by carrying her favorite scooter or fanny pack. And just as it was for the Seven, the once-terrifying great outdoors can finally start to feel like home.

For the entire CSNW family

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Today was sponsored by some of the amazing student interns and volunteers who we get to work with through Central Washington University and the Primate Behavior and Ecology (PBE) program!

“This is a donation from the 2018 PBE Cohort to our wonderful CSNW Family – we are so grateful for everything y’all have taught us and for introducing us to some amazing people (Chimps, cows, humans). We hope to hear some breathy pants, barrel drumming, and food smacking soon! We miss y’all so much and thank you for being a huge part of our years here. Love, Rose Amrhein, Rhiannon Belcher, Kailyn Campbell, Elizabeth Coggeshall, Erin Emerson, Rachel Fuller, Shaun Mayo, Emily Patton, and Maddie Spencer.”

This past year has been a particularly challenging one for our volunteers, all of whom have graciously weather the uncharted territory of unpredictable days and needs at the sanctuary with everything from the amazing arrival of Mave, Honey B and Willy B from Wildlife Waystation in California, to the subsequent attempts and ending of their introduction to the seven, to learning the layout and safety protocol of a new building, only to have things finally start to calm down just in time for a worldwide pandemic.

These dedicated people have consistently and joyfully shown up for their shifts, often with thoughtful gifts of support in hand, and have demonstrated patience and creativity when the days usual activities were on hold or catawampus, and worked so hard when we needed the help. And even though the current state of things is preventing them all from being here while they stay safely hunkered down at home, their support remains unwavering, even from afar. We’re so lucky to have so many amazing humans to help us provide the best lives we can for the chimpanzees!

Rose, Rihannon, Kailyn, Elizabeth, Erin, Rachel, Shaun, Emily and Maddie, thank you so much! Your support, hard work, and dedication to making the lives of so many primates better is very appreciated! The difference you do, and will continue to make with your lives and your hearts is inspiring and hopeful. We miss you all, too, and hope to see you back here soon!

One thing’s for sure, no matter where life takes you, you’ll never have another supervisor like Jamie:

Foxie and Jody:

Jody, Foxie and Burrito:

Meredith, Honey, Nutmeg and Betsy:

Annie, Missy, Foxie and Jody:

Honey B, Mave and Willy B:

Negra: