Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

Organizing!

by

As the chimps lounged around…

The humans did some organizing! We’ve got just a couple of months to get ready for the arrival of our newest sanctuary members. If you haven’t heard the BIG news yet, make sure to check out this blog post!

We recently received a new fridge from a generous donor/volunteer. Getting a new fridge in the building is always a challenge, luckily we have lots of willing volunteers to lend a hand or two.

The second fridge took its place in the kitchen across from the other fridge. We will have some more mouths to feed here pretty soon!

And the enrichment moved out of the kitchen and into our new laundry/enrichment room!

The only thing we’re missing in this space is a new washer/dryer for our second group of chimps… If you’re interested in becoming our washer/dryer donor angel, you can find the set we are looking for on our Amazon Wishlist.

The day after the party

by

City HOOT! (our annual gala and auction) and Country HOOT! (the chimpanzees’ version of the party) were both wonderful successes! We’re beyond thrilled and grateful and we can’t wait to share the exciting details of our annual gala with you soon!

In the meantime, the chimps have been taking it pretty easy today. But then it’s been a big week of celebrations. In addition to last night’s festivities, June 13th was the chimpanzees’ 11th anniversary since their arrival to sanctuary and also the day we celebrate Negra’s honorary birthday (she turned 46 this year!). And since the chimp house looked more like a frat house this morning, it makes sense that they are enjoying a leisurely day (as they should) and the humans’ not so much (but of course it’s worth it).

Best friends, Missy and Annie, had the greenhouse to themselves this afternoon while everyone else napped inside the cooler chimp house, so they enjoyed a good amount of quality time together, grooming the warm late-spring afternoon away:

That leg in the air! Missy!

We hope you are all having an equally enjoyable end of spring, almost summer kind of Sunday!

City HOOT! and Country HOOT!

by

It’s here!! Our annual gala and auction, HOOT! 2019 The biggest, most exciting party of the year for the humans, who of course are gathering for their love of the chimpanzees and bovines who call Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest their home. The number of people who come together whether as staff, volunteers, guests, or online supporters is truly incredible and we could not be more grateful. The lives that the chimpanzees and cattle are living here, not to mention the humans who care for them, would not be possible without the amazing community that has come together to ensure hope, love, home, and sanctuary for them and for all those who may be calling this their home in the future.

While so many wonderful humans are partying in the city, the chimpanzees, mistresses and master of partying, will of course not be outdone. So while City HOOT! 2019 is happening in Seattle, Country HOOT! 2019 is happening right here in Cle Elum.

On the menu for Country HOOT!: Field Roast celebration roast, rose petal and chive smashed potatoes, green beans, and cherry tomatoes served a bed of lettuce. (Those of you attending the gala may recognize some similarities on your menu, though try not to be jealous that you probably aren’t being served Gatorade in Dixie cups and having whole coconuts smashed on your table. Though if you decided to try something like the latter, you’re at least in the right crowd. And those of you at home, we support you smashing a coconut on your table if you’re so inclined. I mean, it’s your home, right?!):

Apologies for the low lighting and blurry-Jody-in-full-on-the-move-forage-mode, nevertheless…

Jody’s tactic, as is classic Jo, was to gather all she possibly could and eventually find a comfortable spot to lie down and enjoy it:

I’m not sure you’ll have peanut butter pinecones in the Dessert Dash, but one can always hope:

Jamie enjoying chives and a peanut butter Kong:

Annie:

Missy enjoying a firehose knot (we stick nuts inside) after dinner:

Belly full, Burrito is partied out. Again, for everyone at the gala if you, too, are partied out at night’s end, you’re probably still with the right crowd that you could pull this off. At least Burrito won’t judge:

And rest assured, Foxie and Negra had a great time, they were just ladies of the loft and I couldn’t capture a photo. 🙂

Whether you’re attending the gala or following from home, thank you again to every one of you for your support in all it’s varied and amazing ways, every day of these last eleven years, tonight, and for all the chimps’ days forward. HOOT! from these chimpanzees! MOO! from the bovines! Goodnight, all!

Happy, Happy!

by

Dear friend to all the primates (and bovines) at the sanctuary, Kathleen Corby, also sponsored this extra special day of celebration! Woot! Or rather, Hoot! Kathleen shared this beautiful, heartfelt message about her gift today:

“Happy Birthday Negra! For eleven years you have been blossoming into your true self and during this time you have shown us what a brave and beautiful chimp woman you truly are. It is an extraordinary pleasure to witness the small, consistent transformations you have made over this short period of time. The love in my heart that I hold for you expands each and every year so I sponsor today to celebrate you on your honorary birthday. Much love to you from me. XOXO And I celebrate eleven (11!!!) years of Sanctuary. Happy Anniversary to all! Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, like Negra, is always growing, expanding, transforming — especially now with your Bring Them Home Campaign. You are one of the finest animal welfare organizations, every thought is filled with compassion and care for the Cle Elum Seven and the new Bovine Gang. Best of everything to you in your 11th year of Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary…. 7 (Seven amazing chimpanzee people). 11 (Your eleventh anniversary). 13 (the lucky day the Cle Elum Seven came to their new sanctuary home) Forever Lucky Numbers now!!!”

Kathleen, we are so grateful for the abundance of love and compassion that flows from your heart. The lives of so many beings are enriched by your presence here on earth. So much gratitude to you for helping us celebrate this special day!

Negra:

Jamie:

Jody:

Foxie:

Annie:

Missy:

Burrito:

And of course, we also celebrate Betsy, Honey, Meredith, and Nutmeg, the bovine members of our sanctuary family:

Gifts

by

I don’t think I see a day go by where it’s not demonstrated somewhere, somehow, that someone is thinking of the chimpanzees and how to make their day better in some way. Whether it’s gifts coming from afar via our Amazon Wishlist (including all the amazing Safeway gift cards that allow us to shop for all the chimps’ favorite foods and keep their fridge stocked with fresh produce!), companies who donate produce, someone sending a book or a boot or a doll, volunteers and interns who take the time to think of new enrichment the chimps might like, or who work to grow mini-gardens in the midst of construction, who sit and groom Jamie with a toothbrush while she falls asleep, who buy special treats when they come for their shifts, and countless other thoughtful gestures. Your donations, your engagement on the blog and social media, sharing your love of the chimps and their lives with others, including them in your celebrations and honoring and remembering of loved ones, supporting our gala and auctions, lending your time to help improve and expand their home, and the home of those to come. There are countless ways you each make a true and lasting difference in their lives. In the lives of us all, really. What a gift you each are to us.

Imagine having spent decades in small cage in a windowless basement, unseen, to having people across the world, near and far, thinking of you and you’re well-being every single day. It’s an incredible, incredible privilege to witness.

Today, the chimpanzees were given the gift of the most gloriously fluffy and flamboyant peonies from a long-time friend and volunteer’s garden! Jamie took her time picking up each flower and smelling it and then gently setting them down until she chose the ones she wanted. I missed photos, sorry! But Annie and Jody were particularly enamored with these amazing flowers and gathered armfuls of bouquets to just bury their faces in, inhale their intoxicating scent, and then munch on.

Annie:

I love Annie’s flower petal vampire teeth. 🙂

Jody:

Happy Birthday, Barbara!

by

Today was sponsored by Jessica Mayhew in honor of her mother, Dr. Barbara Lopez-Mayhew!

Jessica plays several valued roles within our chimpanzee family. In addition to being an Assistant Professor in Anthropology and Director of the Primate Behavior and Ecology Program at Central Washington University where she works alongside the many student interns and volunteers who help us care for the chimps and their home, she also generously gives her time as one of our Board members and a volunteer caregiver. She adds to the chimps’ lives in countless ways and today we’re so lucky to celebrate her mother, Barbara with her. Jessica shared this really beautiful message about her mother:

“This day is in celebration of my amazing mother and her birthday. She has always led by example, and from an early age taught me critical life lessons about tolerance, celebrating diversity, standing my ground in the face of a challenge, and about speaking up for the things I believe in. She has been my biggest champion, and I credit much of my success to her teachings. She is so loved!”

Jessica, thank you so much for sponsoring this day of sanctuary! We can’t thank you enough for everything you bring to the lives of all the primates here at CSNW! We’re so lucky to call you part of our family and are honored that you would choose to celebrate your mother this way.

Happy Birthday, Barbara! We’re so happy to share in your special day with you and your family and all of us wish you the happiest of birthdays yet!

And in even more exciting birthday news, you are now pals with the Queen herself, Negra: