Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

Christmas Eve!!

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Christmas Eve is the most exciting time of the year. There is so much anticipation built up, and Christmas is only one sleep away! I think the chimps have been pretty excited the past couple days and are getting a little restless for the Christmas party! So, that is why today we tried extra hard to keep the chimps (Jamie) very busy. Jamie had her normal routine of laying on a barrel to supervise chimps and/or humans (mostly humans), make her caregivers put her favorite boots on, build her nests, play a little chase, and monitor the cleaning. After cleaning the Playroom we put out fire hose knots as some daytime enrichment and I stuffed Jamie’s folio with a few crayons, some paper, and a book. Well, let’s just say Jamie has been very busy, or at least for most of the day! Later she needed a nap, nestled around her books, fire hose knots incorporated in her nest, and a boot tucked in her pelvic pocket for safe keeping!

Christmas Eve Eve

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It looks like it might be a White Christmas! While all the chimps were inside this morning I found Negra out in the Greenhouse alone. Negra was sitting by the raceway eating snow, she spent quite a bit of time out there. Negra really seemed to be enjoying her alone time! You might even notice her beet lips (I think they might have had some beets yesterday)…

 

Later, I found Burrito laying on a barrel looking out at the snow and stomping his feet:

Today is for Carrie!

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Sylvia Gandolfo sponsored this beautiful solstice day for Carrie Miller and shared this beautiful message:

“Cheers to Carrie and all of the chimps on this winter solstice. May Carrie’s and the chimps’ days and hearts be filled with warmth from the love and compassion we all have for each other.”

Sylvia and Carrie, from our hearts, thank you for always holding the chimps in yours. Your support makes a lasting difference in their lives and now for those to come.

Carrie, we hope you have a wonderful day full of the enchantment and beauty this time of year can bring.

This fella:

Happy Birthday, Nathan!

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Today was sponsored by Amanda Hahnemann in honor of her brother, Nathan Day, on his birthday!

Amanda, thank you so much for including the chimpanzees in your family celebration as you honor Nathan! All the primates here so appreciate you thinking of them!

Nathan, Happy Birthday! We hope you have the best birthday yet! Thank you for sharing it with the chimpanzees and for being part of making a difference in their lives.

Good friends, Burrito and Foxie:

Today is for Angela!

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Today is sponsored by Michael Courtney in honor of Angela Courtney! Michael shared this really lovely message about today:

“Angela is the kindest, most compassionate person I know and her love for animals is limitless. She has long been following the daily lives of Burrito, Annie, Jody, and all of the others at the sanctuary and this is just a small, simple way for me to say thank you to Angela for being the biggest and best part of my life while also contributing to the incredible work that Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is doing. From our home to yours. Happy holidays!”

Michael, we so appreciate you choosing to honor Angela in this way and for the difference you are making in the chimps’ lives!

Angela, thank you for being a light and inspiration in the world. And many thanks for being a part of the lives of these amazing chimpanzee people. All of us here hope you have a beautiful day and Happy Holidays to you both!

Burrito:

Jody (Burrito background:

Annie:

Happy Birthday, Linda!

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Today was sponsored by Aimee Kaufman and Adam Webber in honor of their mother, Linda Webber! Aimee and Adam shared this message about their gift:

“Today is our mother’s birthday. All she wanted was a donation in her name to the sanctuary. She has such joy and love for the chimps at the rescue. It was her son, Adam who introduced her to the sanctuary after he began volunteering there. Nothing would make her more happy than to honor her by dedicating a day in her name. We love you Mom. Adam and Aimee”

Aimee and Adam, thanks so much for choosing to honor your mother and celebrate her special day by making a difference in the chimps’ lives!

Linda, we hope you have a beautiful day and year ahead! Thank you so much for your heart full of love for the chimps. Happy Birthday from all of us here at the sanctuary and may it be the best one yet!

Jamie and Missy, always enjoying whatever life brings their way (a winter past – we don’t have nearly this much snow…yet…):

Missy:

Annie:

The hard work of having fun

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When I opened the door to Young’s Hill this morning, everyone crowded into the raceway to file out. Missy was first out and straddled the muddy, icy raceway to avoid walking in it, Burrito clung to the caging the whole way and Foxie just went for it and walked right out through it all. She had places to go with no time to spare. Everyone meandered up the hill together to take in the view. grab a snow snack and enjoy the brisk morning for awhile before coming back inside to warm up.

Top left, going clockwise, we have Missy, Annie, Jamie, Jody, Burrito and Foxie. Negra ordered in and had snow delivered while she lounged in her warm nest.

Jamie has been full of absolute joy today. She started the morning off upside down on her barrel (always a sign of happy Jamie) kicking, flailing and laughing. Then she moved into wild games of chase throughout the chimp house with her caregivers and good friends, Jody and Foxie, then there was policing of the fun and games of others, grooming a volunteer caregiver in training, and somehow she still managed to squeeze in some alone time on the hill to take in her queendom.

But it wasn’t long before she raced back inside for another round of chase:

Frankly, all these good times have been exhausting: