Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimpanzee

Ageless Annie

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This beautiful chimpanzee is turning 44 on Monday. It’s hard to believe because she never seems to age. Some of Annie’s youthful look could be attributed to the fact she occasionally spikes her hair, as seen in these photos from this afternoon (this is actually due to the unique way that she washes her face and head each day).

But I’d like to think it has something to do with living the sanctuary life.

Make sure to check back on Monday for photos and video of Annie’s birthday bash – a day filled with all of her favorite things (like sunflowers and green onions by the handful!).

 

Positive Reinforcement Training with Negra and Anna

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A few years ago, we began a Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) program with the chimpanzees here at the sanctuary. (See this post for an introduction to PRT including how it works, why we feel it’s important, and how it improves the chimps’ lives.)

All seven chimps have made incredible strides since we began the program. Some chimps were enthusiastic participants right from the start while others have chosen to take part at their own pace and in their own time.

Negra has always been a little touchy when it comes to, well, being touched. She’s still working on moving past her decades in research labs where she was poked and prodded against her will. Probably for that reason, she wasn’t always a big fan of PRT. She voluntarily participated, but she would be sure to let her caregivers know when she had reached her limit. At the very beginning of the program, she was even scared of the sound of the clicker.

As you’ll see in this video, she’s certainly come a long way…

Happy “Belly Button Birthday”, Lynette!

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Kevin Baldwin sponsored a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees and Lynette Sali! Kevin shared this very touching message about his gift:

“In accordance with Lynette’s Christmas wish, I am making a donation on her behalf celebrating her “belly button” birthday on September 2nd. She is amazing having survived a rare form of blood cancer requiring a kidney transplant, the kidney of which was donated by her sister. Merry Christmas and a very happy belly button birthday Lynette!!”

Kevin, we are so touched by this special gift for the chimps in Lynette’s honor! We couldn’t be happier to be part of such a day of celebrating life and all the incredible gifts it brings.

Lynette, from our hearts, thank you for thinking of the chimpanzees and for sharing your life with them and making a lasting difference in their world. All of us here wish you the happiest of days!

Foxie:

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A Fine Forage

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First things first – the Summer Biddin’ online auction is crazy! As I write this (way later than I intended to be writing a blog post), the total is up to $21,761! Thank you to everyone who has bid on items and donated to Raise the Barn. Bidding ends Monday night!

Now, for the chimp day.

We were planning for a lunch forage on the hill, and I noticed that we had a bounty of corn in the fridge, so we decided to put out whole ears still in the husk as part of the forage.

Negra was pretty much in heaven:

She also picked up some cattails for later:

Volunteer Chad did a really good job of corn distribution and everyone got in on the action.

Missy:

Foxie:

Burrito:

Jamie:

Annie eating corn in her nest:

Jody also got some corn leftovers, but she was more focused on a very novel treat that her friend Stephanie had delivered – banana blossoms!

Burrito found a blossom on the hill on his second trip to the buffet:

Apparently it was a lot of work to eat it, or he was taking a cue from Jody who often eats in a reclined position, because he finished it off lying down:

It’s very satisfying to see the chimpanzees satisfied, isn’t it?

Soaking up the sun

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Jody was so eager to go out on to the hill this morning that she took off before finishing her breakfast.

I am always hesitant to read too much into the chimps’ behavior, but I really do believe that Jody has a renewed appreciation for Young’s Hill this week after having been restricted to the indoors for a few days during her recovery.

She later came back for her chow bag and sat at the entrance to the hill, savoring each bite while basking in the warm sun.

While Jody’s eye still has some healing to do, Dr. Zamzow and our team of veterinary advisors are happy with the progress.

On another topic, here’s something I found interesting: This morning I discovered what can only be Jamie’s handiwork – a piece of blanket tied with a double knot to the caging. Jamie often secures her nests to the caging by threading the blankets through the mesh and she is well known for her knot-tying abilities (most likely learned when she was a youngster living with humans in the entertainment industry). Either this was meant to be the foundation of an incredibly stable and secure nest, or Jamie has started creating enrichment puzzles for the caregivers.

And in other news, have you checked out our Summer Biddin’ Online Auction yet? Your bids and donations will help us care for seven amazing chimps, support the expansion of the sanctuary so that we can take in even more chimps, and aid in the construction of fencing and a new barn for the five cows that will soon call the sanctuary home.

The other day I was repairing fencing on the View Property when this doe approached to politely inquire as to why I was in her barn. This area will be part of the winter pasture for Whitaker, Betsy, Nutmeg, Honey, and Meredith. Isn’t it incredible? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for both cows and deer.

The online auction is going on now and ends Monday at 7pm Pacific – check it out now before it’s too late!

Back to Normal

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For those of you haven’t been following the recent Jody eyelid saga, here’s a recap: Last Thursday, Jody’s eyelid was partially detached during a fight in the group at lunchtime. Our incredibly talented, dedicated, and caring vet, Dr. Erin Zamzow, reattached the eyelid with some subcuticular sutures, and Jody stayed isolated from the other chimps for another day or two to give her eye a chance to heal. On Sunday, we reunited Jody with the group, and everyone was so happy to have her back. Maybe a little too happy, because they wanted to spend a lot of time grooming her eye. We didn’t want anyone to undo Dr. Zamzow’s work, so we made the decision to re-isolate Jody the next day. She’s been getting lots of extra blankets and treats, and lots of extra attention from caregivers, but she made it clear that she wanted to rejoin her friends ASAP. This morning we got the okay from Dr. Zamzow to re-reunite Jody with the group. Happy day!

It’s been quite a stressful week for Jody, and she is ecstatic to be back where she belongs. And maybe a little exhausted from her ordeal. After lunch today she drifted off to sleep as Negra gently groomed her back.

Oranges to go

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It was the perfect late summer morning with bright blue skies and cool air. Jody was very anxious to get outside and resume her mother hen duties and make sure Young’s Hill was safe for her friends to venture on and see what she could see. And everyone seemed equally excited to be out and about with their friend and took their oranges from breakfast to go!

Jody:

Missy:

Foxie: