Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

JODY!

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I woke up thinking that I should feature Jody on the blog today. She’s a bit more elusive than some of the other chimpanzees, so we don’t get as many photos and videos of her.

She does have her routines, though.

Today, we spread a forage on the hill at lunch, and Jody, true to form, collected the food she wanted, came back inside, and emptied it on the deck while she sat on the lower part of the platform in the greenhouse.

Jody collecting food on the hill

Jody eating

Jody eating

 

Then, she spent some time relaxing – we often see her in this position:

Jody hanging out

 

She did a little self-grooming:

Jody self-groom

 

Graciously allowed me to take some close-up photos of her beautiful face:

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Volunteer Lynn and I were talking about Jody’s very round eyes that often appear to be hopeful or excited about something:

Jody profile

 

Jody eyes

Jody eyes

 

She soon retired to the cooler playroom for a post-meal siesta:

Jody resting

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Adapting

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People who have been incarcerated for long periods can have trouble adapting to life outside prison once they are released, a phenomenon we call institutionalization. Chimps are no different.

For the Cle Elum Seven, life in the lab was horrible, but after as much as 35 years it made some kind of sense. The deprivation they endured flipped the world on its head – metal and concrete were familiar and comforting, while grass and open sky would become sources of discomfort and fear. It’s perverse, that these chimpanzees should have to learn to adapt to what was their birthright.

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It’s tempting to think of reaching sanctuary as the end of a harrowing journey, but it is only a step in the process. When the chimps first set foot on Young’s Hill, they were scared. The world outside was big and unknown. Eventually, their fear became exhilaration as they explored their new territory. More and more now I think we see in them something akin to appreciation or even reverence for the outdoors.

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This process of adaptation continues and will likely never be complete. I think these chimps see themselves as visitors to the outdoors. It’s not their home. They take what they need before returning to the familiar surroundings of their indoor enclosures. But they are each adapting in their own way, and in their own time.

Just look how far they’ve come.

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Snapshots

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It’s been a warm, sleepy, happy day at the sanctuary. Here are my favorite snapshots from today.

Negra waking up in the greenhouse this morning:

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Boss Jamie with a rare playface:

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BFFs Annie and Missy grooming:

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Burrito in a quiet moment:

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Foxie and Dora:

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Jody enjoying some wild plants she harvested from Young’s Hill:

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This is 40

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This Monday, August 8th, we will be celebrating Foxie’s 40th birthday! This tiny woman is known for her joyful spirit and exuberant chimpanzee shenanigans and acrobatics which are more typically seen in juvenile chimps. But if you didn’t believe it before, you can believe it now…age really is just a number.

The chimps are typically happy and playful in the mornings and it’s one of my favorite times of the day with them. Well, boss lady Jamie can be a bit of a wild card, sometimes seemingly getting up on the wrong side of the nest, but even she is often in a lighthearted mood. Members of a chimp family will exuberantly greet one another after any length of separation and the chimps often include us humans in that so when we arrive in the morning they will often come over to offer us a greeting. (And sometimes they completely ignore us!). On the more boisterous mornings, Jamie wants us to don a pair of boots immediately and play a rare game of chase. Burrito sometime runs over with a play stomp ready for a raucous game of chase or tickle. If we’re lucky, Jody and Negra will sometimes run over and greet us with kisses or hand tickles (and if we’re not so lucky, a hand poke). Annie and Missy are often already engaged in a world of joy all their own, chasing, wrestling and laughing with one another. And Foxie is ready for a game of toss the troll or Dora with her doll du jour.

When I went in to say good morning today, Foxie ran into one of the front rooms and greeted me with a huge play face (notice only her bottom teeth are showing which is how chimpanzees smile). This started out innocently enough and then quickly progressed into both of us laughing wildly and jumping up and down like maniacs (’cause that’s what we do).
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And then she took it to a whole other classic Foxie-level. She climbed up the caging, flipped upside down and continued to nod her head up and down and laugh hysterically with the biggest play face ever. From the photos, she looks a little wild and upset with all those chimp chompers showing, but trust me, it was nothing but fun and games, Foxie-style. Of course, I was doing much the same on the other side of the caging. Well, minus the hanging upside down bit – that’s all Foxie. (Excuse the poor quality of the photos, but there was a lot of action going on!):

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In honor of Amanda Lollar and Bat World Sanctuary!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Meg Lunnum, a dear friend to the chimps and humans here alike. Meg does so much to advocate for our fellow animals of the world and also happens to be a professional bat rehabilitator with Bats Northwest, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats here in the Pacific Northwest through education, conservation, and research. Meg shared this message about her gift today:

“I would like to honor Amanda Lollar from Bat World Sanctuary for being awarded the GFAS Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence. Bat World Sanctuary was founded in 1994, since then, Amanda has been available 24/7/365 to help injured and orphaned bats. Currently the Sanctuary cares for over 200 permanent resident bats. Amanda has also trained over 400 zoologists, veterinarians, and other animal care professionals to rehabilitate bats. I am proud to say I am one of the animal care professionals she trained. The Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence is given annually to a sanctuary or individual who embodies and puts into practice the GFAS philosophy of vision, dedication and excellence in animal care. It memorializes Carole Noon, founder of Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary. Carole was a courageous and innovative sanctuary pioneer and champion of chimpanzees. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredits animal sanctuaries; Bat World Sanctuary and our own Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW are on the list of accredited sanctuaries. Who would have thought there would be a connection between bats and chimpanzees?”

Meg, thank you so much for your care and compassion in honoring Amanda and the incredibly valuable work on behalf of bats worldwide that she and her colleagues dedicate themselves to through Bat World Sanctuary! We so appreciate you thinking of the chimpanzees as you celebrate the important work of such a wonderful sanctuary! We are full of gratitude to you for all you do to provide care, respect and sanctuary to so many beings.

Bats play incredibly important roles as pollinators and pest controllers and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems around the world and yet, unfortunately they are often very misunderstood. Like so many of our fellow animals, including chimpanzees in the wild, they are vulnerable or endangered due a variety of factors ranging from habitat loss, disease, roost destruction, hunting and killing. We are thrilled to celebrate these special beings here today with the chimpanzees! The sanctuary is fortunate to have a small colony of bats who roost on the property and we anxiously watch for their return every spring. Their lively nursery is such a joy to catch glimpses of and if you’ve ever attended one of our summer education visits you may have heard the babies boisterous vocalizations to their mamas.

Meg’s pal, Queen Negra:

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Negra and Jody:

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Snoozing…

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Twister Legacy

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There are a number of things that I didn’t quite realize would be a part of helping to manage Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. One of these things is the depth of love that I would be privileged to witness among the humans who support the sanctuary.

I truly feel that the fans and supporters of the chimpanzees are part of an extended family. I am regularly in awe of the people who come together to look beyond themselves, and the pain that is part of existing in this world, to support the chimpanzees who live at CSNW and their new opportunity for life in a true home.

At the end of last year, a group of people came together to support Bill Walters, a friend who was going through cancer. Nicki and Bill Walters have been supporters for the sanctuary for years, in addition to supporting other animal rescue organizations in Washington.

There was an outpouring of love for Bill, so his friend Ken hatched a plan to use the collective donations towards the building of a new structure on the hill. The Twister structure was born.

Bill and Nicki were able to come out to the sanctuary to witness the chimpanzees exploring the structure after it was complete. It was a heartwarming day for me to be able to spend even just a little bit of time with Bill and be there with him to see the chimpanzees enjoy the structure named after him.

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Last week, Bill lost his battle with cancer. His obituary is here.

I know that Nicki and all of Bill’s friends and family will never be the same. With his fun-loving nature and easy charm, Bill changed their lives for the better and his passing is a loss for them and for this world.

Bill, and the love that his friends demonstrated towards him, will always be remembered at the sanctuary through the tall tower on the hill.

 

Jamie on Twister

 

Jamie close up on Twister

 

Jamie on Twister dusk

The Christmas in July Celebration

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I have to admit, with temperatures pushing 100 degrees it’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit. But after receiving dozens of items from our wish list over the past week, you can’t help but feel the spirit of giving in the air.

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We’re so grateful for the support you’ve shown us – you helped stock our shelves with office and cleaning supplies; you gave us new medical equipment so that we can keep the chimps healthy; you sent food and treats for the chimps to enjoy and toys and enrichment to keep them occupied; and you gave us two gently used GoPro cameras so that we can give you a different perspective on life at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. We are truly humbled and grateful for your generosity.

This morning, we collected many of the items we’ve received so far and threw a little party for the chimps. I hope you can see the difference you make in their lives.

By the way, if you sent an item from our wish list and you don’t hear from us in a reasonable amount of time, please drop us a note. Packages from Amazon don’t always include information about the donor and we’d love to be able to thank you!

Merry Christmas in July!