Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

A perfect morning

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When the chimpanzees gained access to their 2 acre outdoor enclosure this morning, you could really feel their joy and excitement. The sun and light breeze together were a complimentary pair!

Annie chased Missy bipedally (trying to avoid touching the wet grass as much as possible).
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She finally climbed onto a log to escape the morning dew.
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Missy performed a few aerial stunts.
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And then settled down to snack on the fresh green grass.
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Foxie explored with two of her dolls.
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And Jody and Burrito decided to relax and take in the view.
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Jamie recruited J.B. into going for a perimeter walk.
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The walk eventually evolved into a perimeter jog.
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I must admit, I searched a while for a quote or poem about the loveliness of Spring to accompany this post, but I couldn’t quite find the right one. I suppose springtime at the sanctuary is best described in photos.

The Two Sides of Burrito

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Burrito is not the most popular guy on the block. That may shock those of you who are human beings, because humans are completely unable to resist his many charms. But if you were a chimpanzee living with Burrito, he’d probably be a thorn in your side.

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Burrito is a unique (and completely endearing, says this human) mix of macho and vulnerable. At times, he is a whirling dervish, composed entirely of testosterone and muscle. In the next moment, he is all confused little boy, cowering in a corner while the ladies put him back in his place. As a male chimpanzee who grew up in an unnatural and impoverished environment, he is a slave to instinct but lacks finesse. He is the teenage boy who does something incredibly misguided, and when asked why, cannot provide an explanation. He is more action than thought.

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But most of the time, Burrito is like a puppy. He is affectionate and goofy and a little needy. He just wants love and attention and praise and food and someone to play with. Because he’s slightly intimidated by the other chimpanzees, he usually turns to his human friends to fulfill these needs. It is a burden that we take on because someone must, but it is rough. So rough.

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Today is in memory of Linda

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Today’s day of sanctuary, sponsored by Lisa and Rich Stuverud, is in memory of Linda Vizzare and is about the celebration of life in all it’s many forms, along with those we love. Lisa shared this beautiful message about today:

“We, Rich and I, want to celebrate this special day because Linda and I shared it as our birthday. We wanted to celebrate and share it with Jamie, Negra, Jody, Missy, Annie, Foxie, Burrito and everyone involved in supporting CSNW because through our involvement with the sanctuary we have found our own kind of sanctuary and we are forever grateful.”

Lisa and Rich, you and your family do so much to make sure the chimpanzees’ days and lives are filled with joy, love and hope. We are so grateful to you all and touched by your heartfelt gift today. Our hearts are with you as you celebrate Linda and the lives and birthdays you shared together. May you find peace and comfort in your memories of her today.

And Lisa, Happy Birthday! May all of the love and kindness you so generously share with others come back to you tenfold and may this special day continue to bring you much to celebrate!

Happy birthday hoots and hellos from your pals, Burrito and Jamie:

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Foxie & Friends and seriously good news

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Did you know that Dora the Explorer has friends? Foxie knows, and she seems particularly fond of Kate, a red-haired friend who has a “flair for the dramatic and the heart of an artist” according to Fisher Price…

Foxie and friends

Foxie and friends

Foxie and Kate

 

This must be that flair for the dramatic:

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Speaking of dramatic, did you hear about the sanctuary’s seriously good news? If you are on the e-news list, you should have received this email last night, which linked to this story in the Ellensburg Daily Record.

We have a lot of work and fundraising yet to do, but the $50,000 matching grant from the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Fund is the first big step in bringing new friends for Foxie and the rest of the Cle Elum Seven – actual chimpanzee friends! Read more in the announcement if you didn’t get a copy in your inbox.

Thanks to donors in the last several hours, we are now over halfway to a $5,000 match from an anonymous couple and Karen and Don Young to be raised prior to HOOT! – if you haven’t donated, there’s still time to have your donation matched!

 

In other news, I promised to update everyone on the bumper ball. It exceeded almost everyone’s expectations by surviving a few months, but, sadly, it is no longer. Sherry Rogers certainly won the bet on its longevity! Part of the fun for the chimpanzees was trying to destroy it, for sure. We have one more waiting in the wings that we hope to introduce if we can inflate it to its fullest.

 

Queen of the Hill

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Negra has spent more time outside today than any of the other chimps. Here at CSNW, that marks the official start of spring.

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That’s because Negra is always the first to realize that the spring grass is ready to eat. A rainy March followed by a week of sun and unseasonably warm temperatures turned Young’s Hill once again into a 2-acre salad buffet. The moment Negra decides that the shoots are long enough and sweet enough to pick, she plants her butt down and eats to her heart’s content. And when the other chimps see her eating grass, they start digging in too.

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But no one loves spring grass as much as Negra.

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Of course, Missy can’t just sit around eating grass all day.

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But she took a break long enough to pick a few of the finest blades of grass on the hill.

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Opening the doors to spring

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It’s an incredibly lovely spring day at the sanctuary today. Every day for at least the last two weeks Missy has been asking us to open up the barn doors on the playroom. With minimal wind and temperatures close to 70 degrees, it’s finally warm enough to grant her request. The chimpanzees get so excited when we open those doors up for some reason. Whether it’s the fresh breeze suddenly wafting through the playroom or the chance to check out the garden side of the chimp house they don’t get a clear view of from their windows, it elicits spring fever in us all.

As soon as the doors swung open, the chimps started hooting, laughing and chasing one another. Missy had the biggest play face I’ve ever seen (and of course, I didn’t have the camera at that moment!). As the fresh spring air spilled in, it was as if pure joy leaped and tumbled through the chimp house with it.

After the excitement died down, Jamie decided to build a super cozy next in front of the doors and just take in the peaceful view and sunshine:
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Our bluebird neighbors have returned to their nesting spot on Young’s Hill (despite have three perfectly lovely bluebird houses set up for them elsewhere):

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Jamie meandering during a walk around the hill and taking in the views:

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In other news, Jody is lounging in the toasty greenhouse:

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Welcome, spring!