Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimpanzee

Hitching a lift

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As autumn transitions into steadily colder and darker days, the chimpanzees (even Negra!) have been extra busy on Young’s Hill. And thanks to the Armstrong family, with a new structure to explore, and new dolls to explore with, Foxie took her current favorite troll doll along to check things out. And JB got some ridiculously adorable photos!

One of Foxie’s most endearing habits is how she carries her dolls on her back. Chimpanzee mamas are highly invested in raising and nurturing their children. The bond they share is the same we experience with our human children. They carry their infants for about the first six months of their lives and then as the babies become strong enough to grasp for extended periods, they begin to ride around on their mother’s back. Chimpanzee children are highly dependent on their mothers and even as they grow and become more independent they remain in close contact for the first several years of their lives.

Foxie’s four children were all taken from her during her years in biomedical research and it’s emotionally appealing to think that she carries the dolls on her back with her children in mind. But we can never know what she’s truly thinking and it may just be a natural and effective way of carrying her beloved dolls with her when she’s on the go. Whatever the reason, though bittersweet, it never fails to warm our hearts and I think it’s safe to say, hers as well. And that’s what matters most.

Foxie and troll, on the go:

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Special Visitors and New Stuff for the Chimps

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Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest has held several online auctions over the last few years, filled with fun items to bid on. Some of the coolest and most popular items have been donated by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day (this year he gave a personally-signed guitar to the Summer Biddin’ online auction).

The Armstrong family has been following the lives of the Cle Elum Seven for a while (proving something that doesn’t need proof: Burrito is irresistible), and Billie Joe’s wife Adrienne, who also owns Atomic Garden in Oakland, and her sister-in-law Jessy have visited the sanctuary a few times – always wanting to directly help out while they are here!

This past weekend, Adrienne, Jessy, Billie Joe, and Jessy’s husband / Adrienne’s brother Steve, owner of Familia Skateshop in Minnesota, all came out for a visit and to lend a hand. Susan Holmes McKagan, Billie Joe and Adrienne’s friend and model, fashion designer, and wife to bassist Duff  McKagan also came out for the afternoon on Saturday.

We learned a few things over the two days they were here, including the fact that chimpanzees love Billie Joe. Jamie was extremely excited when he was willing to run with her around the hill, and invited him to do so several times. She didn’t even insist on him wearing cowboy boots:

walking around the hill

Billie Joe Armstrong running with Jamie

Billie Joe and Jamie taking off

And a few of the chimps listened while he played an acoustic guitar. Here’s Negra lending an ear:

Negra listens to Billie Joe Armstrong

 

Adrienne brought some rare brown-haired troll dolls, which Foxie immediately adopted

Foxie with new brown haired troll doll

and brought on a walk around the hill with Adrienne and Susan:

Adrienne Armstrong and Susan Holmes McKeagan walking with Foxie

 

The main task for the weekend was putting up a new structure on the hill that consisted of two tall log posts and a few metal bars that were to be installed between them for the chimps to climb on and swing from.

JB, Steve, and Billie Joe constructing

JB testing the bar structure

 

Not surprisingly, Jamie and Missy were the first to inspect and play on the structure after a forage was put out for everyone to enjoy:

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Missy on new bar structure

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The chimps didn’t have all the fun, though. The humans did a little “chimping around” during their breaks from manual labor:

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Billie Joe Armstrong walking across the shaky bridge

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The new bar structure is really neat, and there’s no doubt that the chimpanzees are going to enjoy it, but I was equally excited that Adrienne and Jessy got the holiday tree from last year planted on the hill:

holiday tree on Young's Hill

The tree has been living in a pot in the greenhouse since last December, and the chimps, especially Jody, have been periodically snacking on it:

Jody biting tree

Jody eating tree bit

I’m really curious how that little bedraggled tree will do on the hill – I have high hopes!

 

As a well-deserved thank you for all the Armstrongs have done for the chimpanzees, both this weekend and in the past with their donations, they got to watch the chimpanzees enjoy the fruits of their labor from the observation deck looking out onto Young’s Hill:

watching the chimps

 

What an awesome weekend for everyone!

 

A Chilly Fall Morning

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It is a beautiful, chilly fall day here at the sanctuary, and the chimpanzees spent some time on Young’s Hill enjoying the crisp air. We have a lot of help with cleaning this morning, which means Jamie has many walking companions to choose from!

Here is Jamie on her second walk of the morning:

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Jody also ventured out:

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Missy and Annie spent a lot of time climbing on the hill, and then settled in the greenhouse to groom. Missy:

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Annie (with Missy behind her):

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I wonder if this view may be part of the reason why Jamie goes on so many walks:

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Ah, fall!

Startling Adventures

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If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that Jamie loves her walks around Young’s Hill. She’s definitely not the only one, though.

The other night I was walking around the hill with Jamie (me on the outside of the electric fence, of course) for what was probably the fifth or sixth time after dinner, and I heard something rapidly approaching us from behind. I will admit to being a bit startled. The evenings are usually very quiet and serene around here, and I was sure all of the other chimpanzees had gone to bed.

My temporary flight or fight reaction quickly turned to pure happiness when I whipped around to see who or what was rushing at us from behind. Apparently, from her nest in the loft of the playroom, Missy noticed that Jamie was on another walk, and she must have jumped out of bed and ran at full speed to catch up to us.

 

Missy is behind Jamie in the following two photos:

Missy and Jamie on the hill

Missy behind Jamie on the hill

How fun to be able to jump out of bed to go on an adventure! I could genuinely feel Missy’s joy in surprising us.

Sometimes I forget the stark contrast between the lives the chimpanzees have now compared to where they came from. How many times would Missy have longed to get out of bed to run around when she was living in the few square feet of a laboratory cage?

Freedom is relative, and the chimps’ freedom at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is definitely not absolute, but their existence is worlds apart from what it was the first few decades of their lives. You can read about Missy’s past here.

And we have you – those who support the sanctuary – to thank for that. So, on behalf of Missy and her sense of adventure –  Thank You!

 

Learning Curves

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In some ways, Burrito has had to learn to be a chimpanzee. Lab chimps don’t get many chances to act like chimps – they often don’t have access to other chimps to groom or play with, they don’t get to forage for their food, and they don’t have room to move like chimps should move. Those of them who are lucky enough to move to a sanctuary usually exhibit a learning curve; they have fears to face and skills to acquire.

One natural chimp behavior that Burrito never exhibited during his first year or two at the sanctuary was brachiating (BREAK-ee-ate-ing). This is the arm-over-arm swinging that chimps do from branch to branch in the trees. Despite never having the space to move in that way before, the other chimps all brachiated across the ceiling of the greenhouse from day 1. But not Burrito. It just didn’t seem to occur to him as an option.

And then one day, he did. We’re not sure what changed, but it was one of many steps Burrito has made on his way to chimpanzee-ness.

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Scenes from a sunny lunch

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The chimpanzees are very in tune with what time of day it is. When meal times roll around, you can usually spot several individuals waiting expectantly in the playroom, peering through the window to the kitchen to get a look at what’s on the menu. Negra was prepared for lunch a little early today. She got out of her nest and made sure we knew she was ready with some hand clapping and food grunting.

She did try her best to be a little patient though:
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When lunch was ready, the chimpanzees were served in the greenhouse (which was filled with golden sunlight). They enjoyed carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and primate chow. Some of the chimps chose to get each course of the meal and take it away from the group so they could savor their lunch in peace.

Missy:
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Annie:
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Foxie had the idea of carrying her troll doll over to distract me from photography. She spent her lunchtime eating veggies and then repeatedly dropping the tiny purple doll out of the caging for me to pick up and give back to her. A meal is always better with a little bit of entertainment!
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