I don’t think I’ve ever met a more professional relaxer:
chimpanzee
Fence posts and other excitement on the hill
Thanks to a great volunteer crew yesterday, all but 15 of the remaining posts on Young’s Hill are in place!
This was not easy work because we had some rain over the last few weeks which filled up the holes, so yesterday’s volunteers, Kim S., Rita, Kim C., Donna, Kelly, and Bill, were not afraid to get dirty. I asked Kim S. how she managed to get dirt on her shoulders and found out it was because she was head-first in the 4-foot holes bailing water out.
Speaking of fence posts, there are only 26 posts left to “adopt” – check out all of the wonderful fence post plaque inscriptions on our 3rd Anniversary Fundraising page. Thanks to everyone who has joined in on this fundraising campaign!
In other really exciting news, the bamboo on the hill is shooting!!
I promised J.B. I would help him set the remaining 15 posts today, so I had better get out there, but here are some photos I took last night on hill:
Almost all of the fence posts in:
sunset on Young’s Hill:
bamboo shoot (a bit out of focus):
Something new
I don’t think Foxie trusts my welding skills.
The boss
Even the boss has to kick back sometimes:
Fighting and Making Up
Fights are really common among chimpanzees. Being a caregiver you get used to the intense screaming, which often occurs even during fights with no contact between participants. You also know by the sounds when things have escalated. There was a conflict about a week ago which resulted in some minor bite wounds between Foxie and Burrito. After a brief squabble this afternoon, this pair spent a lot of time grooming each other.
The wounds were the initial focus of the grooming – chimps will closely inspect injuries on themselves and each other and clean them up by removing debris. So, grooming is good for their physical health. It’s also important for the social health of the group. The act of grooming is the chimpanzee way of healing and strengthening bonds. (For more on fighting and making up, see also J.B.’s post Conflict and Reassurance with amazing photos of a reassurance hug between Burrito and Foxie from May 4th).
Burrito
Foxie
Foxie grooming Burrito
sometimes grooming turns into playing – another great way to strengthen social bonds
WAKE UP!
I never really know what I’m in for when I arrive at the sanctuary in the mornings. Sometimes the chimps are all grumpy– maybe they had a fight the night before or just don’t feel like getting out of bed– and sometimes they are playful goofs. Othertimes, it’s a mixture of both. When I arrived the other day, I was happy to start the day off by witnessing this:
Young’s Hill & 3rd Anniversary Fundraising update
There are still 104 posts on Young’s Hill available for “adoption.”
I know everyone who follows the blog wants to be a part of Young’s Hill and this is your chance! For just $50 you’ll get an engraved plaque with your name, a dedication or message of your choice on your fence post.
Check out the plaques so far on our 3rd Anniversary Fundraising page.
We’ve been making a lot of progress on the hill habitat construction thanks to volunteers. J.B. would love to hear from you if you want to know more about volunteering. Email him: [email protected].
Here are a few photos taken by volunteers Audrey Spencer and Lynn Williamson who braved the wet and cold weather last Saturday to help make the dream of Young’s Hill a reality:
Audrey making sure the fence post is level (this could be your post!) while Jim and Lucas work in the background:
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest founder Keith holds a post steady as volunteers Lynn and Jim fill the hole:
The weather got progressively worse as the day went on. We have some dedicated volunteers! Here’s J.B. on the tractor with Keith, Lucas, Jim and Andy adding more fill to a fence post hole.
Thanks so much to everyone who has helped with this project!
