Chimps are adept tool users, but you can’t get everything with a spoon.
By the way, this week the chimps are enjoying the first lettuce harvest from Negra’s garden!
chimpanzee
Celebrate the Seven Auction
We are gearing up for our first auction fundraiser and we could use your help! Details about the auction are below and more details will be available on the website soon.
We are currently seeking the following donations for the auction:
*getaway packages (vacations, flights, stays at b&bs and hotels, etc.)
*gift certificates for restaurants, spas, theaters, sporting events, yoga classes, musical venues, ski passes, rafting trips, cooking classes, pet grooming and boarding, etc.)
*original artwork
*wine
If you would like to help secure donations, please email me. There is a meeting in Seattle on Thursday, July 16th at 6:00pm for all auction volunteers, so let me know if you’d like to join us and I will send you the details.
The event is already gearing up to be a successful evening. The chimps will be celebrated in style! With enough people asking for donations we’ll be able to raise a bunch of money for them.
We’ll also need lots of volunteers to work the auction itself. Jobs that night will include registration, food and beverage serving, live auction help (runners, recorders, item handlers), raffle ticket sellers, checking-out, cleaning up. If you’d like to work the auction, let me know that too.
If you live at a distance, you can still secure items for the auction, or you can help sponsor the auction itself to cut down on the costs to the sanctuary for putting on this swanky and fun event. Perhaps the Chimp Chatterers / blog followers would like to sponsor the printing and framing of a couple of Cle Elum Seven photos to be auctioned off? What do you think?
Details, details, details:
Title: Celebrate the Seven: Hope. Love. Home…Sanctuary
Venue: Fremont Abbey Arts Center, Seattle
Date: Friday, October 2
Time: 6:00pm
Music: Ambience Jazz Quartet
Auction: Live and silent
Vibe: Celebratory!
Kissing
Chimpanzees often kiss each other as a means of seeking reassurance. Usually what we call a kiss is really more of a soft bite with the lips covering the teeth. In this case, Annie was overly excited and she looked to Missy for comfort. Missy didn’t really have to do much – really, she just had to accept it – but that was enough to reassure Annie.
Caregiving
One of the more fantastic things that has happened in the last year is that the chimpanzees have new caregivers – staff and volunteer. Jackie is our newest staff person, and she is just finishing up chimpanzee care training. It is so fun to see the chimps react and interact with new friends. Today I spied on Jamie and Foxie playing with Jackie through the barn doors. Jamie had a stretchy hose-like thing that she was using to play tug-of-war. Being Jamie, she naturally wore a bikini top draped around her neck (complete with trolls tied to the strings).
In addition to playing with the chimps, which is a very important job, Jackie’s been hard at work caring for the chimps’ garden beds. Check them out!
July 4th forage one year later
I think it’s really starting to sink in that the Cle Elum Seven have been in sanctuary for one year. We can now look back at blog posts from exactly one year ago and see how much has changed, including our videography skills! So, watch the video below and check out the video and photos from the last 4th of July celebration: https://chimpsnw.org/?p=177
Always playing
Missy and Annie were playing inside before lunch today. Usually Missy puts on a sock before she starts to play; today she did the reverse.
Missy and Negra play
The warm weather has put everyone here in good moods. Even Negra is feeling playful. Those of you who follow the blog faithfully know that Negra covets peace and quiet, and would typically prefer to chill out under a blanket than to join the other chimps’ rambunctious play. Yesterday, however, Missy was able to ease Negra into some gentle play by dialing down the energy a few notches. Negra even got to keep her blanket.
