Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimpanzee

Raisin logs

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Volunteer Pam made these raisin logs for the chimps – she drilled holes in the logs and stuffed them with golden raisins. With Jamie’s love of fruit, I’m sure you can guess who got most of the raisins, but the other chimpanzees managed to get some too.

Burrito with raisin log and Jamie pant-hooting in excitement:

Jamie with her collection and Annie looking on:

Here’s a photo of Foxie in front of one of the windows with a raisin log. She managed to get one right away and sequestered herself ‘upstairs’ as Jamie searched for more logs on the floor below (even though you don’t see Trixie in this photo, she’s there – right at Foxie’s feet. Foxie is still carrying her wherever she goes. If you don’t know who Trixie is, you are very behind in the activities of the Cle Elum Seven and you should read some previous posts 🙂

Foxie in window with raisin log

Being a caregiver

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I started to write the post below a few months ago. I didn’t finish it because I thought it might be too much of a downer, but I think it speaks to the question of whether we would allow babies to be born at the sanctuary. To be clear – there is no way we would intentionally bring another chimpanzee into a life of captivity. I have no doubt that some of the chimpanzees at CSNW would love to have a baby to nuture, and it could bring new energy and focus to the group, but the cost is too high. Chimpanzees belong living free in the wild.

It is not possible for the Cle Elum Seven to have the life of free-living chimpanzees for a variety of reasons, the main one being that they would not know how to survive – they were not brought up by other chimpanzees and taught the necessary skills to be a ‘free’ individual. What we can do, with the help of all of you, is do the best we can to provide for them for the rest of their lives in a sanctuary. Thanks to all of you who are doing this and for asking great questions!

Here’s the post I began in April before moving back to Washington to work at CSNW:

It won’t be long before I am in Cle Elum and I will be returning to caring for chimpanzees on a daily basis. After being away from that work for a few years, and spending some time with the Buckshire Seven, I’ve been reflecting about all of the good and bad that comes with caring for chimpanzees in captivity. Sometimes it is really difficult – not just the heartbreak when a chimpanzee dies, or the worry that comes when watching chimpanzees fight with one another, or the concern that arises when a chimpanzee behavior changes – it’s the daily knowledge that neither you nor the chimpanzees should be in that position. When I was at Fauna there were definitely days when I felt much more like a prison guard than a caregiver. And it wasn’t just because there were chimpanzees throwing things at me (a favorite past time of Binky) and spitting to get my attention (or just to get me wet), it was the understanding that chimpanzees simply don’t belong in captivity, but we have no choice but to keep them behind bars, penned by electric fencing, or surrounded by moats for the rest of their lives.

A few more party photos

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This sign, hung on the stairs in the playroom, was made by a volunteer 

Home Sweet Home sign that volunteer made for the party

Here’s a photo of some of the chimpanzees eating the nuts and dried fruit we scattered around the playroom. From front to back: Negra, Annie, Missy, Jody. The tables and the rocking dog are great sturdy toys donated from our Target wishlist – they will last a long time! You can also see other enrichment donations in this photo like the bongo drums, shopping cart, shoe, and the monkey sitting on the rocking dog (we’ve been saving that monkey for the party).

Group Party shot

Foxie found a new toy! This is a photo of her going towards the stairs with the new toy in her left hand and Trixie the Troll in her right hand. The new toy (a play dog crate) was a donation from a young man in upstate New York who collected enrichment for the chimpanzees for his Bar Mitzvah project. 

Foxie with new toy! 

Always hopeful for more food, Burrito checks out the toy pizza – a fun item donated through our Amazon wishlist.

 Burrito checking out toy pizza  

Frozen Watermelon Day

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Meals for the chimpanzees are served in the front rooms, but we figure it’s important to have changes and surprises amidst the routine, so we set up a frozen watermelon forage in the playroom after breakfast this morning. Sarah had frozen some watermelon with a long tube sticking out and tied it to the caging of the barn doors. When Burrito discovered it, he produced some of the most unreal food squeaks I’ve ever heard! Check out the video below. Oh, and speaking of surprises, we’re really excited about Sunday’s party for the chimps!! Thank you to everyone who got toys for the chimpanzees, and needed items for the humans to take care of them, off of the Target and Amazon wish lists.