Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimpanzee

A Window to New Friendships

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Introductions between Cy and Willy B’s groups have been progressing along. Today we decided to do something new and different. There are panels between the two greenhouses that provide a visual barrier between the two groups. We removed one of the panels so the two groups can now see and safely interact with each through this portal.

When the groups were given access their greenhouses, Lucky and Rayne were the first ones to notice. Rayne waited around the portal for some time, but nobody showed up. It took a while for Willy B and Mave to realize there was a panel missing. As with new things, a lot of excitement can happen. Usually a lot of screaming and displaying. Surprisingly, there wasn’t as much as we expected. There was mostly positive interactions.

The paneling is located on the second story of the greenhouses, so getting photos up there is almost impossible especially in the winter when the outside paneling is up to keep the chimpanzees warm. I was able to catch a couple of photos from the ground floor of Willy B during one of his displays.

Willy B looks at his neighbors looking at him.
He begins to work up his display with hooting.
He stands bipedally and become piloerect.
Just a blur.

Here are some bonus photos of Gordo and Cy enjoying some snow snacks!

Gordo
Cy

 

It Flakes One to Snow One

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The Pacific Northwest is projected to experience a snowy La Niña winter, but I personally wasn’t expecting to have this much snowfall so early. Today’s local forecast predicted only a couple inches of precipitation yet we just shoveled at least triple that amount from the same sidewalks we just cleared yesterday evening.

The chimps are warm, cozy and entertained (hanging out in their heated indoor areas by choice), the cattle are fed and dry in their winter paddock and barn, and the other caregivers are busy finishing up the daily tasks. There’s also a formidable amount of shoveling and plowing to do outside so today’s blog is unapologetically brief!

As much as I love plowing the driveway with the new tractor, the brightest moment of my week actually occurred yesterday afternoon while doing farm chores. As I drove out to muck the cattle barn, I spotted a distinct trail of animal footprints crossing the pasture. The tracks had the telltale shape and gait of a coyote’s, registering four clawed digits from each paw. Of all the region’s native carnivores, coyotes are perhaps the best suited for living in proximity to humans; their adaptability makes them one of my favorite animals to observe and learn from. I followed the creature’s path across the driveway and stopped where its trail plunged into the brush, eventually crossing the nearby highway and descending towards the wooded riverbank below. As I tend to do, I took a photograph to share with you all.

A close-up of a coyote print

Here are a couple more shots from yesterday:

Meredith
Nearby mountains as seen from the winter barn

Snow Diggity

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With just over a week to go before the winter solstice, our valley is already in the midst of this year’s first big snowstorm.

The accumulating slush doesn’t seem to be bothering the chimps too much, though. On one side of the building, Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Negra have been scarfing down handfuls of delicious wet snow. (It must be nice to have one of your favorite foods literally falling from the sky).

On the other side, Cy, Dora, Gordo, Honey B, Lucky, Mave, Rayne, Terry and Willy B are also enjoying cozy naps, working on food puzzles, and spending quality time with their respective group members, but they’re still “warming up” to the concept of eating snow. Fortunately, their taste for this Pacific Northwest delicacy is slowly developing; Gordo and Rayne already seem to relish the frozen treat!

Chad took this photo of Gordo inhaling a snowball this morning:

Of all the chimps who live in the new wing, only Honey B has bravely utilized the newly-enclosed greenhouses today. When I unlocked the Chimp House this morning, she was out there to meet me for a game of chase. There’s nothing like a bout of “the zoomies” to keep your caregivers sharp on slushy winter mornings!

Portrait of a Pant Hoot

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The day started out on the warm side, considering that we are well into the month of December. The chimps’ greenhouse spaces were cozy all morning.

A storm came through in the afternoon, making the most delightful sound as the droplets hit the greenhouse roof panels.

Just as the rain began, Dora went into her greenhouse, looking up towards the sound:

glancing at me:

and then beginning a glorious chimpanzee response to the rain – a classic pant-hoot (for a classic video of pant-hoots, go here):

Her display was short-lived. She calmly retreated to a windowsill:

Bless this Mess

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Knowing what you should do and doing what you should do are two very different things.

When a chimpanzees refuses to cooperate with the daily routine, you should take the opportunity to problem solve. Why do they refuse to shift? Are they anxious about being confined to certain areas with other chimps? Is there something about the space they won’t leave that is particularly appealing to them? Or are they simply looking to exert control over their environment? Then you use your hypotheses to create a plan. For example, you could desensitize them to whatever is causing their anxiety through positive reinforcement, make the other areas more appealing to them, or find other more fruitful ways for them to exercise their autonomy.

What you shouldn’t do is catch them off guard and close them out when they least expect it. But like I said, knowing and doing are two very different things! This is why I like teaching – the students never have to know that you can’t even follow your own advice.

Our latest example of what not to do involves Honey B. Honey B has decided that the Mezzanine does not need to be cleaned. We beg to differ, as do our licensing and accrediting agencies, one would assume. So each morning after breakfast, when the playrooms and greenhouses have been cleaned, we ask her to leave the Mezzanine so we can wash it down. And each morning she politely declines.

Honey B, age 32. Likes obstinance and filth.

Now, one day without cleaning is not that big a deal. It’s not routine but it happens. But after two days we have a problem. And this morning, Honey B was looking to throw another wrench in the works. After several minutes of pleading with her, I gave up and accepted defeat. Honey B would get to keep her Mezzanine – and its mess – yet again.

Later in the afternoon, I walked through the greenhouse hallway and was greeted by Honey B. It occurred to me that I just walked by Mave and Willy B in the playroom. THE MEZZANINE WAS EMPTY. We didn’t have much time.

I grabbed my radio.“J.B. to Anna…No one is in the Mezzanine now if you and Kelsi want to close the door!”

Oh, you’d like to close this door?”

Upon hearing the sound of the hydraulics, Honey B headed towards the Mezzanine but the door was already closed. Feeling guilty, we gave her and the gang some gum and jumped into cleaning like a NASCAR pit crew. Pick up! Rinse! Scrub! Rinse! Squeegee! Put out fresh blankets and enrichment!

As the locks clicked shut we did our final security checks and we were ready to let her back in. I knew that she’d be so relieved to be back in her favorite space.

I opened the door and she…just stayed in the playroom.

Nah, I’m good.

Well, at least we have more data for our problem-solving sessions, once we finally get around to doing the right thing. And maybe a new hypothesis: She just likes the mess?

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If you’d like to help Honey B create more messes and help us continue to clean them up, please check out our wish list full of enrichment and supplies!

The Unlikely Meetup

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This week is an intro week and I spent a lot of the day trying to get Dora alone so she could spend time with Honey B’s group. However, Dora is really hard to get alone. To make Dora a little more comfortable we decided to try to do a quad with all girls. Rayne kindly stayed with Dora and I think Willy B had a good laugh when I thought I could get just the girls. With all my best efforts Willy B decided he could not be left out. So today’s meet up was Honey B, Willy B, Rayne, and Dora. This intro made us all a little nervous, Willy B isn’t always the best at giving the girls the reassurance they might need and Dora is still a wild card for us. We had decided that we would just stick to the mesh unless there were a lot of positive behaviors at the mesh. Well, right off the bat they were breathy panting, grooming, reassuring each other, giving kisses, and playing through the mesh. We had to open the door, so we held our breath and we let them in together. Overall, it went really well! Near the end Dora and Willy B had a miscommunication, which led us to separating them. As you will see in the video Willy B was having a blast with Rayne and Dora! What you all might not know is that Willy B and Dora have met a few times and they were non-eventual, but today Willy B really learned how Dora wanted to play! At first he was overwhelming her, so he backed off and waited for her to come to him. To see how far Dora and Willy B have come is really spectacular. Though it didn’t end on the highest note there was a lot to take away from this intro!

Also Rayne is the best at introductions! She is so good at making the other chimps feel at ease, she gives reassurance when needed, and distracts others by instigating play instead of screaming when they are nervous. She is one of a kind.