Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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chimpanzee

Grabbing Toes

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We are still in the midst of the heat wave. Thankfully, today is not in the hundreds, still hot, but there is a nice breeze going. With warm weather means lazy play sessions, even Burrito has slowed down just a touch. Today, while Sofia and I were finishing up cleaning the playroom we found Annie laying on the cool floor while Missy’s toes dangled down below. Annie was grabbing Missy’s toes, fingers, and giving her little pokes while Missy sat above her on a barrel. It was a lazy game for Annie and Missy, but it was all they could muster. When these two really play it might start out slow, but eventually it ends with them laughing, wrestling, and running around grabbing toes. As you will see in these photos we are all preserving our energy. Don’t worry though chimps and humans have had lots of fluids and Gatorade not to mention lots of fans and misters going too!

As I drove up the driveway to the chimp house this morning Happy Club popped into my mind. Some of you blog followers are familiar with it, but if you read Diana’s blog a while back. What jogged my memory was seeing 4 or the 6 new chimps watching me pull up the driveway. All of them in the greenhouse enjoying the warm summer breeze. It brought a smile to my face. So, I thought I would share a few happy things over the last week.

  1. Well, first of all I am so happy to have the Lucky 6 home! The fact that they are settling in so well also makes me overjoyed.
  2. Terry and Cy are absolute hams! I am truly smitten.
  3. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being in Rayne’s company. I was cleaning GH3 and she was in GH2. I sat with her for a while. She is very sweet.
  4. Missy dangling her foot in front of Annie as a taunt to play.
  5. Last week Negra requested that J.B., Diana, Anna, and I all dance for her. We immediately did as we were told. It makes me smile because that is what sanctuary is supposed to be, right? Negra tells us what she wants and then we do it :).
  6. Dora. Just seeing Dora makes me happy.

Burrito staying cool in his castle.

Gordo cooling off in his favorite spot.

Rayne popping in to say hi.

Honey B hanging out in her favorite spot, the chute.

Jamie melting into her nest.

This heat hasn’t slowed Terry down!


One Hot Day

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Today was the hottest day in our forecast reaching triple digits as the Pacific Northwest is currently trapped in a Heat Dome. As the temperature began to rise, caregivers were quick to offer the chimpanzees some solace in the this scorching weather. There were tons of icy treats, cool refreshing drinks, fans, and misters for the chimpanzees to enjoy.

Burrito, Jamie, and Jody enjoy a pool filled with Gatorade and ice inside their playroom.

Willy B also enjoyed ice in a Rock Around toy.

Mave (I personally think) had the best idea. Find the best place to lay down next to a sandbox (minus the sand) filled with Gaotrade and ice, take a few drinks, and lay the ice cubes on the floor next to you and enjoy at your leisure.

As we are still trying to get to know the new group of chimpanzees, we were curious what their decisions would be. For the most part, most of them have been spending a lot of time in their greenhouses usually grooming or napping.

Rayne and Gordo taking it easy in the shade.

Dora sitting in the shady spot right underneath the greenhouse platform.

Gordo on the same log amongst the bamboo with the stem from his breakfast bananas.

As the day began to come to an end, I was able to gather these last minute photos of how some of the chimpanzees were dealing with the last minute heat.

Negra ate her portion of dinner bell peppers inside.

Willy B, Honey B, and Mave spent the rest of the afternoon in a grooming party inside.

Can you spot everyone in this photo?

And Dora enjoying her evening food puzzle, a Kong, inside one of her playrooms.

As a bonus, a photo from yesterday I was able to get of Terry with fistfuls of beets and carrots.

And as one final bonus, a photo of Lucky (left) and Dora (right) exploring their greenhouse on the day they arrived here.

Comin’ in HOT

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Hey everyone! It’s been a long week so far.

For one thing, the scorching heat is  r e l e n t l e s s .

Today brought record-setting temperatures to Oregon and Washington. Tomorrow will have more of the same. For comparison, it’s hotter than Guy Fieri’s wardrobe over here.

For actual quantitative reference, tomorrow’s forecast shows Cle Elum being 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than it’s ever been in the state of Florida (109F).

That’s correct. Our town nestled among the snow-capped Central Cascades will have higher temperatures than they’ve EVER HAD on ANY DATE in FLORIDA. It will also be hotter than it’s ever been in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and at least fifteen other U.S. states and territories. Tomorrow would be the hottest day ever in Washington… if we hadn’t already broken that record today.

To cope, our staff has been closely monitoring the doors and windows, cranking all the electric fans, and consuming a steady stream of popsicles, sports drinks, and good ol’ fashioned water. As all the smart people say, hydrate to dominate, baby!

Despite the sweltering heat, we’re excited to report that all SIXTEEN chimpanzee residents are doing well, staying hydrated, and keeping cool. Of course, those sixteen residents include the six newest arrivals: Cy, Dora, Gordo, Lucky, Rayne and Terry.

This group of adult chimps has been called “The Lucky Six” during the campaign to send them to sanctuary, but we’ll also likely refer to them as “Cy’s Group” since he seems to be their undisputed chief. While our own medical and caregiving records have less mutable designations for each group (e.g., Group C), it will be nice to have an informal and familiar way to specify which group we’re talking about.

We’re still getting to know the six chimps in Cy’s group, but it’s already evident that they all have unique personalities and complex social dynamics. As is tradition, we’ll be shining a virtual spotlight on each individual over the next few months so that you can all get to know them as well. In case you missed it, Kelsi announced their arrival and posted a few portraits on Saturday, and Katelyn followed up with more photographs in yesterday’s post (which was dedicated to those who cared and advocated for the six newcomers at their previous home). For now, we’ll continue to share what we can on the blog when we’re not busy taking care of chimps!

For today’s blog, I threw together a video using clips that our staff have recorded over the past few days. We look forward to sharing more in the near future, so please stay tuned and be patient! The new guys are amazing and we can’t wait to tell you more about them!

They’re Here! They’re Here!

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Today was a wild and crazy day, but they are here. They are home! Words can not describe how excited we are to get to know Cy, Terry, Gordo, Lucky, Rayne, and Dora’s personalities more. For right now they are settling in well. I have to warn you, Cy is going to steal your heart, well Terry too. And maybe Lucky. Oh, Rayne and Gordo! Well, and then there is Dora. She might steal your heart too. We are so exhausted so us humans are going to go home and sleep!  We will share more tomorrow :).

Lucky was the first to go into the playroom. She so brave and after exploring Playroom 3 she ran straight out into Green House 3.

Rayne <3

Terry <3

Hot as tater tots!

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Summer is here! We are definitely feeling the heat today. We have been trying to help keep the chimps cool and passed out some shaved ice in the afternoon. They love ice! Even if its just a regular old ice cube they are excited for the snack. We have also been giving out extra hose drinks to the chimps who have been requesting it while we are cleaning. Even though they always have access to a water source, drinks from the hose always taste better! Katelyn was fanning/misting Jamie and Annie today. In the photo below you can see them enjoying this. Annie kept putting her head up to let Katelyn mist her forehead.

Jamie needs all that extra water and fanning today from her adventures last night. Since the heat was starting to rise during the day yesterday she didn’t go on as many walks as normal. She wanted to save that for when the sun started to go down. Jamie didn’t want to let go of Youngs Hill for the night after dinner and we went on multiple walks around the hill with her, in a variety of ways. It was fun to see how many different ways she wanted to walk around! First, I went around the hill driving the gator. Then she was ready for Anthony to drive the gator while I rode along. After that, Jamie wanted Chad to follow in the gator behind us. After a couple more variations of walks throughout the evening Jamie decided on one last final walk. This included Anthony, Chad, the gator and I. Missy also came out to join us and Annie was resting on a platform watching. After this final walk Jamie was inside ready for her book and boot bundle. We usually pick out a couple different books and boots to give her before we leave to make sure she has what needs for the night.

Jamie enjoying a walk around the hill, while I drove the gator.

 

Here are some photos from around the chimp house today!

Mave relaxing in the Chute.

Honey B sitting in the doorway of one of the new Greenhouses.

Willy B being groomed by Mave.

Annie being her sweet Annie self.

The cattle were even avoiding the heat today. Chad found them relaxing in the shade by the creek.

Meredith and Honey hanging out by the creek.

Nutmeg and Betsy cooling off in the mud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Blogs

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First of all, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all of you dads out there.

In case you missed it, two of our supporters sponsored this day of sanctuary in honor of their own fathers. Thank you for this generous and thoughtful gift, Sharon and Marya!

Just as we had dual sponsors for this warm summer day, I also had two distinct ideas for today’s blog.

Initially, I wanted to continue our coverage of Honey B, Mave and Willy B’s acclimatization to the new greenhouses. Kelsi posted a great video of their first forays into the unknown on Wednesday and new staff member Sofia added some amazing photos in her follow-up on Friday. Yesterday, Diana wrote a reflective, insightful and pertinent post about how chimpanzees cope with new experiences (which will likely be a common theme over the next few months!). My plan for today was to share additional photos of the chimps hanging out in the new greenhouse enclosures.

The new enclosures (featuring new caregiver Sam, for scale):

However, I also took a look at some photographs I created while strolling through the woodlands and pastures that surround the sanctuary. I feel like I should share them with all of you, too.

Since I couldn’t pick one theme over the other, I am going to “finance two birds with one loan” (as the common idiom goes) and combine them into this mega-post.

First, here are some images of the “California Three” enjoying their new digs.

Honey B (“Beezy” “Beesus” “Chickpea” “Honey Badger” “Bee”):

Mave (who had to investigate the bamboo before settling down for a nap):

Willy B:

Then, as promised, here are some cool nature shots from around the property.

This may be a Say’s Phoebe, although Katelyn would have to confirm that since she is our resident wildlife expert:

A long-tailed weasel (also known locally as a stoat):

A chipmunk:

The cliff swallows that have taken over the eaves of the Chimp House this summer:

One of the many black-tailed deer that frequent the property:

The view of Cle Elum from the higher area of the property:

 

Warm, sunny and grassy!

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Just in time for some warm weather, Honey B, Mave and Willie B have had full access to their new and very refreshing green house enclosures for three days now. They have been very busy exploring the new areas, from lounging way up in the platforms to get a good view of the neighbors, to figuring out what the grass is all about. While Honey B has sprinted from side to side through the grass multiple times, for the moment the three still opt to use logs, structures, blankets or chimp furniture to move around.

Here is Honey B, using one of the logs to move around in the Green House

Honey B holding a small cleaning brush to brush the grass, cleaning is her thing

Honey B perched in one of the windows, taking it all in

Willie B measuring how to get to the chimp furniture for his next step

Mave would agree that there is always time for some relaxed lounging and sun basking

On the other side of the Chimp House, Jody was seen enjoying some forage she found in the hill

Warm days equal “chill” days, Missy approves