Spring is coming and the chimpanzees were feeling it today.
Jody:
Burrito & Missy:
chimpanzees
Friday Eve
Today was a very low-key day at the chimp house where everyone seemed to be very much OK with doing their thing, even if it was absolutely nothing.
Missy on the top platform of the green house
Missy grooming a resting Jody
Burrito, wooden toy in hand and wearing a slinky as a sock
Cy and his version of random patty cake through the glass
Rayne with her favorite enrichment: Raisin Boards!!
Terry winding up for a display
A Willy B thread
Hoarfrost
It’s been a snowy, cold, gloomy January. It’s hard to believe that we had clear weather and bare ground at this time last year (see: Winterspring).
While I love the unpredictable moodiness of Northwest winters, the sporadic windows of sunny weather are welcome reassurances that the valley will eventually see pleasant days again. Last Monday, the sanctuary was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the clear blue beyond for a few minutes, drenching the frozen tundra in warm sunshine.
At the time, the entire sanctuary had been coated with hoarfrost for several days. These feathery deposits of ice are created when fog freezes on cold surfaces, thereby giving them a “hairy” appearance. The phenomenon looks absolutely amazing when illuminated by sunlight and outlined by turquoise skies, and the property’s numerous Ponderosa pines are particularly stunning when adorned with the frosty spikes.
I don’t know if the chimps appreciated the hoarfrost as much as I did, but they definitely seemed to enjoy the sun’s rays. When I went to see what the chimps were up to that afternoon, I found most of them lounging on the elevated platforms in their respective greenhouse enclosures, grooming and snoozing the hours away. Only Dora was interested enough in my presence to shift her gaze, studying my camera and nodding approvingly before rolling back over for another nap.
Sounds of Sanctuary. LOUD Edition
Just like humans, chimpanzees have a variety of decibels in which they vocalize, though when they are loud, they are LOUD.
Mostly Quiet Day
It’s that time of year when it’s cold outside and the chimps are hard to find. It was a relatively quiet day, of course as I write this blog I can hear the three groups starting to shout back and forth to one another, but that is to be expected with sixteen chimpanzees. The chimps spent most of their day grooming and nesting in high places, so capturing photos were few and far between. However, we can always find Honey B in the front rooms! Honey B and Mave spent the morning napping close to each other or grooming quietly with one another. Please enjoy these images of Mave and Honey B, I really tried to get more photos!
Cy thought you might want to know we just added some magazine subscriptions to the Amazon wish list!
A yummy group favorite!
Today’s blog is brought to you by a very tasty lunch menu: leeks and sweet potatoes.
Rayne and her leek
Cy enjoying some sweet potatoes
Lucky patiently waiting for her leek from Caregiver Sam
Negra saving the best for last: Leeks
The Perks of Be(friend)ing a Wallflower
Not all of the chimps like to be in front of the camera lens equally. Lucky and Willy B, for example, will scooch right up to you and your electronic device with gusto. Others prefer to nonchalantly observe the photographer from an intermediate distance, and a few chimps will even try to sternly poke the camera lens when they’re not in the mood for a portrait session.
Then, there’s Gordo.
Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to get portraits of the individuals who spend less time in the spotlight, and Gordo has been the most challenging of that bunch.
Gordo is a wallflower. Despite getting along with chimpanzee companions and human caregivers alike, he exhibits some introverted tendencies. It seems like his ideal afternoon would probably be spent lounging quietly on a lofted platform with an enrichment puzzle in his hands, avoiding drama and staying out of the limelight. This makes him one of the more difficult chimpanzees to photograph.
A couple weeks ago, I saw Gordo laying among his group-mates in the indoor front rooms. Everyone was avidly grooming each other, as they tend to do in the downtime that follows breakfast. Gordo was serenely looking down the hallway, clasping his feet and soaking up the warmth from the heated floors, and we eventually made eye contact. I nodded reassuringly, and he kept staring back. I slowly reached for the camera hanging around my neck and raised it up to eye level as if to ask “can I take your picture?”
Gordo coolly remained where he was and allowed me to approach. I gently knelt in by the caging, brought the viewfinder up to my right eye, and turned the focus ring until Gordo’s auburn eyes and platinum goatee were visible in sharp detail. After I got a couple good shots, I put the camera down and simply sat in Gordo’s proximity for a little bit, enjoying the moment. It wasn’t the fervent grooming or exuberant play that we associate with the sanctuary’s more extroverted residents, but his acceptance made my day nonetheless.
