When I was watching Foxie this morning, I was thinking about when she first arrived with the rest of the Cle Elum Seven Chimpanzees. She showed some apprehension and perhaps suspicion those first weeks.
The first time she went into the larger space of what we call the playroom, she stomped all around the perimeter before venturing to the middle.
At first, she would push away the toys and blankets as though they might be contaminated.
And then came troll dolls…
Foxie was smitten:
and her imagination seemed to take off:
Today is day 3,802 of sanctuary for Foxie, Negra, Jamie, Burrito, Jody, Missy, and Annie.
Foxie is still suspicious of new things, or at least wants to verify for herself that we’ve built things well (see this video from earlier this year).
She’s more adventurous than ever, though. Each of the previous 3,801 days have been about her learning more about herself and the world of the sanctuary as it expanded and transformed around her.
This morning, Foxie (without a doll) climbed up on the newest structure on the hill that we call Esher and sat in the sun for a bit.
Then she was off to a new perch
Where she sampled some morning frost
After about 30 minutes, she came back to the greenhouse to groom with her friends and make the most of the rest of day 3,802.
