The sky is blue and all the leaves are, well, on the ground, but the sun is warmish and the wind is certainly not freezing today. In fact, if I didn’t know better I might be convinced that the worst that winter had to offer was on it’s way out and Spring was just around the corner! Sadly, I realize that this is not the case but that’s not going to ruin such a delightfully warm day in the middle of this otherwise frozen wasteland for me. And while it’s just a little too blustery for the chimpanzees’ taste I can tell that the spirit of Spring is affecting them as well since everyone (including the boss) is full of fun and play today!
Cle Elum 7
Jamie and challenges
You may have figured out by now that Jamie is a tough chimp to enrich. Her mind is so active and she requires a lot to keep engaged. Part of our job as caregivers is to come up with new ways to keep the chimpanzees enriched, and in particular, keeping Jamie busy.
Though raisin boards are already a puzzle in themselves (the chimps usually have to use tools to get the raisins out), it’s even more so when they are just out of reach. Jamie prefers the challenges. She will go right past the raisin boards that are hidden under a blanket and aim for the ones that are harder puzzles to solve.
Here you see she even learns from her own mistakes—the first board she dropped too quickly and it went too far for her to reach. At first she looks around for a tool to grab the raisin board but decides to work on the more accessible one and leave the other project for later (don’t worry—she got that one eventually, too).
After seeing this video (and likely even without watching you know already) I think you will agree that Jamie is amazing.
Reflecting on Sanctuary
In yesterday’s blog post Elizabeth talked about what sanctuary means to the chimpanzees of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, particularly Negra. As caregivers we try to provide an environment that allows individuals the opportunity to enjoy the life that sanctuary provides in the manner that most appeals to each.
For Negra, that can mean her night bags or her naps on the catwalk.
For Jamie, cowboy boots and daily walks around Young’s Hill seem to be it.
For Missy, maybe it’s a fulfilling friendship with Annie or a satisfying run through the grass.
For Annie there is always Missy, but did you know she also likes bare feet?
For Burrito, good food and good friends are often the pleasures of his day although he also enjoys wooden toys quite a lot!
For Foxie, Doras and Trolls claim her heart.
And for Jody, bamboo forages and warm fluffy blankets for her to nest in are always welcome.
These are just a few of the many different favorite things of the chimpanzees, just a few of the ways they each make sanctuary their own. If I ask Google to define sanctuary here is the result:
sanc·tu·ar·y ?saNG(k)CHo?o?er?/ noun
1. a place of refuge or safety.
2. a nature reserve.
3. a holy place; a temple or church
I don’t know about you, but I think that Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest has got this definition down.
Sanctuary means…
I think sanctuary means something different to each of the chimpanzees. To Negra, it means the joy that a single peanut brings.
Not Funny
It’s days like today, when it’s pouring down rain relentlessly upon our heads, that being a chimpanzee caregiver can become even more challenging than it already is. Just imagine trying to keep otherwise generally active chimpanzees entertained when the weather isn’t cooperating!
As you can see here, the weather definitely didn’t feel like cooperating today. This is what Young’s Hill looks like this afternoon:
While many of the chimpanzees have taken advantage of the weather to engage in some indoor shenanigans others, like Jamie, are not having any of it. Here you can see Foxie & Negra playing while Jamie looks on:
Some days weather is just too much to overcome. I think, perhaps, Jamie’s having one of those days.
Thanksgiving
Negra:
Annie:
Jamie (with Foxie in the background):
Jody:
Burrito:
We have so much to be thankful for today: volunteers Patti, Denice, Sandra, and Joel, who spent their holiday caring for the chimpanzees; supporters like Robert Maurer who sponsored today for the chimps; and all of you out there who love the Cle Elum Seven as much as we do. Happy Thanksgiving!
Green Toys!
And our thankfulness continues! If you saw the blog yesterday, you’ll know that the chimpanzees received many wonderful new gifts from some of our amazing supporters! Well, today the chimpanzees also received new toys from Green Toys! In addition to the ongoing challenge we (and Enrichment Coordinator, Debbie) have of finding things that are new and interesting for the chimpanzees’ active minds (particularly Jamie’s!), as you can imagine, the life as an item of chimpanzee enrichment is not an easy one. So after receiving a variety of Green Toys from our amazing supporters via our Wishlist, we were pretty excited to learn that they are chimp-tested and caregiver-approved! Green Toys are not only environmentally friendly but can take a licking from the chimps and remain relatively unscathed.
Here is Jamie checking out a new dump truck:
Jamie giving the “bite test” to a submarine as Foxie (who is still loving her new French Dora doll from yesterday!) comes to check things out:
And Jamie checking out a new airplane (and I am pretty sure thinking she could fly one):
Missy enjoying some orange “tea” in the tea set:
Missy:
Foxie:
Thank you so much Green Toys for the chimpanzees’ gifts! And also for making great toys which just happen to be great chimpanzee enrichment!
