The chimps here are so photogenic and always look happy, as you can see below:
Every once in awhile we do catch them when they’ve perhaps woken up on the wrong side of the nest:
Cle Elum 7
The Great Baked Pumpkin
Variety is the spice of life and we try to provide that for the chimpanzees even in their meals. Most of their diet is designed, as much as is possible, to simulate a natural chimpanzee diet and, as such, consists of primarily fresh fruit and vegetables. This is supplemented with nuts, seeds, and chow to provide protein sources.
Now it can, on occasion, become a challenge to accommodate personal preference in addition to providing creative variation whenever your options are fruit or vegetables. Often the refrigerator is full of squash varietals, especially during the fall and, as it happens, the chimpanzees are not that fond of raw squash.
I’m not sure who first thought to bake the squash but whoever it was deserves chimpanzee food squeaks! It turns out that, although the chimpanzees would rather not eat squash raw, if you bake it it becomes an exciting and delectable treat. So, in the spirit of fall baking and for the sake of a little novelty, I decided to see what happens if you bake and serve pumpkin for dinner. The result?
Seven thrilled chimpanzees, with the accompanying food squeaks of joy. Baked pumpkin, for the win!
Baked pumpkin dinner:
Here is Missy (on the left) and Foxie (on the right) being served some delicious baked pumpkin in the greenhouse:
Jody (on the left) and Jamie (on the right) enjoying the pumpkin:
And, last but not least, Annie eating her serving of pumpkin:
Annie’s foot clap
As the least dominant chimpanzee in the group, Annie is often a little anxious (though much less than she was five years ago). So I always love to see her feeling relaxed and confident. One of my favorite Annie quirks is her foot clap, which she often does while relaxing on her back.
Hanging Around
It seems that Foxie is upside down as often as she’s right side up. She loves to climb to the ceiling of the Greenhouse and hang by her feet, and she often swings on the fire hoses as through they’re trapezes. Today, she has carried around this plastic frying pan in her mouth for much of the day, and didn’t even put it down for her acrobatics.
The inimitable Jamie
Just as humans do, each of the chimpanzees has their own unique personality. And Jamie’s is like a kaleidoscope. She surprises us every day with her strength, beauty, intelligence, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and sheer, well, Jamie-ness. Jamie was my first chimpanzee friend and as such she holds a special place in my heart. While she can be demanding and intense in her relationships with both humans and chimpanzees, she can also be joyful, caring, and so much fun to hang out with. But one thing that Jamie consistently is, is a privilege to know, and an honor to call my friend.
As Diana mentioned earlier today, it takes a virtual village to care for these seven amazing beings and we are so thankful to all of you who help provide them with the sanctuary they deserve. While this next photo of Jamie was previously posted, it’s one of my favorites and I feel, catches that inimitable spirit of hers. It also reminds me, as does Jamie, of one of my favorite quotes by Federico Fellini, “You have to live spherically – in many directions. Never lose your childish enthusiasm – and things will come your way.” Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for enabling things to come Jamie’s (and all of the chimpanzees’) way.
On Young’s Hill
The chimpanzees’ relationship with Young’s Hill has certainly developed over the time they have had access to it. Sanctuary has provided them with the room to run physically as well as the room to expand psychologically. Not only have they grown as individuals as a result of the space provided but their relationships and sense of self appear to have evolved as well. Today, in honor of the gift that space provides, here is a visual exposition of the chimpanzees experiencing the splendor of Young’s Hill.
Annie foraging:
Jamie walking through the grass:
Burrito climbing over logs:
Missy smiling while running:
Foxie sitting up on one of the wooden climbing structures:
Jody walking through the grass:
Negra enjoying the sun (a repeat but one of my favorites!):
The Chimp Whisperer
If there’s one chimpanzee who plays the role of peacemaker in the group, it’s Foxie. It seems to be her personal ambition to make sure everyone is getting along. During conflicts, she often runs around and tries to calm everyone down. You could say she’s a bit of a chimp whisperer.
So it’s not surprising that she’s a preferred play partner for a lot of the chimps. If Jamie or Burrito are looking for some fun, it’s almost always Foxie who they’ll seek out. (Burrito has the problem of being a little intimidated by almost everyone else in the group, and Jamie has the problem of almost everyone else in the group being a little intimidated by her.)
Diana got some footage of Foxie working her magic with Burrito and Negra (who doesn’t play very much with anyone due to being somewhat of an old lady) this weekend while the chimps were waiting for the humans to finish cleaning the playroom.
On an unrelated note, thanks so much to everyone who came out for Sippin’ for the Seven last night. You can see photos from the event here. And bidding for our online auction is open until Tuesday, so be sure to check out the items and get your bids in!
