Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum 7

Missy

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I don’t think a day has gone by since I started working at CSNW in 2008 that I haven’t found myself completely charmed by Missy. She is full of contradictions – small but mighty, serious and goofy, independent and socially adept. Physically, she is petite and a little stocky with not much in the way of a neck. She has moments of extreme stillness and moments of explosive movement, and not much in between. When she’s still, she’s very still.

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But when she’s ready to move, she goes from 0 to 60 in no time. Missy does not believe in warm-ups.

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Missy has a stellar sense of humor and a twinkle in her eye. She often looks just a second away from bursting into laughter or a raucous game of chase. I don’t know how all of that energy and spirit and humor survived thirty years in tiny laboratory cages. When I watch her sprint up and down Young’s Hill at lightning speed, I’m so happy that she finally has the space to be herself.

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Burrito’s Charm

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Burrito is pretty irresistible. He also tends to be a bit shy at times. When he is feeling playful he will often initiate play with his caregivers by biting on a toy or a firehouse as he shyly looks in our direction. If he is feeling particularly playful he will add a foot stomp and a head nod in for good measure. One of my favorite moments is when I go out to the greenhouse to see what the chimps are up to and upon first sight, Burrito grabs something to bite on, stomps his foot at me and takes off running for a game of chase, laughing all the way.

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Digging

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After lunch this afternoon, Debbie and I hung out for awhile in the greenhouse with the chimpanzees. Jamie seemed restless. She went into the building for a moment and returned to the greenhouse with a hand shovel and proceeded to dig. Annie, who is always a big fan of digging, couldn’t resist joining her.

A Few of Negra’s Favorite Things

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Two of Negra’s favorite things are looking out over the view of the valley and eating fresh, spring grass.  It fills us with delight this spring to find Negra feeling more and more comfortable venturing outside onto Young’s Hill, often all on her own.  Despite being the middle of spring, we have been surprised by snow showers the past couple of days here in Cle Elum.  As a result Negra was very reluctant to get out of bed this morning and I can’t say that I blame her.  At one point I caught her looking out her window at the heavy snow showers and pulling the blanket back over her head.  It took JB reminding her that another favorite of hers, peanuts, were on the menu before she decided to join everyone for breakfast.  Thankfully it didn’t take long for both the sun, and Negra, to come back out again.

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Twin Doras

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During Foxie’s decades in biomedical research she was used as a breeder.  We know of five children that Foxie gave birth to, two of whom were twins.  It’s heartbreaking that Foxie was not given the opportunity to raise any of her children.  Since arriving at the sanctuary she seems to have found a special affinity for her beloved troll dolls and more recently, Dora dolls.  When Foxie chooses to join us for a walk around Young’s Hill she can often be seen carrying one of her many dolls on her back just as chimpanzee mothers do with their children in the wild.  It’s a bittersweet glimpse into how life should have been for her and each of the Cle Elum Seven.  While we can never know for sure what Foxie is thinking about her “babies” it makes my heart happy to see she has found something to call her own.

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New Beginnings

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As I drove over the snowy pass on the way to the sanctuary this morning, I was reminded how snow signifies new beginnings and a fresh start. While I have spent many years in the non-profit and primate world, I view my role as executive director at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest as a new beginning for me. For most of my life I have wanted to serve primates in a sanctuary setting and to live in the northwest. I now have been given the opportunity to marry both dreams and I could not be more thrilled. Sarah and the CSNW team have poured their hearts into this organization and have accomplished many things such as providing a safe and healthy environment for seven amazing chimpanzees, expanding space for the Cle Elum 7 by building a greenhouse and Young’s Hill, advocating for all primates by creating Eyes on Apes, and developing a visitors’ program (the list goes on and on).

Jamie and I spending quality time together
Jamie and I got to spend some quality time together

Today, I take the proverbial leadership baton and am looking forward to the future (not just for the organization, but for all chimpanzees). I look forward to helping the organization grow, advocating for chimpanzees around the world, and continuing to care for the Cle Elum 7. In the meantime, I will be getting acclimated to the sanctuary and to the area. I have already met many of our dedicated volunteers and supporters and am eager to get to know all of you. The Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest team and the chimpanzees have also been incredibly welcoming. I have begun forming special bonds with Jamie, Foxie, Missy, Negra, Burrito, Annie, and Jody…how can I not love them?

Jamie wanted me to show her my boots
Jamie wanted me to show her my boots

Thank you all for welcoming me with open arms. During this transition, feel free to e-mail me with suggestions as to how we can better serve our chimpanzees, community and supporters.