Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum 7

Unwind

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We had a nice relaxing day here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest!

Burrito was following Jody around a lot today (on the Hill, in the Playroom, and laid close by her side in the Greenhouse):

But Jody was still able to make sometime for herself:

Annie, Burrito, & Foxie all went off to venture out on the Hill. Everyone eventually went on a walk with Jamie, except Neggie who stayed in her nice warm bed:

Annie did quite a bit of solo walking on Young’s Hill (maybe taking in the nice view or the gentle breeze):

Afterwards Annie was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open:

Jamie was watching the volunteers clean the Playroom in the utmost comfort:

However, Jamie also became so sleepy she couldn’t keep her eyes open:

Beat the Heat

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The chimps were proactive this morning to beat the heat! First they got all their strenuous tasks out of the way. For example, today was a whopping 96 degrees and tomorrow is only going to get hotter. So Jamie decided to get her walks in right away in the morning:

Second we kept everything closed off to keep it cool all day, but before we crawled into our dark den (we have all been there on a hot day) we got some grooming done:

Missy, Annie, and Jody thought they should groom in the Greenhouse early:

Annie grooming Jody:

Missy:

And Burrito decided to have a lazy day and just watch the volunteers clean:

In the playroom we set out water in buckets (the chimps always have access to water but sometimes drinking water out of buckets is fun!) and in between cleaning areas I would serve water out of the hose or spray our handled mister/fan (really only Jamie like that…).

However, as our third way to stay cool we had a vote and the chimps decided to have watermelon shaved ice boats. So that’s what we did!

Staff caregiver Katelyn was kind enough to help me with this task (Foxie observing closely):

Jamie:

The watermelon was so juicy:

Burrito:

Burrito was so excited you can see how pilo his hair is:

Annie:

I don’t think anything is more refreshing than watermelon shaved ice!

 

Chimp Proof

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One of the chimpanzees’ front rooms was closed off for maintenance recently. For seven straight days, the chimps watched as Co-Directors J.B. and Diana stripped the walls and gave the room a facelift. Most of the chimps took it in stride, but boss Jamie is always very interested when maintenance is happening, and she did not appreciate being locked out of the room (on principle only – it’s not a room where Jamie chooses to spend any significant amount of time). Because chimps are very strong and very destructive, any maintenance done to their enclosures has to be chimp-proof. Jamie, especially, can always be relied upon to point out any flaws in workmanship.

Jamie Tries to Undo the Humans’ Hard Work: A Photo Essay

Choice

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Annie has been wearing a yellow elastic headband around her waist for the past week. This makes us happy because it’s her choice and it seems to make her happy. The headband is part of the daily enrichment we offer to the chimps, which also includes blankets, dolls, scarves, socks, hats, boots, wooden toys, plastic tools, toothbrushes, nail files, bags, buckets, stuffed animals, books, magazines, paper, and anything else we think they might enjoy that’s safe for them to have. The chimps are free to use, destroy, or ignore these items in any way they see fit.

Most people are used to seeing chimpanzees wearing clothing because chimps used in movies, television shows, commercials, and print advertisements have traditionally been forced (and often duct-taped) into clothes against their will for the purpose of entertaining humans (or selling products).

At CSNW, Annie’s only job is to be herself.