Some might say that it’s undignified for those in their golden years to be so silly, but the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees don’t think so. (And neither do we.)
Cle Elum 7
What Did the Chimps Do Today?
We had a lot of playful chimps today! When the humans arrived this morning we found Missy and Annie chasing each other, Burrito with a toy in his mouth ready to play chase, Foxie throwing dolls, Jody breathy panting, Negra giving kisses, and Jamie ready with a grooming tool for boots. Throughout the day there has been quite a bit of napping and nesting because it was really cold today. However, do not fret, the chimps have been very busy! Burrito has been running around with his scooter and Jamie has been reading books and stuffing trolls into paper bags. Check out the video to see a few more of today’s activities!
Building Trust
Out of all the humans who work and volunteer at the sanctuary, only a handful have any sort of physical contact with the chimpanzees. Those who do must go through months of safety training first. Chimpanzees are incredibly strong and unpredictable, so we take these safety rules very seriously. Even the chimps’ wonderful local vet, Dr. Erin Zamzow, never touches the chimps unless they are sedated for a medical procedure. (Did I mention that we take our safety rules seriously?)
Dr. Erin has been assisting the sanctuary for years, and has been an integral part of several procedures, but still the chimps primarily know her as the doctor who comes around when something scary happens. So in an effort to demystify her a little, she’s been spending more time at the sanctuary – we want her to be a familiar, non-threatening presence in the chimps’ lives. She is currently going through caregiver training; when she’s done, she’ll be able to serve meals to the chimps, play chase and tug of war, groom, and give back rubs. She’ll be a trusted friend.
Busy mornings
The majority of the action at the sanctuary happens all before lunch! We use this time every day to clean each area thoroughly, asking the chimpanzees to shift from one section of the building to another. Once the chimpanzees have all vacated an area (usually convinced by the prospect of breakfast or snacks), the lead staff member of the day closes all the chimpanzee doors leading to an area using a remote controlled lever and lock system. We follow this by performing safety double checks to ensure that an area is chimp-free and doors are properly closed and locked. Only then can we enter an area for cleaning.
We started today by serving the chimpanzees some smoothie and peanuts so we could get the greenhouse area closed off for cleaning. Intern Kailie is training to be a level 3 caregiver (someone that serves meals and can interact safely with the chimpanzees). Staff member Elizabeth was training her this morning.
Once we knew we could safely enter the greenhouse, we unlocked the area and got to work!
We always switch out dirty blankets and enrichment for clean items.
And we do any necessary scrubbing!
Jamie usually acts as supervisor through one of the windows:
We put out 70 fresh blankets a day, so that means we do laundry all day long! Here’s intern Samantha keeping our washer going:
After the greenhouse cleaning comes the rest of breakfast. Today it was apples, pineapple, primate chow, and vitamins:
The lead staff member does a series of safety checks before the chimpanzees can get access to Young’s Hill in the morning. Here is Burrito entering the raceway to the outdoor enclosure first thing this morning:
Then on to cleaning the playroom! We always appreciate happy interns like Amanda!
After the playroom is scrubbed, rinsed, squeegeed, and locked, the lead staff member lets the chimpanzees have access back to their fresh clean area. This morning the chimps enjoyed a forage of nuts. Missy found the pineapple top we also put out.
Then comes more safety checks to enter the front rooms. Here Kailie checks to make sure a door lever is closed and locked:
It was about this time that Jamie decided she was ready for her first walk around Young’s Hill. She had me put on these ankle boots today:
Then we set out for a walk accompanied by Missy:
Meanwhile, our hardworking interns finished cleaning the front rooms. Locking and double checking all the doors is the last step in the process:
We are so lucky to have such amazing volunteers and interns! We couldn’t do it without them or our amazing supporters! Yesterday was Giving Tuesday and we exceeded both our goals for the day! There is just so much love and support that surrounds these seven chimpanzees!
Giving Thanks
Today we’re thankful for love, family, and food grunts.
On today’s menu:
Field Roast with gravy
baked apples
green beans
cranberry sauce
sweet rolls
baked potatoes
roasted chestnuts
sparkling apple cider
We hope you and your family enjoy your festivities as much as the Cle Elum Seven enjoyed theirs. Happy Thanksgiving!
Do You Know?
Can you tell who is who? Today at CSNW we have a challenge for you! There are four pictures and we want you all to try and guess which chimps are in the photos.
A freckled face:
Two mystery girls lounging together:
And who could be under this blanket:
Someone holding a troll doll:
Additional photos just because!
Foxie:
Jamie nestled with a boot:
Jamie finally off duty:
And last one because who wouldn’t want to see one more:
Happy Birthday, Kery!
Today was sponsored by long-time supporter and friend to the chimps, Kery Shaw! Kery shared this lovely message about her gift:
“Today, as I celebrate my birthday I take this moment to reflect on my life and think about all the incredible beings that have come into my life over the past couple of years. November … a time for giving thanks and gratitude. To the chimps: Burrito, Jamie, Jody, Annie, Missy, Foxie, and Negra who have humbled me. They have showed me how to forgive, how to have fun and mostly how to love. To Diana, JB, Katelyn and the rest of the staff and volunteers thank you for all you do and dedicating your life to these magnificent beings. Today and every day I celebrate all of you at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! From the bottom of my heart thank you for all you do. Much love and gratitude, Kery Shaw – The Stolen Lives Project”
Kery, given all that you do to advocate for and bring awareness and compassion to the lives of our fellow animals, we so appreciate you thinking of the chimpanzees on your own special day. We hope you have a wonderful day in which your kind heart is filled with light and joy. Happy Birthday from all the primates at CSNW!
Burrito and Jody:
Missy and Annie:
Jamie, Foxie and Dora:
Negra and Foxie:
