Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum 7

Sunny Tuesday

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Sunny days are always great, specially after some days of non-stop rain. Today, the clouds scattered away and the rays of sunshine made an appearance. To say the least, everyone, including the caregivers were very happy to catch a break from the Pacific Northwest gloominess. If only there were away to turn OFF the wind!!! But regardless of the wind, the chimps in Jamie’s group went on countless walks around the hill and spent most of the day in their warm greenhouse. Cy and his friends also spent the day in their greenhouse and every so often you could walk by and someone would pop their heads off the edge of the platforms for a subtle “hello”. Willy B and his friends were very into the raisin boards they got for daytime enrichment, although it is very likely that Willy B got every single raisin.

Annie looking over at the neighbors before sprinting over to catch up with Jamie, who was going on a perimeter walk with caregiver Grace and her sweet new boots:

Honey B sitting on a wooden chair

A Cy close up

Dora was very interested in the mechanics of a phone camera

Jamie observing my every move while I squeegeed in the play room

A sequence of Foxie with a doll in her mouth making her way over to the greenhouse window to meet up with Jamie

Gordo in the platform of the greenhouse very much aware of the display Willy B had going on on the other greenhouse

Jody resting in the greenhouse

Willy B securing ALL the raisins in the raisin board enrichment that his group got today

CSI: Chimp House

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One of the many reasons why chimpanzees should never be pets is their natural destructive behavior. On the daily basis we enter enclosures for cleaning and find destroyed toys, ripped blankets, broken night time enrichment, and on many occasions stuffed animals with severed limbs and stuffing coming out. This is why we follow rigorous rules that dictate the type enrichment and toys that each group is allowed to have. Ranging from choking hazards, to possible obstructions if ingested each item is checked by at least two caregivers before the item is placed inside an enclosure to ensure that the chimpanzees, as individuals and as groups will be safe. Every item that is placed inside is potentially going to be destroyed, and sometimes we encounter crime scenes that may never be solved. I mean we could, we can just watch security footage, but working around mysteries is more intriguing.

Case #1

First on the scene: Special Agent de Bree

Victim: Stuffed teddy bear

Cause of death: Severe stuffingloss by limb amputation and decapitation. Strangulation has not been ruled out.

Location: Greenhouse 1

Evidence collected: Plaid ribbon scarf

Case #2

First on the scene: Special Agent Castro-Loza

Victim: Stuffed tiger

Cause of death: Severe stuffingloss by amputation of left hind leg and tail.

Location: Front Room 3

Evidence collected: Unopened pumpkin seed

Number of suspects: 7

But three individuals matched our previous offense data base. Jamie, Annie, and Burrito are on the top of the suspect list pending investigation and forensic analysis.

Jamie de-stuffing a lion

Click here to access our Amazon Wish List with an assortment of approved enrichment. The Holiday list is up!!!

Click here to view our Enrichment Database.

I Spy: Movement Up the Mountain

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Last week one of our supporters very excitingly asked when expansion work was going to begin, and I’m happy to inform everyone that today was the day. During the morning, Gary’s Sage Mechanical crew came in to do some work on top of Young’s Hill. This meant that Jamie and her six friends could not go out on the hill during that time but that did not mean that they were unaware that some humans were in need of chimp supervision. After work concluded and it was safe to give them access to the hill, Jamie, Annie, Missy, Foxie, Burrito and Jody sprinted up the hill to assess the situation. Jody went back inside the safety of the green house shortly after, might have been too scary of a situation. On the way up Missy asked for reassurance from all her friends. First from Burrito, then Jamie, and finally from Foxie who gladly complied. Annie was the first one to arrive and climbed up the Twister to get a better view. Jamie, of course, was very excited to see new people but more excited about seeing new boots.

Foxie reassuring Missy on the way up to check out the expansion work.

Missy and Foxie looking at Jody as she turns around to go back into the safety of the green house.

Foxie and Jamie looking at J.B. and the members of Sage Mechanical…and their boots.

Gary’s nephew, who has a background in forestry, Gary, and J.B. smiling for the camera.

Annie supervising from the Twister platform.

After brief visual inspection, the construction boots pass the test and are worthy of a run around the hill.

On the other side of the chimp house:

Rayne eating green apples during breakfast this morning. Courtesy of caregiver Sam.

Dora resting in one of the front rooms.

Rayne in the green house taking advantage of the break from the rain that we got today.

Raisins and Magazines

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Yesterday I watched Cy’s group put on a dramatic display around their playroom just before lunch. This isn’t unusual, as chimps do daily dominance displays. What I found amusing about this particular show of passion, was that in the middle of all the chaos, plastic barrels getting thrown around the enclosure and pant hoots echoing off the wall, sat Cy.  He was completely calm and absolutely enthralled with his latest magazine. The same thing happened this morning as most of the chimps investigated a food puzzle. As you will see in the video, Cy had better ideas.

Napping Weather

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Today was a relaxing day here at the chimp house. Everyone was resting after the big party yesterday and taking advantage of the cooler and cloudy weather. The perfect napping weather! There were some storms in the area last night and it’s been very ominous looking outside today, like it could start raining at any second. All day today I found chimps nesting and lounging. Willy B likes to nest with his leopard print blanket and he made good use of it today! We have a couple wolf blankets at the sanctuary and the seven were taking advantage of those. They are pretty large and the chimps love nesting with them.

Jamie had to make sure we got a quick walk in before any rain this afternoon. Some of the others thought about following, but turned around after they saw the weather outside. Missy did join us towards the end of the walk and was sprinting back and forth! It’s so amazing to watch her zip all over the hill. I wish I had that energy and athleticism. Also, while there was a break in the weather Chad and Katelyn picked some strawberries for the chimps and served them as an afternoon snack. The strawberry bushes are getting full of strawberries and are ready for the chimps to eat!

 

I can find Jody nesting in the front rooms most days. Today she was looking extra comfy sleeping on the wolf blanket.

 

Annie eating strawberries and making a nest on a wolf blanket.

 

Jamie watching Burrito and me play chase from her boot and blanket nest.

 

Burrito ready for me to stop taking photos and get back to playing chase.

 

Foxie relaxing in the Greenhouse.

 

The cattle were watching Jamie and I on our walk around the hill.

A leftover photo from yesterday. Jody with her lettuce from The Queens Brunch.

 

Negra and The Uninvited Lunch Guest

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Today, staff put out a lunch forage of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, and lettuce for the Seven on Young’s Hill. After staff vacated the hill and security checks were performed, the hill was ready for the Seven. As the door opened and the chimpanzees began to scatter every which way, there was an alarm.

Negra had spotted something. As she began to alarm call and asking for reassurance from anybody close enough, the others were set to find the source of her alarm: a coyote on the other side of the fence in the adjacent pasture.

Jody kept Negra company as they watched the coyote scamper away into the tree line after realizing she/he was spotted.

Once the uninvited guest was gone, lunch could continue.

Though Negra took it upon herself to be on the lookout for the coyote or any other uninvited lunch guests.

While Negra kept the lookout, the others foraged as usual.

Jamie:

Foxie:

Missy:

Jody:

Annie:

Burrito:

As they returned to the Greenhouse with their hauls, they all ate their lunch in the most relaxing positions.

Burrito
Foxie
Annie
Jody

And if you are able to, please help support us in this year’s Give Big Washington campaign. The Give Big campaign ends May 5th. We do have a pretty ambitious goal this year, but it’s because we have a lot of ambition and enthusiasm to continue to provide care for our 14 current residents, as well as welcome 6 more home later this year. All of your support, whether through donations, campaigns, fundraisers, the Chimpanzee Pal and Bovine Buddy programs, Sponsor-A-Day program, being a Produce Patron, or becoming a part of the sanctuary with a Personalized Stone, helps us to ensure days like today can continue to happen, as well as help us prepare for the Lucky Six when they arrive. Any thing helps! Truly, thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!