Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum 7

Today we remember Robert Ruggeri

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This special day of sanctuary was sponsored by the chimpanzees’ good friend, Rachel Ruggeri, in memory of her father, Robert Ruggeri. Rachel shared this wonderful message about today:

“My father loved animals and always believed freedom was preferable to security…for all creatures. He would have been proud to see the gang at Cle Elum find both their freedom and their happiness. Monday, June 6th would have been my father’s 80th birthday. In his honor, may the Cle Elum gang know freedom for the rest of their lives.”

Rachel we are so full of gratitude to you for all that you do for the chimpanzees – for providing them with the opportunity to live out their days with the freedom to be, and continue to discover, exactly who they are in each minute of the day. Freedom means different things to different people and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for providing them with a home in which they feel secure enough to be more courageous, joyful, and comfortable in their own skin, expanding far beyond any physical boundaries.

Robert must have been an amazing person and we are so happy to honor him today! All of us here at CSNW are wishing you a day filled with love, joy and comfort as you celebrate the memory of your father.

Annie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie and Dora:

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Jamie:

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Negra:

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Annie and Missy:

Missy Annie running behind

Then and Now

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For lunch today, we set out a forage on Young’s Hill.

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Life is so dramatically different for the Cle Elum Seven these days than it was just eight years ago. Gone are the days of climate-controlled, windowless buildings, hard surfaces, and cramped spaces. Life now is bright green grass, warm sun, gentle breezes, and roses for lunch.

Missy:

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Jamie:

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Negra:

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Annie:

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Foxie:

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Burrito:

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Jody:

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Burrito, All Wrapped Up

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In many ways, Burrito is a typical male chimpanzee. He can be blustery and macho. His loud, boisterous displays often involve him swatting the girls as he charges by them, hair standing on end.

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Still, there is something innocent about him. After living for decades in lab cages with extremely limited contact with others of his species, he has encountered many obstacles on the road to understanding chimp behavior. It seems that he genuinely cannot imagine why the girls would get angry with him when he acts out against them during displays. After hitting someone and inciting their wrath, he has been seen running to that individual for a hug of reassurance – asking for reassurance, not giving it.

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When the other chimps give him submissive greetings, instead of receiving them graciously, he squeezes his eyes shut and looks the other way. Whatever he is feeling in these moments looks a lot like social anxiety.

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Considering how uncomfortable he can sometimes be around the other chimps, it is always inspiring to see him try. And he does try. Joining the others in a grooming session or accompanying Jamie on a perimeter walk will probably always give him a little anxiety, but he is determined to keep pushing his own boundaries.

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Garden anticipation!

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When caregivers so much as glance towards the garden growing outside the walls of the playroom, there is always a chimpanzee or two keeping a watch to make sure they aren’t missing out on something.  Today was no different, as volunteers Denice and Yuri tackled the weeding in the garden beds, I caught several members of the Cle Elum 7 spying from various vantage points.

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My favorite photo of this morning was of Jody peeking around the corner of the raceway to Young’s Hill so she can see just exactly what’s happening to her vegetable patch:
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It’s not really a big surprise to see so many watchful eyes on the garden when it’s already starting to produce!
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To Know Someone

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There are many obvious differences between the chimpanzees’ current lives in sanctuary and their former lives in research labs. We often mention the blue sky, green grass, fresh air, soft blankets, and good food that are regular features of their lives at the sanctuary.

There’s another difference that I think about often: After decades as faceless lab subjects, treated as little more than the ID numbers tattooed on their chests, the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees are finally known as distinct and unique individuals with distinct and unique personalities, quirks, and preferences. And it’s not just those of us who care for the chimps everyday who know them so well; it’s also all of you who follow the blog and have fallen in love. We’re probably biased, but we think these chimps are the best and they deserve an enormous fan club.

Here’s sweet, gentle, nervous, brave, grass-loving, foot-clapping Annie, unknown and unappreciated for so long. Thank you for loving her.

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