I once learned in a primate behavior class that adult chimps don’t tend to play much unless they’re playing with juveniles. Clearly, nobody gave the Cle Elum Seven the news. These are a few of my favorite play videos:
Cle Elum 7
A Walk in the Snow
The chimpanzees have been making the most of the paths we made through the snow this weekend. As soon as the door to Young’s Hill was opened this morning, Foxie, Annie, Missy, and Jody set out to explore.
Icicles
The chimpanzees continue to enjoy the spoils of winter.
A Dietary Staple
There’s one item that’s part of any self-respecting Pacific Northwest chimpanzee’s diet.
Morning Exercise
When Anna opened the door to Young’s Hill this morning, the chimpanzees couldn’t get out there fast enough. It’s a crisp, sunny morning – the perfect weather for exploring outside with your friends.
Foxie, Annie (kissing Foxie’s hand), and Missy:
Negra, who usually prefers the warmth of her nest, got out and found a little snow to eat:
Annie soaked up the sun:
Missy:
Jody took in the view from her favorite spot:
Foxie’s priority was to lick as much frost as she could get her tongue on:
Burrito:
Jamie (with Annie in foreground):
Happy Birthday, Jaclyn!
From the lovely heart of Jaclyn Sinclair:
“In honor of all the Schipperkes which my husband and I have rescued over the years. For my birthday this year, I am sponsoring a day of sanctuary in the hopes that the Cle Elum 7 will live as long and as joyful a life as I have had, and that the expansion will soon benefit more chimps still confined to laboratories.”
Thank you so much for sharing your heart and special day with the chimpanzees, Jaclyn! All of us here wish you the most beautiful of days! Happy Birthday!
Beautiful, beloved, Annie:
Behind the Scenes
Morning is the busiest time at the sanctuary. Here’s a photo tour of the first few hours of the day today.
Coming up the driveway to the sanctuary, you can see (L-R) the trailer that houses our mobile medical clinic (which will soon be replaced with a stationary medical clinic in the new expansion), the enrichment shed for storing extra toys and blankets for the chimps, the gate to the chimp house, and the barn, which is now used to store hay and straw for the cattle. Young’s Hill, the chimps’ two-acre outdoor habitat, is out of frame to the far left.
For the chimps’ safety and privacy, the sanctuary is not open to the public.
Today staff member Anna is Lead Caregiver.
The first order of the day is to greet the chimps and work through a brief morning checklist. (That’s Annie in the background.)
Meanwhile, volunteer Linda starts preparing breakfast.
This is usually how we find Negra first thing in the morning: huddled in a pile of blankets in her favorite spot on the playroom catwalk.
And this is usually how we find Burrito: working up into his morning display.
Anna checks the day’s enrichment for safety before it’s given to the chimps.
Anna and intern Rose check some doors and locks in preparation for entering the greenhouse for cleaning:
Linda, Rose, and intern Sofia start in the greenhouse…
…while Anna brings out a basket of clean enrichment and blankets.
These guys are the true MVPs of the sanctuary. They run every hour of the day.
When greenhouse cleaning is done, Anna gives the chimps access to the greenhouse, and Linda starts serving breakfast in the front rooms while Anna closes off the playroom for cleaning.
Burrito and Annie (if you look closely you can see a tiny Jody behind them in the greenhouse):
After some more door and lock checks, it’s time to clean the playroom.
Enrichment gets a thorough cleaning, too.
While Linda, Rose, and Sofia get started in there, Anna starts the trek up the hill for her Young’s Hill perimeter check…
…and back down the other side.
Once she determines that the hill is secure, she unlocks and opens the door.
Missy, Foxie, and Annie can’t wait to get out and explore a little.
Some chimps preferred to remain in the warm front rooms.
After playroom cleaning, Anna double-checks some locks…
…and then gives the chimps access to the playroom and closes off the front rooms for cleaning.
Jamie found a new book on predators that she was captivated by.
In the kitchen, the volunteers start preparing tonight’s evening enrichment (peanut butter pinecones) and lunch.
After some checks to make sure the front rooms are chimp-free, Anna unlocks them for the next round of cleaning…
