Cle Elum 7

Mr. Charming

July 8, 2014 by Debbie

I think it is widely known that Burrito is quite the charmer, as you can see in these photos below:

He seems to lack some grace while dismounting the treat rock, but that just adds to his charm:

Yesterday someone asked whether the chimpanzees like to use water to cool off. The answer, as it often is, is both yes and no. Yes, the chimpanzees do enjoy water, quite a lot in fact! But, no, they don’t really jump in the pool to cool off. Rather than hanging out in water they prefer to use water to cool off in other ways. For example, bottled water can be a fun treat, drinks from the hose are a daily favorite, and ice cubes are a rarer treat but greatly appreciated nevertheless. Water can also be useful, for cleaning faces, or cleaning other things.

Today’s weather forecast called for heat in the ninties with little wind and a lot of humidity. Thanks in part to yesterday’s question I considered filling things up with water to be a great enrichment idea for the day. The chimpanzees appeared to appreciate it as well!

Negra:

Missy:

Jody:

Jamie:

Foxie:

Burrito, however, chose to get his water from the spigot instead!

Nesting, Napping, and Sharing

July 6, 2014 by Lisa

Today is hot, hot, hot here in Central Washington and the chimpanzees are making the most of the day by relaxing in style. Each chimpanzee has been resting and nesting according to his or her personal preference.

Jamie enjoying the cool, shaded front rooms and, of course, a boot or two:

Negra relaxing in one of her favorite playroom hangouts, the catwalk with a view of the valley:

Jody resting comfortably beside the open barn doors of the playroom with a view to the garden:

Burrito lying on his back in the warmth of the greenhouse:

Foxie lying on her side, also in the greenhouse:

Missy took quite a while to construct the absolute perfect nest for herself in the greenhouse:

And almost immediately upon completion of it, promptly ran off onto Young’s Hill. So, while Missy was off on an adventure, Annie took full advantage of her friend’s skilled nest building.

I Spy

July 1, 2014 by Debbie

Lisa got some pictures of Burrito spying on her from the greenhouse into where she was standing in the front room area, and again from behind the ladder in the greenhouse. It amazes me how anyone could be quite so charming just by shyly spying on you.

Jamie – Keeping it Interesting

June 30, 2014 by Lisa

If there is one thing that we have written about more frequently than anything else I think it must be Jamie’s multifaceted personality. Jamie is the boss but she’s also good friend. She takes things seriously but she can also be quite silly when the mood strikes. Sometimes she shares her things and other times she’ll take what she wants from others. She’s a complicated individual. She likes boots, enrichment projects that challenge the mind, and doing things her own way.

Being friends with Jamie Chimpanzee is an intense ride but there is never a dull moment. Jamie keeps everyone on their toes and keeps life at the sanctuary stimulating. I simply can’t imagine the diamond of her mind trapped in the confines of her previous environment and I take every chance I get to provide her with a project. Yesterday that meant that I found more challenging places to hide the playroom lettuce forage. I filled the square building blocks you see in the pictures with lettuce, closed them up tight, and hid them in the playroom. Rather than foraging for the lettuce easily available on the ground Jamie made a beeline for the greater challenge of the blocks.

Today we gave her cleaning supplies so that she could participate in her version of the front room cleaning. I was pleased to see her complete that task with vigor. Although I was unable to get a picture of Jamie cleaning up after us today you can watch video of Jamie’s cleaning style here.

But it’s not always necessary to be on the move with Jamie. Sometimes she appreciates quiet down time with friends too! Grooming is a great social outlet for chimpanzees and, on occasion, the chimpanzees will ask to be groomed by their human caregivers. We are, of course, always happy to oblige a grooming request.

Serenity

June 29, 2014 by Elizabeth

Annie has come a long way since arriving at the sanctuary six years ago. Early on, Annie was nervous and on edge almost all of the time. She lacked confidence and didn’t interact much with the other chimpanzees (except for BFF Missy, of course) or with her caregivers. Fast forward six years and we have a totally different Annie on our hands. She is secure, social, and happy. Even so, being at the bottom of the dominance hierarchy is a stressful situation for anyone, and Annie still has moments of anxiety. So it’s always a pleasure to see her completely relaxed and content, as she was this morning at breakfast.