Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum Seven

Celebrating Margaret and Karen

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Yesterday, longtime friends of the Cle Elum Seven Margaret and Karen got married in Seattle. Margaret and Karen are truly beloved by anyone who meets them. They are bright and warm and kind. They have possibly the biggest hearts of anyone you’ll ever meet.

We wanted to celebrate their joy, so today we put out the happiest, most colorful enrichment we could find. The chimpanzees spent quite some time taking inventory.

Foxie:

Annie:

Jamie:

Appropriately enough, the weather at the sanctuary is gorgeous and sunny today and the chimpanzees have been feeling pretty carefree. Annie and Missy enjoyed a lazy game of chase in the greenhouse this afternoon.

We’re so happy for you, Margaret and Karen. Lots of love from CSNW!

Back scratching

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It’s snowing right now at the sanctuary, but this morning the sun was out for a bit and five of the chimps were hanging out on Young’s Hill. JB got some photos of Burrito giving himself a back massage on top of the platform:

Getting comfortable

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I love to watch Jody nest. It’s such a science to get the blankets just right so that you feel safe and comfortable in your bed – and Jody is a master at getting comfortable!

Hopefully you have heard about our Team Chimp Fundraiser, but if not check out this link. Team Jody is in last place! Give her some love and join her team!

Cute Burrito

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The other day I caught Burrito sitting by himself in the greenhouse with a pasta spoon in his mouth. He was just casually hanging out, minding his own business, and I snapped this photo:

Then he caught me taking pictures, and started being ridiculously cute:

The simple things

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We try to use this blog to share meaningful stories about the Cle Elum Seven — what they went through during their time in laboratories or how they’re experiencing sanctuary — or to talk about some interesting aspect of chimpanzee behavior. But sometimes I’m just so astounded that we get to look at these faces every day that I have to share.

Here’s Foxie enjoying the last good bits of a pomegranate peel from this morning’s breakfast.

Playful spirits

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No two souls can cheer me up quite like Annie and Missy. A couple of weeks ago, the BFFs were chasing each other around the hill, taking turns being the chaser and the chasee.

First Annie chased Missy

but she started to gain on her

as Annie passed, Missy playfully bit her shoulder

Then they played a little bit of peak-a-boo through the lexan panels of the cabin

Negra loves pumpkin

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Yesterday was volunteer Katelyn’s birthday and she decided to dedicate her day to spending time with the chimps. Being the amazing person that she is, she, instead of throwing a party for herself, threw a party for her seven chimp friends. She decided to pick up some mini pumpkins and fill them with all kinds of delicious fruits and veggies. They looked amazing!

We scattered the pumpkins both in the greenhouse and on Young’s Hill. Negra has learned a funny little trick when we do that – while everyone else is busy foraging on the hill, she collects all that she can in the greenhouse and basically gets her own forage. While she did go out on the hill a few times, she made the best profit with what was in the comfy greenhouse. But even the greenhouse was a little too chilly for Negra. She went around collecting as many as she could and made a stash in the front rooms. She would carry the pumpkin bowls in her mouth into the room, carefully set it down on the bench, and then head out for another. Smart lady!

Here she is in the front rooms with what is left of her stash:

After things settled down a bit, she was spotted sitting next to an empty pumpkin bowl, rubbing her tummy a bit, and then picking it up and diving in for more. She loves her pumpkin! Thanks so much, Katelyn!