

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
by J.B.


by Elizabeth
Although the girls have been spending the majority of the daylight hours playing, grooming, nesting, and resting in the greenhouse since it was completed, Burrito has been much more hesitant to go out. He usually has the indoors to himself during the day while everyone else enjoys the 75 degree weather outside. Even the lure of food hasn’t been enough to tempt him outside for more than a couple of very nervous minutes (and everybody knows how much Burrito loves food!).
He’s making remarkable progress, though. In the last few days, he has begun to come out into the greenhouse for a few minutes at a time (even with no food incentive). This morning, he spent about 20 minutes in the sun grooming Jody and playing with his human friends. I don’t think I can express how happy we all are to see him gaining so much confidence!
by Jackie
What else would Jamie do with a giant roll of paper??
by Jackie
The other day, Jamie got yet another pair of cowboy boots from volunteer Jennifer Douglas. It seems that any pair of cowboy boots will make her day. Notice towards the end of the video how Jody approaches Jamie, seeks reassurance, and once she gets it, she snags one of Jamie’s boots. Excellent chimp work!
by Diana
Another great greenhouse day. The ladies groomed and played out there all day, switching partners frequently.
Negra hanging out in the greenhouse sun:
Missy grooming Negra while Annie groomed Jody nearby:
Missy starting to turn the hand grooming into a little game:
Negra responding by playing back:
Missy sticking both of her feet up for Negra to play bite:
Negra taking a mid-morning nap:
It’s been said before, but each day I am amazed at how the greenhouse has transformed the Cle Elum Seven’s lives. Thank you again to Karen and Don Young and all who made the greenhouse possible!
by Elizabeth
As promised, here is some video of the chimpanzees’ fun and festive party yesterday. Thanks so much to everyone who contributed and made the party possible. You truly made the chimps’ day!
by Diana
I swear that I just now came across the photo below, which we posted Oct. 27th when we replaced the cage door with the window. It must be a sign that we picked the right day to start our anniversary fundraising!! Our ultimate goal is to raise $45,000 and replace three caged windows with chimp-proof glass. It seems that Foxie has known our plan all along…
We’re off to a good start, thanks to Theresa, Gayle, Brandon, Pam and Marc, Jenny, and a pledge from Barbara! Today we raised $475. We need to raise an average of $512 per day to reach our ultimate goal of $45,000 by the chimpanzees’ second year anniversary in sanctuary and Negra’s birthday. Get some ideas on how to help by visiting the Help Us Fundraise page. Thanks everyone!
P.S. Tomorrow – video of the chimpanzees celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!

PO Box 952
Cle Elum, WA 98922
[email protected]
509-699-0728
501c3 registered charity
EIN: 68-0552915
Copyright © 2026 Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. All Rights Reserved. Site by Vegan Web Design