Some might say that it’s undignified for those in their golden years to be so silly, but the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees don’t think so. (And neither do we.)
Cle Elum Seven
Boot related activities
Jamie’s boot interests are not restricted to just holding them or having her caregivers wear them for her. She also likes objects that look like boots and the idea of boots. Every night before we close up the chimp house, Jamie requires that caregivers find her current favorite pair of boots and then drop them in a food chute so she can incorporate them into her night nest. Last night was a little bit different though. Instead of gesturing in the direction of her boot collection, she wandered over to the newly decorated Christmas tree (we will give the tree to the chimps on Christmas day) and gestured emphatically. She insisted I remove several of the resin cowboy boot ornaments and give them to her. This morning as we were cleaning, I found them woven into her blankets up in the playroom loft.
If you read yesterday’s blog, you will know that we gave the chimps a little preview of Christmas, including a few of their gifts. One gift we included was a Cowboy Boot book for Jamie. Today she spent a lot of time thoroughly examining its contents and carrying it from one nest to another for safe keeping.
Brisk Mornings
Today was a beautiful brisk December morning, Jamie and I were on our usual perimeter walk. At the end of our walk I noticed Missy and Negra enjoying the warm sunshine beaming on Young’s Hill. Negra sat on a log watching Missy eat the little bit of snow left on the log, Negra then also took part in eating some snow! The Hill was pretty popular today even with the chill this morning, everyone made an appearance at one point. A little later, after I went back to the Playroom to help clean, I spotted Annie playing with the new mirror in the Greenhouse. Annie was being silly and flipping upside down and inspecting all the windows. Missy revealed herself from the cargo net near Annie, which made sense, Annie was trying to get Missy to play! It worked, they quietly played in the cargo net and I sneaked away so they could play in peace.
Negra:
Missy eating snow:
Negra on the log & Missy eating snow:
Negra:
Negra enjoying some snow:
Annie looking into the mirror:
Annie:
Annie checking the window frames:
Missy taking a turn playing with the mirror (can you see her toes?):
Building Trust
Out of all the humans who work and volunteer at the sanctuary, only a handful have any sort of physical contact with the chimpanzees. Those who do must go through months of safety training first. Chimpanzees are incredibly strong and unpredictable, so we take these safety rules very seriously. Even the chimps’ wonderful local vet, Dr. Erin Zamzow, never touches the chimps unless they are sedated for a medical procedure. (Did I mention that we take our safety rules seriously?)
Dr. Erin has been assisting the sanctuary for years, and has been an integral part of several procedures, but still the chimps primarily know her as the doctor who comes around when something scary happens. So in an effort to demystify her a little, she’s been spending more time at the sanctuary – we want her to be a familiar, non-threatening presence in the chimps’ lives. She is currently going through caregiver training; when she’s done, she’ll be able to serve meals to the chimps, play chase and tug of war, groom, and give back rubs. She’ll be a trusted friend.
Giving Thanks
Today we’re thankful for love, family, and food grunts.
On today’s menu:
Field Roast with gravy
baked apples
green beans
cranberry sauce
sweet rolls
baked potatoes
roasted chestnuts
sparkling apple cider
We hope you and your family enjoy your festivities as much as the Cle Elum Seven enjoyed theirs. Happy Thanksgiving!
Personal Quirks
Burrito is a man of many charms.
Chimpanzee Time
Last Sunday we all changed the clocks back an hour, but the chimps have no use for telling the time (other than when their stomachs tell them it’s time to eat). Rather than changing the chimps’ schedule and routine, the humans change their own work schedule. During the winter months we start work an hour earlier and in the spring we start an hour later. This way the chimpanzees get to remain blissfully unaware of springing forward or falling back.
Jamie’s nesting schedule remains the same: whenever she feels like it!
