Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cle Elum

Burrito, All Wrapped Up

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In many ways, Burrito is a typical male chimpanzee. He can be blustery and macho. His loud, boisterous displays often involve him swatting the girls as he charges by them, hair standing on end.

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Still, there is something innocent about him. After living for decades in lab cages with extremely limited contact with others of his species, he has encountered many obstacles on the road to understanding chimp behavior. It seems that he genuinely cannot imagine why the girls would get angry with him when he acts out against them during displays. After hitting someone and inciting their wrath, he has been seen running to that individual for a hug of reassurance – asking for reassurance, not giving it.

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When the other chimps give him submissive greetings, instead of receiving them graciously, he squeezes his eyes shut and looks the other way. Whatever he is feeling in these moments looks a lot like social anxiety.

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Considering how uncomfortable he can sometimes be around the other chimps, it is always inspiring to see him try. And he does try. Joining the others in a grooming session or accompanying Jamie on a perimeter walk will probably always give him a little anxiety, but he is determined to keep pushing his own boundaries.

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To Know Someone

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There are many obvious differences between the chimpanzees’ current lives in sanctuary and their former lives in research labs. We often mention the blue sky, green grass, fresh air, soft blankets, and good food that are regular features of their lives at the sanctuary.

There’s another difference that I think about often: After decades as faceless lab subjects, treated as little more than the ID numbers tattooed on their chests, the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees are finally known as distinct and unique individuals with distinct and unique personalities, quirks, and preferences. And it’s not just those of us who care for the chimps everyday who know them so well; it’s also all of you who follow the blog and have fallen in love. We’re probably biased, but we think these chimps are the best and they deserve an enormous fan club.

Here’s sweet, gentle, nervous, brave, grass-loving, foot-clapping Annie, unknown and unappreciated for so long. Thank you for loving her.

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Curiously Sweet

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Annie has changed in many ways since arriving at the sanctuary eight years ago. As the chimpanzee who occupies the lowest position in the hierarchy, Annie has plenty of reasons to be cautious. When she first moved here from the lab, she was anxious, shy, and prone to panic attacks. Nowadays, we see a much more confident and outgoing Annie.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is that Annie remains possibly the sweetest chimp you’ll ever meet. Chimpanzees are not known for being gentle. Any chimp caregiver will tell you that they’ve been poked, spit on, or worse by the chimps they take care of countless times. That’s all normal chimp behavior – particularly among captive chimps who have limited power over their environment – and we see those behaviors every day from the Cle Elum Seven. All except for Annie, that is, who doesn’t seem to have an aggressive bone in her body.

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The Two Sides of Burrito

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Burrito is not the most popular guy on the block. That may shock those of you who are human beings, because humans are completely unable to resist his many charms. But if you were a chimpanzee living with Burrito, he’d probably be a thorn in your side.

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Burrito is a unique (and completely endearing, says this human) mix of macho and vulnerable. At times, he is a whirling dervish, composed entirely of testosterone and muscle. In the next moment, he is all confused little boy, cowering in a corner while the ladies put him back in his place. As a male chimpanzee who grew up in an unnatural and impoverished environment, he is a slave to instinct but lacks finesse. He is the teenage boy who does something incredibly misguided, and when asked why, cannot provide an explanation. He is more action than thought.

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But most of the time, Burrito is like a puppy. He is affectionate and goofy and a little needy. He just wants love and attention and praise and food and someone to play with. Because he’s slightly intimidated by the other chimpanzees, he usually turns to his human friends to fulfill these needs. It is a burden that we take on because someone must, but it is rough. So rough.

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