Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

closeups

Five Facts about Negra

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1) Negra is the oldest chimpanzee living at the sanctuary. She was born in 1973 but we aren’t sure of her actual birthday because she was captured in the wild as an infant.

2) Negra’s favorite activities include sleeping in a massive pile of blankets  and watching her caregivers dance for her. Today I practiced some pirouettes in front of her and she encouraged me to keep going by nodding and gesturing from her nest.

3) Despite her curvy figure, she actually can be quite picky with what she likes to eat.  She loves lettuce, peanut butter and primate chow above most everything else.

4. Negra is a chimpanzee that sticks to her routine but can still surprise us from time to time. There’s nothing quite like watching Negra decide to head up to the top of  Young’s Hill in search of edible plants.

5. Negra is an independent and highly respected member of her group. She has rightfully earned her title of “Queen” at CSNW.

Zoomed In and Out

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Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for close up photos of the chimpanzees. There’s something about seeing every little detail of their faces that draws me in, captivates me and has me wanting to know more about them. Close-ups show every little fold of skin, every freckle, every speck of color in their eyes that help tell them apart from one another.

For instance, take a look at Missy. What do you see when you look at these photos?
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As much as I love these close-ups, I also love the zoomed out photos; the ones where I have to take time to find the chimpanzee “hidden” among the bamboo and grass or on the various structures on Young’s Hill. I find that the zoomed out photos also help tell the story of each chimp, their preferences, their abilities and their character, that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to tell from a closeup. I also find these types of photos help to convey just how far they’ve come since finding sanctuary at CSNW.

For example, the following photos show Missy’s ability to tightrope walk with precision balance and her preference to explore the highest of heights that can be found on Young’s Hill. She’s certainly come a long way from the windowless basement where she lived prior to coming to CSNW.

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Of course, these photos and videos wouldn’t be possible without the kindness and generosity of our supporters! Thanks to all of you who have donated time, money, expertise and purchased items off of our Amazon wishlist over the years and most recently for our “Christmas in July” celebration! Your help has literally made all of the difference in the world, helping us to share photos and videos of the Cle Elum Seven with supporters from around the world! And a special thank you goes out to whoever purchased the new computer that now sits in front of me (please let us know who you are since there was no gift receipt with it)!! The new computer will allow us to expand on what we do, plus enable us to make videos of the footage we gather with our new (to us) GoPro cameras.