Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Lilac garden party

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It is gorgeous at the sanctuary today, practically sweltering! Well, OK, that may be an exaggeration but it’s definitely the warmest day we’ve seen this year and none of the primates here at CSNW are quite used to the sudden higher temperatures. With gardening season upon us we thought we would have a pre-garden party of sorts, which started with volunteer caregiver, Steph, bringing lilacs for the chimpanzees to enjoy with their breakfast! The entire greenhouse smelled so beautiful!

Missy headed straight for the lilacs even before grabbing her breakfast:

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Her fabulous prehensile lips are perfect for “vacuuming” up the tiny buds:

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Jody in particular really enjoys eating fresh flowers and was peering at Missy in the hopes she would share:

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Missy wasn’t in the mood to share the fragrant treats but Jody found her own to enjoy in the comfort of her nest:

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The garden themed day continued after breakfast when we set up the chimps’ gardening table in the playroom. Debbie filled it with dirt, alfalfa cubes, and flowers, and made sure they had their gardening tools on hand:

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Annie decided to get right to work:

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She spent quite a while working at the table while enjoying the warm breeze by the barn doors:

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And of course, Jamie, wanted to get some gardening in as well and decided to bring the entire garden tray back to her nest to work on:

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Thank you, Steph, for the gorgeous lilacs and for always brightening the chimpanzees’ (and the humans’!) days! As I type this, the chimpanzees are all luxuriating in the heat of the greenhouse, enjoying a taste of the warm months ahead.

Savoring Breakfast

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The sun is simply splendid here in eastern Washington today and I had an urge to celebrate it. Brainstorming ideas, I resolved to put together some of the chimpanzees favorite things for an early morning partial breakfast forage on Young’s Hill. First, JB served fruits and smoothie in the greenhouse, then the chimpanzees foraged for iceberg lettuce and chow on the hill. The thing about spring here is that the weather can be, well, capricious, to say the least, with the trademark of a beautifully sunny day combined with decidedly chilly winds. While the chimpanzees were certainly enthusiastic about their good fortune they elected to enjoy it in the more agreeable, less windy, greenhouse. I can’t say that I blame them and they look pretty content with their haul.

Burrito:
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Missy:
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Negra:
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Annie:
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Foxie:
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Jody:
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There is no photographic evidence of Jamie because she chose to take her share off into the building to enjoy at her leisure without any social pressure. Nevertheless, I am sure she savored it to the fullest extent!

High value item

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Last night we put kong toys out with a couple of almonds in each, and this morning I found one that the chimps had missed hidden inside a tire! So I put it in the food chute in the front rooms when no one was around, thinking someone would find a nice treat later. I assumed that chimp would be Jamie, because she is always aware of her surroundings and would quickly take note of its sudden presence. But, I guessed wrong! Jody found it first and knew how valuable it was so she carried it around with her for a large chunk of the day. She didn’t even set it down to take part in the Young’s Hill forage—she just took it along with her.

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Speaking of high value items, the Hoot! gala auction is coming up in just one week! Be sure to get your tickets now before they run out. You can even preview some of the auction items here to get an idea of what you’d like to bid on.

Lots of love for the chimpanzees!

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As you may have read this morning, thanks to the compassion and generosity of our friend and supporter, Monica Best, today is our fifth annual Love a Chimpanzee Day! So of course, a party was in order! The chimpanzees had a lunch forage with pomegranate juice in fancy cups, cantaloupe, corn, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes and grapes in gift boxes, and whole heads of lettuce (the hit of the party!).

Annie did quite well for herself:

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Missy was a little more elusive and chose to enjoy the celebration from the stairs:

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Burrito was the charmer of the party, as usual:

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Here is he watching his buddy, Foxie, stroll by:

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Foxie continuing her forage:

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And finding a mouthful of cantaloupe:

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And of course the boss of the party, Jamie, made sure to enjoy herself with an armload of lettuce, food grunting the entire time:

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Still food grunting with delight:

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Jamie is serious in pretty much all she does. Even when there’s a party going on. Though she may have slipped into what we endearingly refer to as her “party police” role and suggested the paparazzi leave the event, I can assure you she was pretty happy with the Love a Chimpanzee Day happenings!

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Negra and Jody both grabbed a couple heads of lettuce and made themselves scarce, preferring to celebrate in solitude. But I think it’s safe to say everyone had a great time. Thank you so much, Monica, for loving the chimpanzees and honoring them with such a special day!

5th Annual Love a Chimpanzee Day!

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Five years ago, our long time supporter, Monica Best, lovingly crowned April 23rd as “Love a Chimpanzee Day” and has sponsored this day for the chimpanzees every year since! And given the fact that today also happens to be Monica’s birthday, it’s even more incredible that she would create a special day in honor of the chimpanzees! In keeping with the celebration of some very special beings, Monica shared that she would also like today’s day of sanctuary to be in memory of her grandmother, Dorothy, and our dear friend, Dr. Mel Richardson.

Monica, thank you so much for honoring the chimpanzees in such a special way! May all the love and kindness you share with others come back to you tenfold. And from all of the primates here at CSNW, we wish you the happiest of birthdays! We hope your day is a Negra style celebration of life with a cozy nest to lounge and nap in, and good treats that make you food squeak.

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Happy Earth Day!

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One thing is for sure—the chimpanzees definitely don’t take their environment for granted. Here are some pictures that demonstrate how Missy is enjoying the spring weather these days!

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Fascinating Mouths

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Maybe it’s just me but I find chimpanzee mouths to be pretty captivating. Not only are they particularly expressive but they are also exceptionally useful. Chimpanzees have prehensile lips which Debbie described beautifully in this past blog post. That means that mouths are just as good, if not even better than, hands and fingers for tool use and object manipulation. In fact, it can be downright splendid to watch the chimpanzees use their lips with such precision and finesse whether it’s for exploration, grooming, play, or food related.

Here is Jamie using her mouth and teeth to help her get the trash can open:
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I found Annie’s mouth to be spectacularly expressive in this picture. Here she is the midst of a morning forage, searching for more fruit:
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Negra using her lips to carry as many orange peels as she can find:
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Here is Missy grooming herself by inspecting her own lip:
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Jody carrying off a bowl in her mouth while her hands are otherwise occupied with climbing:
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Foxie enjoying snow from a forage a while back. Maybe this helps to prevent brain freeze?
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And, here is Burrito, ever the charmer, with an invitation to play:
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