csnw

New heights to scale

May 27, 2015 by Katelyn

Construction began this week on the chimpanzees new climbing structures on Young’s Hill and they are amazing! You may recall our Share the Chimp Love fundraiser last February, in which we asked you to help us meet our goal of raising $12,000 to go toward the direct care of the chimpanzees, as well as keeping our savings on track to meet our future goals. Thanks to your incredible generosity in helping us not only reach, but surpass (!), our goal, we were also able to meet our goal of building a new structure for the chimpanzees on Young’s Hill.

The sanctuary’s founder, Keith LaChappelle, has been here all week working with J.B. and he brought reinforcements. Long time friend of the chimps, Nick (who travels from out of state each year just to volunteer his time with projects for the chimps), has also been here, along with Josh, John, Bill, and Marc. These guys have been working tirelessly in the heat to get things ready for the chimpanzees to enjoy as soon as possible.

The structure, situated at the very top of Young’s Hill, is the highest yet and comprised of two climbing towers which are connected by an amazing swinging bridge. From the chimp’s view in the greenhouse, this is the left side of the structure:

Here’s the right side:

And the entire structure:

And thanks to the generosity of Provitro Biosciences, we have been gifted with even more beautiful bamboo to add to the chimpanzees outdoor enclosure. Here’s J.B. bringing some in:

I’m not sure who is more excited, the chimpanzees, or the humans in anticipation of seeing the chimpanzees check things out. If all goes as planned, everything should be complete tomorrow and ready for chimpanzee inspection after that. Such an amazing way to end the week as we are all looking forward to our annual gala, Hoot!, this weekend.

The kindness, compassion and love you consistently show the chimpanzees often overwhelms us. We are immensely grateful to you to be in the position to continually improve the chimpanzees’ home and lives with each passing season. To be able to ensure their well being not only in the present, but also in the future, is something we could never fully express our gratitude for. And none of this would be possible without you.

The chimpanzees have spent the day relaxing in the hot greenhouse, keeping a close eye on the activity on the hill. Here are a few photos I caught of Foxie and troll, resting up for their new adventures ahead:

As part of our Share the Love fundraiser, two wonderful and generous families won the naming rights to the chimps’ new structure and they will each be naming the two towers. We will be holding a naming ceremony in the coming weeks and can’t wait to share it with you so stay tuned!

Seconds, Thirds and Fourths…

May 24, 2015 by Keri

We put out a lunch forage on Young’s Hill this afternoon and everyone but Negra went outside right away to gather their favorite foods. Some of the chimps made their way back to the Greenhouse to enjoy their tasty morsels out of the wind, while others stayed out eating and foraging along the way. After they had their fill, most of the chimps stayed in the Greenhouse and either napped or groomed one another.

I went out a few times to check on them throughout the afternoon and each time one or more of the chimps was back out on the hill, foraging for the pieces they didn’t find earlier. I love lunch forages because they last all afternoon.

If you were given a choice between raw carrots, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, onions, brussel sprouts, mixed peppers or mushrooms, which would you choose?

Annie seemed to really like the combination of carrots, sweet potatoes and primate chow (by the mouthful).

Missy bypassed the veggies and harvested some fresh green plants to eat on her second outing.

And on what may have been Missy’s fourth trip out onto the hill to look for left overs, she came back to the Greenhouse with a handful of raw mushrooms.

Negra did eventually brave the wind and spent time eating primate chow and grass before returning to the Greenhouse.

Handsome Mr. B

May 22, 2015 by Debbie

I went out to the greenhouse this afternoon to snap a few photos of the chimpanzees—most of whom were lounging in hard-to-see spots, so I was out of luck. However, front and center was Mr. Burrito, looking handsome as ever.

Today is for Denise and Denis

May 21, 2015 by Katelyn

Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Denise Hathaway-Larsen in honor of her and her brother, Denis’, birthday. Denise shared this touching message about today:

“This is my and my twin brother’s 59th birthday. My twin brother passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2007. My family had the honor of visiting CSNW last summer. We have followed the chimpanzees there for several years and adore them AND their caregivers.”

Denise, it means so much that you would think of giving the chimpanzees a special day as a way to celebrate your and Denis’ lives. We are so sorry for your loss and hope you find much comfort and joy in remembering your brother and your lives together today. Happy Birthday from all of us here at CSNW!

Good friends, Burrito and Foxie:

It’s a jungle out there

May 19, 2015 by Debbie

Okay, so, not quite a jungle—but the grass is very tall on Young’s Hill and the weeds are at the perfect stage for chimp snacking! Everyone has been on the hill a lot today, Negra was even out there on her own for awhile!

Even after nearly seven years in sanctuary, we still see the chimpanzees growing and truly coming into their own. I find that no matter how many times we see the chimps on the hill, it will never, ever get old. It’s still so awesome to see them outside, in their element foraging for tasty snacks, and sometimes even venturing to a point where we can’t see them!

It’s moments like those that make us reflect on how incredible sanctuary is and how much you all have really changed the lives of the Cle Elum Seven. Young’s Hill would not have been possible without generous gifts from supporters such as yourselves, and the exciting new projects we have in mind would never be able to get off the ground if it weren’t for our remarkable CSNW family. Words could really never say how much your support means to us, or to the chimpanzees, but maybe a few pictures can.

Jody in the grass jungle:

Negra, all on her own munching on some grass and weeds:

We are gearing up for our HOOT! gala in a couple weeks—the biggest fundraiser of the year, where folks can help sustain the sanctuary and support more indescribable moments like Jody getting lost in the grass jungle, and Negra hanging out on the hill all on her own for some delicious dandelion greens.

This year, I have been helping get all the auction items organized and ready for the big night. I’m astounded by all the wonderful items that have been donated! We have a preview site available, so check that out and decide now what you plan to bid on!

Join us May 30th for a fun night and learn more about the last seven years of moments!

Making the perfect tool

May 16, 2015 by Debbie

After breakfast Jamie set out onto Young’s Hill with purpose in her step.

We watched as she very methodically selected a bamboo shoot and headed back into the greenhouse.

As it turns out, she had unsuccessfully attempted to get some peanuts outside the caging using a toy rake. The handle was just slightly too big to reach out to the peanuts.

The bamboo stick was a little too cumbersome, so Jamie needed to tweak it a bit. First she broke it in half, and then she removed some of the branches.

Now that she designed the perfect tool, she could reach the peanuts!

Success.

Waiting for the rain to stop

May 13, 2015 by Katelyn

As is happening in many parts of the world, we’re have already been experiencing a dry start to the season. The past couple of days have brought much needed rain to the area and while the humans are thrilled, the chimp house has been particularly quiet today. In between rain showers, several of the chimpanzees have enjoyed quick jaunts around Young’s Hill while trying to avoid the tall, lush (but very wet) grass. They’ve been up for one lap at a time and then quickly return to the chimp house and tuck away in corners for a nap.

Missy has spent much of her time at the top of the greenhouse, her little runner’s legs stretched out before her, as she watched the rain fall over Young’s Hill from the comfort of her nest.