Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Cy

George Makes a New Friend

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Now that George has completed his quarantine period, become familiar with the greenhouses and playrooms, and explored the two-acre outdoor habitat known as The Bray, it’s time for him to make some new friends! If you are new to the sanctuary, here’s some information that may help explain what you will see in the above video:

  • It can be difficult to integrate chimpanzees social groups because they are naturally hostile or fearful toward strangers and have the capacity for intense aggression
  • That said, sanctuaries and zoos do regularly integrate chimpanzees into groups, though not without challenges
  • We will be following a slow, methodical approach in which George repeatedly meets all of his potential group mates one-on-one over the course of months
  • These initial introductions take place in the smaller Front Rooms so that we can more easily separate them should they get into a serious fight (some fighting is to be expected)
  • Conducting them in the Front Rooms, with thick plastic sheets over the windows, also reduces the influence of the other chimps during these initial meetings
  • Dominance displays are common during introductions, as each chimpanzee tries to demonstrate their strength and agility. These displays actually help chimpanzees avoid fighting by exchanging information about the likely outcome of a physical altercation.
  • Intense play and grooming are also common as chimpanzee get to know each other.
  • We chose to begin with Cy because he has shown himself to be a gentle and caring leader who seeks to protect the underdogs in his group.
  • Though George’s meeting with Cy went well, he will face a lot of challenges over the coming months. Meeting other chimpanzees one-on-one is one thing; being fully integrated into an already established group is another. George will be vulnerable, so establishing good relationships with the others, and especially with Cy, will be critical.

George is really something. Even after living on concrete, he’s exploring his grassy two-acre outdoor enclosure almost without hesitation. And now, after living with only one female for most of his life and living alone since 2023, he’s hitting it off with the alpha male of what may someday be his new group. I know I say this about every chimp I’ve met, but I really admire him. Whether this integration is ultimately successful or not, George is most certainly going to take advantage of his second chance.

Giant Chunk of Frozen Pureed Watermelon

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Pineapple juice pool, floating gatorade ice treats, and a giant chunk of frozen pureed watermelon.  A beautiful late spring, practically summer day.  All of your friends together in a spacious greenhouse, feeling the gentle breeze on your face, admiring the stunning view.

What a perfectly delightful afternoon!

At least it WAS perfect.  Until Rayne tried moving in on MY prized possession, that giant chunk of frozen pureed watermelon.

Sincerely,

Terry

Portraits in Passing

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As we move through our days, we often capture little moments in passing. By the time our lead day comes around and we sit down to make the blog post, we’ve usually gathered so much content that some images end up left behind. Sometimes they don’t quite fit the week’s “theme” and other times, there’s simply too much to include. Today, I wanted to share a few portraits I took today, along with a small collection that’s been sitting on my phone, waiting for their moment.

Cy:

Foxie:

Negra:

Neggie in a nest series:

It’s hard to get portraits of Missy, she is always on the go. However today I was able to catch a moment of her sitting still:

Check out our Wish List, it’s one of the easiest and most impactful ways to help. We’ve just added a bunch of items, and every contribution goes a long way in enriching the lives of our residents!

Quality Time with Mave and Dora

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One of the best parts about this job is watching the chimps spend quality time with each other. A few days ago, I was walking past Dora and Mave grooming and they barely noticed I was filming because they were so engrossed with each other. Watching interactions like this is always a reminder to slow down and savor the time we have with the ones we care about. Click here to watch Mave and Dora groom!

It’s Wednesday so obviously there are bonus photos!

Cy:

Terry:

I wanted to share some photos of Jo, because I am always thinking about her, but especially today. She is always and forever in our hearts.

 

Good Morning Cardio

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Over the course of the years, you may have seen some of the videos posted by other caregivers of them greeting the chimpanzees in the morning. Most of those videos include head nodding, breathy panting, kisses, grooming, etc. Nice slow and calm morning greeting one could expect. But not all caregivers are greeted in the morning the same way. My mornings usually consist of some kind of cardio activity.

Note: The video has been sped up as to not allow the video to stay in it’s nearly 20 minute length it was. I was going to add some music to accompany the video, but I think it’s better with the pitter patters and chimpmunk (see what I did there) voices. And if you’re looking at the time stamps of the footage, the time stamps are different by an hour. This is because there are two security camera systems. From time to time they have to be calibrated so the times can sync up. It was when find this footage I realize I had forgotten to calibrate them after Daylight Savings Time. (They’re sync’d now.)

 

Spring Rocks!

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Today we celebrated spring with the chimpanzees by having a party filled with novel items and foods they love. One of these novel items was a cardboard cutout of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which we hoped Cy would enjoy as he is a fan of bald men (remember his love of Stanley Tucci?!). Well, there were mixed reviews. Today’s blog video is all about the ups and downs of “meeting” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson! We will share more about the rest of the party later, as there is simply too much good stuff to cover all in one day!