Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

dora

Quiet Afternoons

by 5 Comments

Enjoy photos from a quiet Friday afternoon at the Sanctuary!

Lucky monitored her caregivers while we went about our afternoon tasks (including me taking photos for this blog!).

There was a lot of lounging going on elsewhere around the sanctuary…

Dora rests in a playroom.

Annie relaxes in the greenhouse.

Gordo in a signature lounging pose for him!

Later on, Gordo foraged for leftovers from lunch (and scored some leftover coconut, and sweet potato!).

Cy worked on a coconut from lunch.

And Terry spent some quality time grooming with his friend, Caregiver Krissy.

Five Years of the Lucky 6!

by 10 Comments

Today marks 5 years since the Lucky 6 arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Can you believe it? Personally, I can’t imagine this sanctuary without them. One of the biggest joys of working for a sanctuary is watching the chimps flourish in it. From watching Rayne walk out onto the Bray for the first time, like she had done it every day of her life to small things like learning unique traits about each and everyone of them, like Cy finding a love for People magazine or Gordo’s love for boxes & being poked playfully with a spoon by his caregivers. Terry’s gorilla chest thumps to intimidate Jamie’s group, but in reality Terry is gentle by nature and kind-hearted. Dora has a very quiet demeanor, but if you watch closely she can be a social butterfly within her close friends. And for Lucky a friendship is not always given freely, but if you earning it, you have a friend for life.

I think I can speak for everyone at the sanctuary when I say it has been an honor and a privilege to know each and everyone of them.

Favorite Photos

by 9 Comments

Sometimes caregivers go through their phones and realize they have so many pictures that they took and never used for our blog that they end up going to our staff folders and being forgotten. So instead I’m leaving some of my favorite photos from the last week here for you all to enjoy!

Annie and Negra having a relaxing day together in the greenhouse:

Foxie, relaxing in the greenhouse with friends:

Dora, enjoying her cherry tomatoes:

The Gatorade Heist

by 8 Comments

Today was one of those rare quiet and peaceful days where the chimps were all busy doing their own thing. However, I was able to snag a few photos!

Annie ever-so slyly got Negra’s Gatorade bucket that she didn’t finish. Miraculously, Jamie didn’t even get mad once she realized Annie had it. But Burrito and Foxie intensely supervised Annie drinking the bucket of Gatorade. Annie also declined the opportunity to offer or share any.

Missy quickly came to Negra’s side to groom her while nesting.

And Dora had an especially nice morning eating her apples!

Negra enjoying some wild roses and chives on a breezy afternoon.

 

 

Little Dora’s Big Day

by

Today we celebrated Dora’s 37th birthday!

Dora was born at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) on June 6, 1989. Her records say that her mother was Stella and her father was Les. She has many half siblings, including Gordo in her own group, who had the same father, and several chimpanzees at other sanctuaries including Pumpkin at Save the Chimps in Florida.

When LEMSIP closed in 1996, Dora went to Wildlife Waystation along with over 30 other chimpanzees.

When Wildlife Waystation closed in 2019, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest continued our planned expansion to make a home for another group of chimpanzees in need. Dora arrived with the rest of the “Lucky Six” on June 26, 2021.

In celebration of Dora’s birthday today, her group (which includes Dora, Cy, Terry, Rayne, Gordo, Lucky and George) got to enjoy whole mangos for breakfast, as well as Honey B, Willy B and Mave.  What a special treat!

Unfortunately, due to Annie’s allergy, Jamie’s group did not get mangos, but they were pretty happy with their whole strawberries!

There are so many things to love about Dora (just ask Mave!). She is quick to engage her chimp friends in play (and the humans sometimes too!). She is beloved by those who know her (George took a little bit to learn this lesson during intros), which has allowed her the flexibility to move between groups and maintain her friendships as we navigated the separation of Honey B, Willy B, and Mave from Cy’s group. She brings the fun (sometimes with a side of pokey fingers and her signature head bobble) and quirkiness too!

Happy birthday, Dora!