Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Enrichment

George, meet George

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Last month, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) held a fun little contest for a sanctuary to win a brand new Looky Lou enrichment mirror and feeder that was generously donated by Wildlife Toybox.

We won the contest because Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest donors are always so generous and caring!

Today, Ellen was George’s caregiver today and she set it up to see how George would react. He was very interested, as you can see from the video she took!

Thanks to NAPSA, Wildlife Toybox, and our donors for enriching George’s life!

Every day, he seems to be coming more and more out of his shell as he relaxes at the sanctuary. It’s a joy to see him get more comfortable and to hear stories from all of the caregivers each day.

Doll Head Screwdriver

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We love when the chimps find comfort or enjoyment in human toys—so long as they’re safe, of course. While all new toys are checked by two staff members to ensure they will withstand the chimps’ strength and destructiveness, everyone once and a while they chimps are able to, um, modify their toys in ways we didn’t anticipate. Let’s just be thankful that the building isn’t held together with doll head screws.

 

Honey B’s Tips & Tricks

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When it comes to a mess, Honey B knows a thing or two. Many of you might know that Honey B doesn’t mind a messy room and would in fact live in her own mess for a while if she had a say in it, and sometimes she does, which is why she is also an expert at cleaning a mess! Last week, one of the enrichment days was soap buckets. This is where we put in the tiniest amount of soap and make a lightly soapy bucket and put out scrub brushes for the chimps. Sometimes the chimps enjoy the enrichment and other times, the chimps wonder why we didn’t fill the buckets with a tasty juice. Honey B took the opportunity to use her soap buckets, whether it was because she just thought it was fun or because she thought we missed a few spots, we can’t know. What we do know is that Honey B was thoroughly enjoying herself, so much so, we later provided her a towel so that she could dry her front room and she was very enthusiastic to be able to continue her cleaning process. Honey B really is one cool chimp.

Click here to watch Honey B’s Tips & Tricks!

Enrichment Wins

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We are always trying to think up new ways to enrich the chimpanzees’ daily lives. Sometimes this is in the form of new toys, or a large number of one beloved item (like the Jolly Balls Krissy got for Burrito for his birthday!), or something as simple as new presentations of existing enrichment (like adding raffia to ice eggs to allow us to hang them and encourage the chimpanzees to explore and utilize their space).

Burrito reaches for watermelon placed on a tree branch.

Oftentimes, we have an idea of who might enjoy new enrichment items the most. Burrito is always a good guess, as he loves to have fun! Last year, we purchased some heavy duty rubber bouncy balls for the chimpanzees. I immediately thought Burrito would enjoy them most. However, someone else surprised me, and has taken the most interest in these new toys. Watch the video to see who it is!

As a bonus, enjoy this photo of Rayne in one of the Wildlife Toy Box sturdy boxes gifted to us by a generous donor last year. This was exactly how I had hoped the box would be used, so I was thrilled to see Rayne relaxing in it!

Partners in Play

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Today’s blog video features some fun scenes from Cy’s side of the building. In the first clip, you’ll see Lucky, Rayne, and Terry enjoying a gentle game of chase that ends with playful tickling. The second clip shows Gordo and Honey B grooming and playing in their room, which we filled with paper as an enrichment activity. We hope the good vibes keep coming with Cy’s group!