Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Enrichment

Snuggling up with blankets: A retrospective

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This post may reflect what I would like to be doing on this cold and damp day…

In any case, below are some photos – some oldish and some newish – of the chimpanzees getting snuggly with blankets. We give out at least 60 blankets a day. Sixty is a somewhat arbitrary number, but it’s based on the amount that we can successfully get washed in a normal day with our current washer. We (and the chimps) like fleece blankets, because they are very comfy and the wash and dry fast and easy.

As you probably know, Negra is never far from a blanket, and she often has one draped over her head and/or shoulders:

negra under red blanket 1

The photo above is on the holiday card available for purchase in our Zazzle merchandise store!

 

Negra blanket covering body

 

Missy sometimes “imitates” Negra’s blanket style, even nesting in Negra’s usual spots:

Missy under blanket

Always the athlete/acrobat, however, Missy incorporates interesting moves when she is nesting. For the full nesting sequence the  photo below was taken from, see this post:

missy headstand in nest

 

Jamie also occasionally sports a blanket over her head when nesting:

Jamie blanket over body

though she often chooses a sheet instead of a blanket for the job:

Jamie under sheet eyes closed

 

Jody is known for her nest making (she also likes straw nests – see this video from 2009 as an example):

Jody nesting

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jody with a blanket over her head, but she still looks darn cozy when she’s curled up in her blanket nest:

Jody sleeping

 

Annie is also a nest builder, and can frequently be found gathering nesting material and moving it to another area:

annie carrying blanket

Once she’s made her nest to her liking, she always strikes me as very satisfied:

Annie nesting

 

Burrito and Foxie are not much into building nests. Though nesting has a strong instinctual component, it seems there is a period of learning involved. Both Burrito and Foxie do mostly what we call “phantom nesting.” Once in a while, Foxie will actively nest with blankets:

Foxie in nest

but more often than not, she has a more passive relationship with all of the blankets we give out:

Foxie on blankets

 

Burrito is also more on the passive side of the spectrum when it comes to nesting, though he does like to snuggle up, particularly when someone else has done the work of making the nest:

Burrito on blanket

 

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Let us not forget, blankets are not just for nesting, but can also be great props when playing too:

Burrito clutching blankets playing

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ghost play

Burrito blanket play

I hope this inspires you to get snuggled up in your own nest tonight, or maybe play a game of ghost with a friend?

Glitter baby!

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Thanks to all of our amazing supporters, Foxie is the lucky recipient of many troll and Dora the Explorer dolls. Without fail, each new “baby” makes her day (and subsequently the humans’ day as well). She recently received this wee glitter troll and as one might imagine, she was particularly enamored with this flashy little guy:

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Shortly after receiving her new friend, I found Foxie in the greenhouse full of joy and laughing all by herself (well, not by herself, she did have the troll tucked in her hip pocket):

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Look at this huge play face!

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And the piece de resistance…notice glitter troll on top of Foxie’s upside-down bum!!

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Good times, in classic Foxie-style.

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On The 4th Day of Thanks

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Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW) could not do what it does without the generous support of such compassionate, caring and generous people. We cannot express enough how much we value and thank all those who are part of this sanctuary family. (Read more in the first, second and third days of giving thanks).

In the spirit of continuing to give thanks, I’d like to take this time to recognize all the folks who have made in-kind donations to benefit the chimpanzees and the sanctuary over the past six and a half years. In-kind donations are the direct donation of needed goods and services. They are vital to providing a safe, healthy and enriching environment for all the primates at CSNW.

Throughout the years, many folks have graciously donated their professional architectural and construction services to help transform the sanctuary into what it is today.

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I also want to give a pant hoot thanks to those who have donated their professional graphic design and videography services and to all of those who have given items and gift certificates for auctions. These donations have been a tremendous help with our fundraising efforts and have helped share the stories of Jamie, Jody, Foxie, Negra, Burrito, Missy and Annie with the rest of the world.

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Of course, the health of the chimpanzees is always top priority. I would also like to offer a huge thank you to those who have most kindly donated their veterinary services and equipment over the years to ensure the health of the Cle Elum 7.

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Fresh fruit and vegetables is also of utmost importance in keeping the chimps healthy (and enriched). I want to be sure to thank those who have regularly gone above and beyond to ensure that the chimps have healthy food to eat each day.

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Jody enjoying a mouthful of fresh cabbage.
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Missy eating a bell pepper.
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Have we mentioned that Burrito LOVES food!
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Another huge thank you goes out to all those who have purchased items from our Amazon Wish List. While many of the items, such as laundry detergent, garbage bags, gloves, soap, stamps, and printer toner may not seem at all “glamorous,” they are essential to the day-to-day operations of the sanctuary. They help us keep our expenses down by providing things we need to operate and they help staff and volunteers do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.

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We also include extra special gifts on our wish list like toys, puzzles, dolls, socks, non-toxic art supplies, brushes, etc., all aimed to enhance and enrich the daily lives of the chimpanzees. We regularly receive enrichment packages from people near and far. Items like kongs and tool sets have provided hours of problem solving for Jamie; while troll and dora dolls have helped Foxie gain confidence over the years.

And then there are the countless donations from those who know how to throw a party to celebrate all the holidays, birthdays or just-because days. What’s a party without festive cups, plates, piñatas or streamers? We also receive numerous donations that follow our enrichment guidelines including cowboy boots, blankets, magazines, paper, etc.

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Annie with pinata

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Sometimes the words “thank you” just don’t seem to capture the immense gratitude we feel for all those who have offered these in-kind donations over the years. Know that your generosity has affected each and every primate (human and non-human) at the sanctuary in such a deep and meaningful way and will continue to transform the lives of Jamie, Jody, Negra, Foxie, Burrito, Missy and Annie. Without each and every single one of you, the sanctuary would not be what it is today.

Chimpanzee Pretzel Play

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We have said it before – and I’ll say it again now – no one, whether human or chimpanzee, can bring out the goofiness in Jamie like Foxie can. This video is a must-see if you need a little boost to your day.

And here’s that chimpanzee pretzel photo:

Jamie and Foxie in a Chimpanzee Pretzel

Kongs for Evening Enrichment

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Another one of our evening enrichment puzzles is putting nuts, peanut butter or mashed up banana into holes in kongs. The chimpanzees use their fingers or a tool (or a combination of both) to get at the tasty treats inside, but sometimes the treats can be pretty tough to get out.

Jamie spent the better part of the morning working on her kong that was left over from the previous evening. Evidently, there was a hazelnut that was trapped inside and she could not free it. She tried using all the tools at her disposal, including her finger, her tongue, the arm of a troll doll, and a short wooden tool. When none of them worked I offered her a hard plastic chop stick to use.

Evening Enrichment

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Each day we put out various enrichment items for the chimpanzees based on some sort of theme like “tea party day” or fort day”. These enrichment items include things like blankets, dora and troll dolls, boots, wooden and plastic toys, containers etc. This way the chimps can choose to use or not use the enrichment items throughout the day.

Each evening, after serving dinner and before turning out the lights, we also give the chimps some sort of puzzle to work on. The evening enrichment is aimed at keeping the chimps (mostly Jamie) occupied. The evening enrichment sometimes includes kongs with a few nuts inside, raisin boards, hanging puzzles, drink buckets.

Last night, we put out drink buckets for the chimps. This involved filling each bucket half full with water and adding in a few slices of tangerines (other nights we may use slices of lemon or lime). We set the buckets outside of the front rooms and playroom and gave each of the chimps a long “straw” to use to get at the flavored water.