fall

Fall is the Best Season

October 14, 2024 by J.B.

According to personal experience, the internet, the faculties of reason and good judgment, and nearly every facet of observable and measurable reality, fall is the best season—pumpkin spice notwithstanding. Sure, I enjoy the green shoots of spring, the long days of summer, and the fact that pushing snow around with a big tractor is considered part of my “work,” but let’s not kid ourselves: We should all want 68-degree days and colorful leaves forever. And I think the chimps will back me up on this, judging by how much time they’ve been spending outside lately (the cows, on the other hand, may place a bit more emphasis on those green shoots).

Speaking of cows, the girls came down the mountain yesterday so that they can sleep in their barn once again. The facilitated ankylosis treatments that Meredith underwent last winter and spring have proven to be worth it, as her crippling hobble has been downgraded to a slight limp and she’s been deemed fit for traversing steep slopes once again, when conditions allow. It’s amazing to see her run after so long, though I have to admit I was holding my breath and praying that those little ankles would continue to support our 3/4-ton girl downhill at stride.

I spent a wonderful 30 minutes this afternoon just watching Honey B explore the Bray. I’m trying to get her to follow me to the very top of the hill, but we’re not quite there yet. She seems to prefer going outside without her group mates and I hope that will change soon. There’s just so much for her to enjoy out there. And this is the best time of year to enjoy it.

7 years bad luck

January 4, 2024 by Anna

Let me begin this story by telling you that today is my birthday… This is not a plea for birthday wishes, but rather an ironic cherry on top of this latest chimp house caper… More on that later.

Today, Jamie and her group received a roll of paper. This is a standard enrichment item that they receive regularly. What wasn’t standard about today, was Jamie’s mischief she decided to create with the cardboard tube at the center of the roll of paper. Unbeknownst to her caregivers, Jamie spent her morning using the cardboard tube as a a tool to knock down a very breakable mirror that we have had mounted on the outside of the caging (for many years!). We use this mirror to spy into the loft of the playroom so we can see who’s up there from our vantage point on the ground. Today though, Jamie decided it had to go.

To truly tell this story, we had to watch Jamie’s antics back on our security camera footage. Unfortunately, the video quality wasn’t great so to really appreciate today’s blog, you’ll have to use some imagination. After finding her ready to use tool, Jamie spent about a half an hour working on Project: Destroy Mirror. She tried multiple angles and methods until she successfully sent the mirror crashing down to its demise.

After hearing the crash of something shattering into a million tiny pieces, I naturally responded to the incident with a broom and worked on making sure the glass pieces were safely out of chimpanzee reach… Only to be greeted by Jamie and a handful of feces flung at my head. How dare I move her sharp glass, she had worked so hard on that! Volunteer Dusty and I spent an extra hour diligently cleaning up my happy birthday mess, artfully gifted to me by my creative chimpanzee boss/overlord.

Thanks James.

Speaking of birthdays, Burrito’s big day is coming up. As Kelsi announced yesterday, in celebration of Burrito’s 41st birthday we will be having a photo contest to have our followers pick their favorite photo(s) of Burrito, we will then be selling the photo with the most votes. We will post the contest every day on the blog, so you can vote once per day and you are welcome to vote for more than one photo! The contest ends on January 8th at 6:00 p.m. PT.

Golden Grass

October 6, 2018 by Diana

This morning was stunningly beautiful.

The fall grass touched with fresh dew seemed to be a source of light unto itself. With the angle of the morning sun and the glowing grass, the chimpanzees also seemed to emanate sunshine.

Annie:

Jody, as per usual, was acting as the sentry and crossing guard:

Jody was VERY excited to see Negra coming out to join the group:

Here is Jody greeting Negra. You can see her excitement in her pilo hair:

Negra climbed up to the first climbing structure, with Jody in tow:

Here they enjoyed the sights:

A little while later, Negra meandered back to the greenhouse, looking simply gorgeous against the backdrop of the golden grass:

A Welcome Change

September 21, 2018 by J.B.

The sanctuary is located on the site of an old homestead. While the original house is long gone, many of the barns and outbuildings remain, as does the orchard. These trees produce Rainier, Bing, and pie cherries, as well as apples, Italian plums, and enough pears to feed a hundred chimpanzees. At one time there was actually a railroad stop here in the canyon, and the extra fruit from this orchard would likely have been sold in a bustling farmer’s market. There was even a saloon and dance hall in what is now our lower pasture, shown on an early 20th century map as being nestled between a barn and a chicken shed.

These days the orchard is the domain of our dogs, Wilson and Abbey, but they are kind enough to let the staff and volunteers go in and pick fruit for the chimps from time to time.

Yesterday we picked pears and plums from the old trees, and the chimps had them for breakfast this morning. They were a huge hit. Luckily there are a few hundred more pounds where that came from.

The onset of fall is a welcome change around here. In addition to the orchard’s harvest, it also brings relief from the intense heat and relentless sun of Central Washington summers. The chimps choose where to spend their time, and during the summer much of their time is spent indoors. Now we are more likely to find them relaxing on the play structures, walking through the tall grass, and otherwise enjoying the space and relative freedom of Young’s Hill, their two-acre enclosure.

You could argue that Jamie gets the most out of Young’s Hill, the way she patrols its boundaries throughout the day. But no one exploits every swing, structure, and tight rope like Missy. Now that fall is upon us, I expect to see a lot more of her outdoor antics. If only we could resurrect that old dance hall for her; I think she’d fit right in.

The Waning Days of Summer

September 15, 2017 by J.B.

We’ve reached the time of year where the days are still warm but the mornings are cold enough to remind you that summer’s days are numbered. When I arrived at the chimp house this morning I had trouble finding Negra. After calling her name a few times, she poked her head out of this mountain of blankets in the Greenhouse just long enough to greet me with a few soft grunts.

Before long, a breeze had cleared out the wildfire smoke that had settled overnight and things began to warm up. Jody and the gang took to the hill to enjoy some sunshine.

The chimps had a surprise treat at lunchtime. Volunteer Patti brought watermelon and Field Roast veggie dogs so that the chimps and their caregivers could have an End of Summer party.

Foxie was still on the hill with Jody when lunch was brought out. When she came back and saw what was on the tray, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Without context, the behaviors and body language of fear and excitement can be difficult to distinguish in chimpanzees. Foxie grimaced, baring all of her teeth, and sought reassurance from the other chimps and her caregivers. When chimpanzees are overwhelmed with emotion, good or bad, they seek comfort in their friends.

It was also Patti’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Patti!). We wholeheartedly endorse this idea of bring food to us on your birthday, Patti, and hope that it is the beginning of a new trend wherein anyone who has a birthday brings us lunch.

Even party lunches have to end with bags of primate chow, lest we upset The Queen. By lunch, Negra had shed all of her blankets except for the bare minimum needed to maintain a sense of comfort and security.

Chimps nibble on certain foods, while other foods are almost always stuffed into their mouths as though they are trying to set a Guinness record. Primate chow makes excellent wadge material and the chimps often chew it into a thick paste and spit it back into their hand periodically to admire their handiwork. Missy has additional reasons for stuffing her face with chow – it’s much harder for Negra to steal pieces out of her mouth than it would be if they were still in the bag…

Normally the humans around here lament the end of summer but this year feels different. It’s been hot and dry and smokey for too long. We’re looking forward to some gray, rainy days and the opportunity to throw on an extra blanket or two.

Fall mornings

October 21, 2016 by J.B.

The chimps love these cool fall mornings. As soon as we’re done serving breakfast in the greenhouse, they pack up whatever they have left – in this case chow bags and pomegranate rinds – and head out to the hill take in the view.