• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

  • Our Family
    • The Chimpanzees
    • The Cattle
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Visiting the Sanctuary
    • Philosophy
      • FAQs
      • Mission, Vision & Goals
      • Privacy Policy
    • The Humans
      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Founder
    • Annual Reports
    • The Future of CSNW
    • CSNW In The News
  • You can help
    • Donate
      • Become a Chimpanzee Pal
      • Sponsor A Day
      • Transfer Stock
      • Be A Produce Patron
      • Be a Bovine Buddy
      • Give from your IRA
      • Personalized Stones
      • Bring Them Home Campaign
    • Leave A Legacy
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer
    • See Our Wish List
    • Events
  • Resources
    • About Chimpanzees
    • Enrichment Database
    • Advocacy
      • Apes in Entertainment
        • Trainers
        • Role of the AHA
        • Greeting Cards
      • Chimpanzees as Pets
      • Roadside Zoos
      • Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research
      • Conservation
        • African Apes
        • Orangutans
  • Shop
    • Merchandise Store
  • Contact
  • DONATE NOW

feet

An Ode to Toes

June 23, 2024 by Diana

I was going wax poetic about chimpanzee toes, but I think the video does it for me.

Filed Under: Latest Videos Tagged With: feet, photo, toes, video

Two Stories

April 10, 2023 by Diana

Story One (in one sentence): These are the feet of an explorer named Burrito.

Story Two: Rayne was grooming Mave on the catwalk of the Oakwood Greenhouse, with Dora lying next to Mave. Honey B spotted them from the Riverview Greenhouse and headed all the way over to join them.

Then she enticed Dora to groom her.

We used to think of Honey B as a loner.

This little moment made me happy.

The end.

Filed Under: Burrito, Dora, Honey B, Mave, Rayne, Sanctuary Tagged With: dirt, feet, groom, Grooming

Chimp feet are pretty handy

November 6, 2020 by J.B.

Recently, Edie asked: I am amazed when I see pictures of their feet-they seem so versatile! Do they ever use their feet like hands?

Chimpanzee feet are pretty amazing indeed. Unlike our own, they are prehensile, meaning they have the ability to grasp. This is because their big toes are opposable, like our thumbs.

Annie, holding her hand with her foot

This is presumably an adaptation to aid in climbing, like when scaling tree trunks:

Or when clinging to vines and small branches:

They can also aid in maintaining balance when perched precariously above the ground:

But they can also function like an extra set of hands when necessary. Gathering tomatoes? With prehensile feet you can haul twice as many.

Difficult Kong puzzle? Why not let your feet do some of the work and free up both hands?

Wondering where to put your doll when you are eating lunch suspended from the caging? You can trust that Dora the Explorer will remain safely in the grip of your opposable toe.

The dexterity of chimpanzee feet also makes them great for tickling.

I hope all chimpanzees stop once and a while to appreciate having such useful feet.

Filed Under: Sanctuary Tagged With: chimpanzee, feet, foot, northwest, opposable, prehensile, rescue, Sanctuary, toes

Browsing

March 8, 2019 by J.B.

Jamie’s interest in architectural and western-themed magazines continues. You can get a little peak into her mind by observing which pages she lingers on…

Filed Under: Enrichment, Intelligence, Jamie, Latest Videos Tagged With: chimpanzee, feet, intelligence, magazine, northwest, reading, rescue, Sanctuary

Chimpanzee Feet

June 28, 2014 by Diana

Because a few people commented that they liked the photo of Annie’s hand posted on the blog a couple of weeks ago, I thought I’d post some chimpanzee feet photos I took recently. Like many of you, I really love chimp feet, in part because of their opposable big toe (obviously).

Missy has very petite feet. I often ask to see her feet and she sticks her toes through the caging to tickle my hand:

Missy feet on caging

 

Annie frequently holds her feet together when she’s relaxing:

Annie holding feet together

 

Foxie sometimes sits with her legs wide apart and her feet pointed in. Of course she has a troll nearbyf. Her right foot looks like it’s missing the small toe, but it’s just tucked underneath her foot.

Foxie feet

 

Here’s one of Annie’s hand (she has long, slender fingers), and Jamie’s sturdy feet.

Annie hand, Jamie feet

Filed Under: Annie, Foxie, Jamie, Missy Tagged With: chimp, chimpanzee, csnw, feet, foot, opposable, photo, rescue, Sanctuary, toe

Hands and Feet, Negra nesting

July 21, 2009 by J.B.

I envy chimps for their ability to clasp their feet together when they are resting.

7-21-09-jody-feet_mg_2581

7-21-09-annie-feet_mg_2586

Negra built a beautiful nest this morning from a brand new bale of straw. After settling in, she looked pretty content.

7-21-09-negra-nest_mg_2620

7-21-09-negra_mg_2629

Filed Under: Annie, Jody, Negra Tagged With: chimpanzee, feet, hands, Negra, Nesting, northwest, opposable toes, rescue, Sanctuary, straw

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To the Blog and Get Notified of New Posts First!

Archives

Calendar of Blog Posts

June 2025
S M T W T F S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« May    

Categories

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Footer

PO Box 952
Cle Elum, WA 98922
[email protected]
509-699-0728
501c3 registered charity
EIN: 68-0552915

Official DDAF Grantee

Menu

  • The Chimpanzees
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • You can help
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Donate

Proud Member of

Connect With Us

Search

Copyright © 2024 Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. All Rights Reserved. Site by Vegan Web Design