Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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forage

Field Notes: Welcome

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Happy Tuesday, everybody! I just wanted welcome everybody to a new series we will be offering: Field Notes. As the research coordinator here, I try to stay on top of knowing all the different scientific articles released every month in various publications and try to figure if any of the new research can be utilized by us to help our mission to provide lifelong care for rescued chimpanzees.

The goal of this series is kind of twofold. First, we hope that you’ll be able to learn about chimpanzees and the new and exciting behavioral research going on both in the wild and captivity. Second, we hope this will give you just a little insight on how some decisions are made here.

I don’t want to set any expectations for this series, so as of now there is no set schedule on the frequency of this. It could be weekly. It could be bi-weekly. Heck. It could even be monthly. So instead of waiting for it week-to-week, let’s just say it’s a nice little surprise when they make the blog. Plus, the articles are released at the beginning of every month and not every release has chimpanzee related articles.

I’m excited about this series and hope you all are as well! I hope this series serves a purpose for you. I hope you are able to learn something new and gain a better understanding of these amazing people.

Now, here are some photos from Sunday I was able to snap while Cy and crew were enjoying a lunch forage on the Bray:

Cy

Rayne

George

Cool as a cucumber!
Sorry for the blown-out photo. During this forage, I put out some jackpots, usually some whole fruits and veggies. The one I put on the escher escaped everyone, even Rayne’s eagle eyes. Luckily enough, George realized I was trying to communicate something to the passersby. Though it looks like it here, George actually didn’t notice it. I asked him to come down and tried to walk him to a spot where he would see it. I pointed up, he turned around, looked up, and immediately looked back at me with a silent excited scream. Seen below.

George eating his prize apple as he looks upon The Bray!

A Wild Forage

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There are few things better than watching the chimps forage on wild plants. They’re abundant, enriching, healthy (the ones they choose to eat, anyway), and in some cases, even medicinal.  I’ve always wondered about the way the chimps sometimes consume individual blades on grass. In Gombe, chimps have been seen swallowing the rough, hairy leaves of the Aspilia plant. Researchers believe the leaves contains antibiotic and anti-parasitic compounds and that the hairs on the leaves may work to mechanically remove parasites as they pass through the intestines. Whatever the CSNW chimps are doing, it’s different from the way they eat fruits and vegetables, and even different from the way they eat grass at other times (Burrito often eats spring grass by the handful). Do they know something we don’t? Or are they acting upon an instinct that’s been divorced from its evolved application, like the way they weave secure nests out of blankets even though the don’t sleep up in the trees? Maybe grass just tastes better one blade at a time.

George Picnics with his New Family

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Outdoor forages are a great source of enrichment in the warmer months. George got to search for plenty of treats last summer when he was on his own, but today marked the first time that he got to have lunch outside with his new family since they were fully integrated. He was so excited!

Here are a few bonus photos of Foxie taking her dolls along for the ride during her group’s lunch forage:

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Mave on the Other Side of the Building

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Yesterday, you got to see Mave celebrate her 36th birthday!  Did you miss it?  If so, check it out here!

Today, you get to see what everyone was doing on the other side of the building!  Jamie, Missy, Annie, Burrito, Foxie and Negra got to venture out onto Young’s Hill, their 2 acre outdoor habitat, to forage for all of the birthday goodies!  They had coconuts, Dole Whip, baby heads of iceberg lettuce, corn and mini peppers.  YUM!  (No mango for this group due to Annie’s mango allergy.  Bummer!)

It was quite windy outside, but most everyone braved the wind gusts to participate in the party treats!  Can you guess who DID NOT brave the wind?

Annie’s 51st Birthday!

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Today we celebrated Annie’s 51st birthday! Today’s party menu was really fun, all planned by our very own Dr. Erin Zamzow.

  • Obviously Sunflowers for Annie!
  • Lettuces bowls filled with rice noodles, tofu, green onions, cucumbers, red peppers, purple cabbage, with a drizzle of peanut sauce! (Annie and Foxie loved these bowls)
  • Heads of lettuce & bok choy
  • Lychee, Dragon fruit, & grapes were in the bowls or spread around as well!
  • And sparkling cider, to top it all off!

I honestly can say, I can’t believe Annie is 51, I hope I age as gracefully as she has! I love celebrating Annie because she is a quieter chimp. Annie is the type of chimp that is usually busy with her chimp friends and does not demand a lot from her caregivers. One could say she is a little bit more low key, which is why she deserves a big party to celebrate her. Annie is a genuinely sweet soul, she has many different layers to her, but to her core she is a gentle and kind, unless she is grooming, she is not so gentle then ;). It has been an honor to watch Annie turn 51 and see her flourish in sanctuary. Though she may be lower ranking, every year we watch Annie become more comfortable, a little bolder, and more content.

I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Paulette for generously sponsoring Annie’s birthday party today!

Jenna went out this morning to get more sunflowers from a local farm, you can never have too many sunflowers!                 

Annie and Foxie pretty much had a private party out on Young’s Hill, while everyone else foraged in the Greenhouse. Look out for the party video tomorrow!

Annie:

Bonus of Foxie:

Forage Friday

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Today was a beautiful day in the PNW! George started out getting access to the Bray. He wandered outside for a few hours and even took a nap on one of the structures. J.B. snapped a bunch of photos of him! Here’s one down below as a sneak peek.

Around lunch, all the groups had a forage. Check out some forage photos below!

George on The Bray this morning:

Negra extending her arm to J.B. out on Young’s Hill:

Cy during today’s lunch forage on The Bray:

George up-close:

Lucky foraging corn on The Bray:

Lucky (R) and Rayne (L) out on Ryan’s Lookout on The Bray:

Rayne:

Terry foraging on The Bray: