We’ve posted before about the chimps’ eyes, especially Jody’s, and how much expression they hold. Foxie definitely has a striking gaze, as you can see in these photos:
Foxie
Best of today
There were so many good photos of each of the chimpanzees that I had to share them all on today’s blog. It’s really hard to pick a favorite.
Annie’s beauty is beyond words.
Missy actually sat still long enough for us to get a few photos.
Foxie enjoyed her pears at breakfast. Perhaps they taste better by the mouthful.
Burrito spent part of the afternoon playing with his wooden blocks and his own arm.
Jamie took a moment to pose for the camera before going for a walk on Young’s Hill.
Jody took some time to groom herself and ponder her surroundings.
Negra in her favorite nesting spot on the catwalk.
Foxie flips
Most people look forward to vacation. But as a caregiver I think I speak for most of us when I say vacation is a bit of a double edged sword. No matter how wonderful a holiday away can be, part of my heart is always with the chimpanzees, missing them and wondering what’s happening. And just as with any friend or loved one, it’s especially wonderful to greet them upon return.
When chimpanzees greet one another after a separation, their greetings can be strikingly similar to our own in posture, gesture, vocalization, and seemingly emotion. The chimpanzees understand much, if not all of what we say, but here at CSNW we use the chimps’ gestures and vocalizations with them as much as possible. And as part of their society and being good subordinate apes, we always try to greet the boss lady, Jamie, first. So on my first day back I walked into the chimp area to find Jamie and was surprised when she charged toward me, with her hair pilo-erect (standing on end). From her behavior (and well, Jamie being Jamie) I fully expected that she was going to skip the pleasantries and express her general displeasure about something with me and braced myself. But much to my surprise she stuck her lips out for a kiss!
And as if that wasn’t enough to make my day, Foxie was the next person to spot me and caregiver, Keri, was able to capture her greeting me on video. But while chimpanzee greetings are much like our own, this greeting bears no resemblance to anything I could do. It’s all Foxie. Which is, of course, why she is so endearing. And one of the best things about vacation. Coming home.
Foxie’s charm
The big charmer at CSNW is no doubt Mr. B (I mean, just look at his face!) but Foxie has a charm of her own, and she’s able to use it to socially manipulate the chimp in charge, which is no small feat. Jamie is not easily persuaded by anyone. However, Foxie tries to keep the peace when she can, and if she sees Jamie getting upset about something, she will stomp playfully in front of Jamie to try and change the context. Get her mind off of being upset, and instead, get her to play. Foxie uses her playful charm as a sort of “cease fire” signal.
Foxie decided to use this special ability to her advantage. Sometimes when she and Jamie are playing, Jamie will take one of Foxie’s beloved trolls, which will occasionally make Foxie whimper. It’s all part of the game though, and soon enough they are wrestling and tumbling and Foxie does eventually get her troll back. (Read more about that dynamic here). She seemed to be treating the coconut in this situation as one of those trolls. First she whimpers as if to say “please, I’d really like this coconut” and when that doesn’t work, she starts to play with Jamie.
In the end, Jamie held on to the coconut and was able to crack it open using a plastic chopstick and sheer force on the stairs. However, when it broke into a bunch of pieces, Foxie was able to grab a big chunk and Jamie had no problem with her taking her piece.
Point A to Point B
What is the quickest way to get from point A to point B?
Well, for Missy chimpanzee, that means taking the tight rope walk across the fire hose railing to get to the platform on top of the climbing structure.
Once she made it to the top platform, she took a moment to look out over the valley.
In the first picture, Annie and Foxie were also on the climbing structure. If you look close enough, you can see the blue hair of Foxie’s troll doll lying on Foxie’s back.
Annie (bottom left), Foxie (top left), Missy (far right).
Summer Lovin’
Participants in our summer online auction were invited to donate toward an epic end-of-summer party for the chimpanzees, and they stepped up in a big way. Despite today’s not so summery weather here in Cle Elum, we threw the summer party to end all summer parties.
Thanks so much to everyone who contributed toward today’s party, and to everyone who helps make the chimps’ lives as happy as possible!
Being Chimpanzees
One of our primary goals here at the sanctuary is to allow and encourage the chimpanzees to act like chimpanzees, in as many ways as possible. A big part of being a chimp is being around other chimps – something that many lab chimps are denied. As much as we caregivers love playing, grooming, and just hanging out with our chimp friends (and we’re always there for them if they want our company), we always prefer to see them enjoying the company of other chimps.
Some chimps, like Missy, tend to prefer chimp company over human company, while others, like Burrito, usually seek out humans to play with. So it’s especially rewarding to see a guy like Burrito just be a chimp with other chimps.
