Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Foxie

A couple moments of goofiness

by

The chimps have been pretty mellow today, enjoying the intermittent sun warming up the greenhouse and streaming through the playroom windows. So much so no one was even clamoring like usual to get back into the playroom after we had finished cleaning. Before I opened the doors to the playroom up, I caught Foxie and Burrito in the front rooms in a burst of lazy playfulness. So here are a few photos and a couple of moments with a couple of endearingly goofy chimpanzee people.

I asked Foxie if I could take her photo and she responded by making faces at the camera before finally swinging over to have me show her:

web_foxie_make_face_fr4_i_kd_img_0729

web_foxie_make_faces_fr4_iii_kd_img_0731

web_foxie_make_faces_fr4_iv_kd_img_0733

web_foxie_swing_over_to_camera_kd_img_0736

And this guy! The foot, the eyes, the tiny teapot he’s holding…too much!:

web_burrito_on_bench_foot_over_head_kd_img_0721

web_burrito_lie_on_bench_look_camera_kd_img_0722

In this photo I was sneaking down the hallway to peek around the corner at him (which of course, he knew) and when I looked, he was peeking back:

web_burrito_look_cute_peeking_around_corner_kd_img_0727

web_burrito_foot_kd_img_0719

Evening Enrichment

by

Each evening, before leaving for the day, we prepare some sort of puzzle or activity for the chimps to work on. There are a variety of ideas that we rotate throughout the month, including KONGs, Boomer balls, drink buckets and pine cones, to name a few. So, I thought I’d share a few of these on the blog today.

KONGs
We add nuts or a mixture of mashed bananas or avocados into the open holes for the chimps to figure out how to get out.

Missy
web_missy_hold_kong_evening_enrichment_eat_nut_pr_img_7587-copy

Boomer Balls
We place peanuts inside the balls and the chimps have to shake and move the balls to get at the nuts inside. Some of the chimps use chopsticks as tools to get the nuts out. In the following photos, Foxie used her finger to help get at the peanuts inside.

Foxie
web_foxie_hold_use_finger_get_peanuts_evening_enrichment_unbreakoball_frs_img_7111-copy

web_foxie_hold_look_into_unbreakoball_evening_enrichment_fr_img_7109-copy

web_foxie_hold_look_at_reach_finger_in_unbreakoball_evening_enrichment_fr_img_7108-copy

Kebabs
We skewer small food pieces (grapes are a favorite) inside of paper rolls and tie the “kebabs” to the outside of the caging. Below Burrito demonstrates how to hold onto the caging and use his fingers to try to pull the paper rolls inside.

Burrito
web_burrito_hang_caging_work_on_food_puzzle_evening_enrichment_kebabs_pr_img_7770-copy

Pine cones
Add a few raisins in toward the center of the cone and smear peanut butter along the outside and voila, a pretty special treat that keeps the chimps busy for quite a while.

Annie
web_annie_lick_pine_cone_evening_enrichment_in_hand_pr_img_0202-copy

Negra
web_negra_look_at_hold_lick_pine_cone_evening_enrichment_pr_img_0200-copy

web_negra_lick_pine_cone_evening_enrichment_in_hand_pr_img_0193-copy

Jamie
web_jamie_lick_pine_cone_evening_enrichment_in_hand_pr_img_0192-copy

Treat Buckets
There are a variety of options when using buckets as enrichment. Sometimes we fill the buckets with water, adding lemons or limes for some flavor and give the chimps long plastic straws to drink from. Other times we place seeds and nuts inside the buckets and the chimps have to knock the buckets over and use a tool to “sweep” the seeds toward them. Below, Annie demonstrates how to drink the flavored water from the bucket that was placed outside of the caging.

Annie
resized_for_thank_you_thursday_annie_stand_in_nest_drink_from_bucket_outside_caging_pr_ek_img_7557

Raisin Boards

Jamie demonstrates how to use a chopstick to push raisins through the holes in this hanging raisin board.
web_jamie_sit_enrichment_food_puzzle_raisin_board_pr_dg_img_6700-copy

Thanksgiving 2016

by

Today we’re thankful for delicious feasts, for food squeaks, for volunteers who spend their holiday spreading joy to the chimps, and for all of you who have so much love for seven chimpanzees you probably haven’t met. It’s been a good day.

web_thanksgiving_plates_food_ek_img_0331-copy

Annie:

web_annie_plates_food_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9877-copy

web_annie_plate_food_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9884-copy

Missy:

web_missy_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9900-copy

Negra:

web_negra_eat_chow_bag_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9951-copy

Foxie:

web_foxie_plate_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9859-copy

Jamie:

web_jamie_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9970-copy

Foxie and Jody resting after the party:

web_foxie_jody_rest_after_thanksgiving_party_pr_dg_img_9964-copy

Most of the video footage we ended up with after today’s party happened to feature Burrito stuffing his face:

To all of you friends, supporters, volunteers, and well-wishers, thanks for giving Annie, Missy, Burrito, Jody, Foxie, Jamie, and Negra so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Balancing Act

by

I snapped a few photos of Foxie this morning as she strolled through Young’s Hill with Dora the Explorer on her back. In the wild, infants will cling to their mothers’ backs. Dora, on the other hand, is no help at all so it’s up to Foxie to keep her balanced up there.

web_foxie_dora_on_back_yh_jb_img_0018-copy

web_foxie_dora_on_back_missy_yh_jb_img_0003-copy

web_foxie_dora_on_back_yh_jb_img_0012-copyweb_foxie_dora_on_back_jody_bipedal_yh_jb_img_0020-copy

As I was preparing to post these photos to Facebook, I noticed a few good ones that we had taken previously.

web_foxie_dora_on_back_yh_look-back_kd_img_4490

web_foxie_dora_on_back_forage_yh_ii_kd_img_4489

web_ed_foxie_sit_structure_dora_back_gh_dg_img_2335

Part joy. Part magic. All Foxie.

by

Last week you may recall that I captured Foxie snuggled up napping on the heated floor with her dolls, Kate and Alana (Dora’s friends 🙂 ). I also promised there were A WHOLE LOT of photos of that scene to follow. So here goes…

When Foxie plays she often likes to lie on her back in a tiny chimpanzee ball repeatedly tucking her arms and legs into herself and then kicking and flailing them about as she snorts and laughs. On this day, after she woke up she rolled over and decided to engage her dolls in her play session (JB wrote a fantastic blog post on Friday about chimps and imaginary play). What ensued was part joy, part magic, and all Foxie:

web_foxie_nest_dolls_look_camera_closeup_kd_img_9194

web_foxie_roll_around_with_dolls_ii_kd_img_9216

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_iii_kd_img_9217

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_iv_kd_img_9218

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_v_kd_img_9219

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_vi_kd_img_9221

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_vii_kd_img_9222

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_viii_kd_img_9223

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_viv_kd_mg_9224

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_x_kd_img_9225

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xi_kd_img_9226

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xii_kd_img_9228

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xiii_kd_img_9229

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xiv_kd_img_9230

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xv_kd_img_9231

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xvi_kd_img_9233

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xvii_kd_img_9235

web_foxie_roll_around_play_dolls_xx_kd_img_9239

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xxi_kd_img_9241

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xxii_kd_img_9242

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xxiii_kd_img_9247

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xxiv_kd_img_9248

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xxv_kd_img_9249

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xxvi_kd_img_9251

web_foxie_roll_around_play_with_dolls_xviii_kd_img_9236

Today is for Chaela!

by

Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Glen Rinzler in honor of Chaela Ferguson! Glen has been a supporter and friend of the chimpanzees since they arrived to their sanctuary home and we are so happy to celebrate Chaela with him today.

Glen, thank you so much for your continued friendship of the chimps and for all you do to ensure their lives are overflowing with love, respect, adventure, joy, and family. We’re so happy that you chose to include them as you honor Chaela today!

Chaela, we hope you have a beautiful day! May it be full of all that brings you joy, just as you’ve helped provide the chimpanzees!

Jamie and Foxie play wrestling over a troll. Those play faces!:

web_Jamie_Foxie_play_playface_wrestle_PR_ek_IMG_2109

web_Jamie_Foxie_play_playface_wrestle_Dora_doll_enrichment_PR_ek_IMG_2091

web_Jamie_Foxie_play_playface_wrestle_PR_ek_IMG_2106

web_Jamie_Foxie_play_playface_wrestle_PR_ek_IMG_2108

web_Jamie_Foxie_play_wrestle_PR_ek_IMG_2115