It’s always lovely to catch the chimps in moments of play, relaxation, or grooming. Last week I caught Foxie & Jamie spending some quality time together and it was a nice moment of calm in the middle of a busy day. I hope you enjoy it, too!
Foxie
Tea Time with the Girls
Today, part time caregiver Dusty set up a table and chairs for a bunch of Foxie’s dolls, and filled the cups with Gatorade. The results are pretty sweet (or creepy, you be the judge!). Foxie, for sure, was thrilled to enjoy a refreshing beverage with her friends.
Even Jamie enjoyed some time at the tea table. Although, she has some opinions about who can, and cannot, have a seat at the table.
Never Dull!
It’s never a dull day when working with chimpanzees, each individual is so their own and also has their own agenda for the day! As you will see in the video, most days Gordo just wants to go on the Bray not giving his caregivers a second look, but on this day Gordo decided it was time to play chase with his caregiver from the chute to the Bray. While, Terry just wanted to give sweet kisses in the morning. I think we all know Honey B’s agenda is to derail the schedule for her caregivers as much as possible, as she should! But she also tries to carve out alone time with one of her close friends, Dora, which can often play into derailing her caregivers schedule, too. She is such a multitask-er :)!
Though somethings may “derail” our day, it’s also the fun part about our job. We don’t know what we are going to walk into, but what we do know is that everyday they are provided with as much choice as possible!
Gordo eating a pear series:
Bonus!!
Foxie playing a lazy game of poke the doll and maybe camera with me:
I just love her eyes in this one:
And a very snoozy Willy B! So snoozy I don’t think he even knew I took this photo:
Pre-lunch Shenanigans
Working with chimps can be a little loud and even overstimulating at times. That is why when there are quiet moments or sweet interactions, they mustn’t go unnoticed. Those moments can fill our cup up! Jamie’s side of the building has been pretty calm today, while Cy’s side has been making quite the ruckus for some of the morning. It did make for great “TV” for Burrito, but tension on one side can often cause tension on the other. However, Burrito’s side has been pretty easygoing. Jamie has even let individuals like Foxie and Annie have their fruit this morning. The best part of the day so far has been watching Burrito and Missy get so excited for their lunch forage that they had to play and laugh it out, even Jamie and Foxie decided to groom! My cup definitely got filled today :).
Negra watching her noisy neighbors on the Bray in the morning:
Jane P. Wishes Foxie a Happy Birthday
Today’s sponsor-a-day comes in the form of supporter Jayne P. sending Foxie well wishes on her special day.
In Jane’s words: “Happy Birthday to my Chimpanzee Pal Foxie!!! 48 years young on Aug. 8 and going strong. Best wishes for this beautiful girl for many years to come.”
Thank you Jane for being one of Foxie’s Pals and for sponsoring this day of sanctuary in her honor! Stay tuned to the blog to learn all about Foxie’s big day of celebration!
Foxie’s New Doll
If you’ve followed us for a while, you know about Foxie and her love of dolls. She almost always has at least one doll with her- whether it be a troll doll, a Dora the Explorer doll, or one of her many others. She carries them in her hip pockets and on her back, she plays with them by herself and with caregivers, and she curls up with them when she’s relaxing. I love how much she loves them and today was especially sweet- Diana gave Foxie an American Girl doll that a generous donor sent us. It’s bigger than most all of Foxie’s other dolls, but as soon as she saw it she started moving away from Burrito and Jamie (who were also in the front rooms) so that Diana could give it to her away from the others. You’ll have to watch the video to see how she reacted, but I promise it’s worth it. 🙂
I think it’s important to recognize Foxie’s background when we share a video like this to provide context.
Foxie was born on August 8, 1976 (so she has her 48th birthday coming up!) at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. Before coming to CSNW, she was used in hepatitis vaccine research and as a breeder for the biomedical research industry.
Our sweet Foxie had four babies during her years in biomedical research- which means that they were all taken away from her when they were very young, sometimes even just days old. She had a set of twin boys (who both passed away in the labs), a daughter Angie (who lives at Save the Chimps), and Kelsey (who went to Chimp Haven in 2018). Foxie spent 32 years of her life in biomedical research before finally getting to experience sanctuary.
Within a month of arriving, Foxie adopted her first troll doll. We had no way of knowing that she would take so immediately to dolls or that her love for them would last so long. We will never know exactly what’s going on in her head when she loves on her dolls, but we do know that they provide her comfort. For that, I am endlessly grateful.
Speaking of the comfort Foxie gets from her collection of dolls, don’t forget about our Christmas in July celebration! Celebrate summer by helping us empty our three wish-lists(Jerrol’s, Chewy, and Amazon)! Many items have already been purchased and we are so grateful to everyone who’s helped to spread some joy in this super hot July.
Good Vibes Only
Summer has officially arrived at the sanctuary, with temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees daily. Keeping our chimpanzee residents and staff cool, calm, and collected is no small feat when the heat tries to bring out our grumpier sides! In today’s blog video, we’re sharing some of the ways we combat boredom, using play and enrichment, to keep everyone happy and comfortable despite the sweltering weather. Check it out!
Bonus photos of Cy, because he is always a good vibe:
