Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Mornings at the chimp house are pretty predictable. Burrito likes to start out the day with a long and loud display. Jody likes to camp out by the window to the kitchen so she can watch the caregivers prepare the morning smoothie. And Negra stays in her bed, under the covers, as long as she can without missing breakfast.
Missy and Annie, on the other hand, like to begin the day by playing.
I have no idea what was going through Foxie’s mind as she walked around the entire perimeter of Young’s Hill on that first day out, but since then, she has been extremely reluctant to go back out. Everyday she tries, but as soon as she gets about 20 feet from the doorway she freezes in her tracks. Obviously the whole experience of being outdoors is overwhelming to her.
Her friends have been encouraging her to go out and to remain out once she is there. But they know that she is scared and they don’t try to push her beyond her comfort zone.
The other day I saw something amazing. Missy came out of the tunnel with a troll in her mouth, and Foxie was trailing behind her. Missy doesn’t care for trolls, so I thought that perhaps Missy was using the troll as a lure to try to help Foxie get outside. And in a way, she was..but it was Foxie that initiated it! Since then, I’ve seen Foxie go through this routine three times with Missy. Foxie begins by stomping around the greenhouse, which is an invitation for someone to go out to the hill with her. When Missy joins her, they both pause and Foxie delicately hands over her troll. She then waits for Missy and the troll to lead the way up the hill.
Annie didn’t go outside at all yesterday, but she must have been psyching herself up all night because this morning she was ready to bolt out the door. She made her way up the log bridge to one of the lower climbing structures and climbed to the top. After a few minutes of bravery, she was ready to head back to the comfort and safety of the greenhouse. That may have been enough for one day.
Missy has been a good friend these last few days. She is completely at ease on the hill, but she often waits by the end of the tunnel for Annie to join her before she heads out, knowing that Annie needs someone to rely on. But Missy is not going to deprive herself of enjoying Young’s Hill, so if Annie won’t join her, she heads out on her own.
This morning, Missy was by herself on one of the structures at the top of the hill. Back down in the playroom, there was a moment of tension in the group and Annie let out an anxious scream. According to Jackie, Debbie, and Lisa, Missy heard the scream and immediately ran full speed down the hill to the building and into Annie arms.
