Gordo

Brrrrrrrr….itto

October 24, 2023 by Chad de Bree

It always takes me by surprise when there is a dramatic shift in the weather. Just a couple days ago we were sitting comfortably in 70º weather. Even just yesterday we were still in 60º weather. But the forecast today is a high of 45º and the rest of the week’s forecast is a little dimmer with the highs not expected to surpass 37º and the low expected to be around 15º by Friday night with some snow sprinkled here and there. This dramatic shift in weather doesn’t just surprise me, it surprises every one. I type this as J.B. is now running around winterizing the Chimp House to ensure the chimpanzees are warm and cozy.

Gordo watching J.B. putting up the winter panels to the Riverview Greenhouse

With the chimpanzees retreating to the warmest spots indoors, it was almost impossible to get any photos that weren’t worse quality than that one of Gordo. Or, on the flip side of things, trying to take a decent photo of a chimpanzee who is constantly in motion is also almost impossible.

Case in point: One Burrito Chimpanzee

The only decent photos I was able to get today are:

Dora and Lucky grooming

And the Marvelous Miss Mave

So to reminisce of warmer times, here are some photos from the past couple of days!

Terry sitting on a barrel and watching while Lucky grooms the back of my hand

Nutmeg and Betsy chowing down on some supplemental hay in addition to their grazing opportunities in the pastures

Ok. This next one to me is just the epitome of Dora and her relationship with others.

Dora sitting above Mave and Honey B as they groom

Young’s Hill as I was leaving the sanctuary last night

After looking at that last photo again, in hindsight I should have seen the signs this kind of weather was coming up. We can only hope things get slightly better for Jamieween!

Speaking of Jamieween, there are still a couple of items left on our Amazon Wish List with just enough time to make it here for the party. But today is sort of the deadline for them to make it in time.

And lastly, a quick update! As some of you know, we use Tru Earth laundry strips. The people at Tru Earth were kind enough to gives our own fundraising page where 20% of sales will go toward the care of the chimpanzees and cattle. We just wanted to make people aware the link to our fundraising page has changed. Every purchase made at this link will have 20% of the purchase go towards the sanctuary!

It’s Complicated

October 21, 2023 by Sabrina

Mave and Gordo have a complicated relationship that usually involves Mave pressuring Gordo to give up his produce items during meal times. Gordo has figured out how to barter with Mave by giving her a piece of an item to appease her and she usually will go away for a time after receiving tribute. However, the more positive side of their relationship is harder to get a glimpse of and usually when we do see it it is very short lived. Well today was our lucky day and we were able to capture a fairly long play session between these two, with Dora supervising or course!

Take Them As They Are

October 17, 2023 by Grace

Today’s blog title is based off of one of my favorite tenet’s of sanctuary.

We take them for where they are in life and love them for who they are.

We take them as they are.

Each chimp that we have the opportunity to care for, love, and get to know here at CSNW is unique. Their personalities are different and vary from the more human oriented chimps like Jamie to the more chimps-chimp oriented like Annie, to the super playful like Burrito, to the reserved but sweet and gentle (and sometimes spicy / gravity defying) Lucky. Their differences make them who they are and we love them because of these differences- not in spite of these differences.

A few days ago, Caregiver Sabrina posted a blog about lessons that we have learned from the chimps. Along with everything listed there, something I will always carry with me is how sanctuary provides the space they deserve to be cared for and loved unconditionally. Some days are hard, and some parts of chimp dynamics are hard to understand from a human perspective, but no matter what’s happened- we will always be here for them. And the same goes for the cattle, of course.

For example- last week I was standing with Jamie asking if she wanted to groom, but she was focused on something happening in the kitchen. Annie came over, sat, and looked up at me- so I offered her the grooming tool. She took it and groomed me for longer than she ever has before. Later that afternoon, I found Gordo sitting in the Oakwood Greenhouse. He did a little knuckle tap and headed over to sit on the log that he frequents, that was also conveniently right in a nice, warm ray of sunshine. I took a seat outside- and we just sat. I kept expecting him to walk away or gesture that he wanted me to leave, but he stayed facing me, just being quiet. After a while I walked in to check on things in the foyer and when I went back out he had gone into the playroom. The moment was over, but it will stay with me.

These might be the only two moments where I spend one-on-one time with both of them this month, or maybe not. But either way, they’re family.

These moments with Annie and Gordo aren’t more special than moments with the other chimps, that goes without saying. But if Jody’s loss taught me anything, it’s to appreciate every moment they give us.

And, man- unconditional love? That’s a pretty great thing… Isn’t it.

Gordo:

Come on Down!

August 27, 2023 by Chad de Bree

Animal exploitation begins with greed… They want to make money and they’ll make money at the expense of any kind of animal, be it a puppy or an elephant. It’s disgusting. ” – Bob Barker

Like a lot of Americans, I have spent some time curled up in a blanket, eating noodle soup, drinking 7-Up, eating saltine crackers, and watching Bob Barker on The Price Is Right when I was at home sick from school. Even though he always ended the show with his famous closing of “Get your pets spayed and neutered,” like clockwork, it wasn’t until I became older I found out how much of an animal lover he was, which in turn made me appreciate him even more.

As some of you know, he was very supportive of the plight of chimpanzees in the Untied States used as biomedical subjects, entertainment, or in roadside zoos. By now, you may have read some of the other accredited sanctuaries who have posted about the passing of Bob Barker and the amazing support he has given them. We are no different. Through his DJ & T Foundation, he has supported Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and our efforts, and we will always be grateful of him.

To honor what I personally think his vision was, here are some photos from today of the chimpanzees enjoying their day free from testing, abuse, and neglect.

Burrito at the start of our morning patrol/run

Jamie at the top of Young’s Hill walking amongst the trees

And Missy… Missy was really all over the place during the first morning patrol.

Trying to get a peep at the neighbors from a higher advantage point

Sprinting off to her next stop

Running down the log used to get to Jamie’s Tower to make it in time for breakfast

Rayne not letting a hole in a cup getting in her way of enjoying a Gatorade pool

And then there’s Gordo.

Handsome

Lovable

Uniq… Gordo… What are you doing?

Oh! Please don’t!

Okay! I get the hint! The photo session is over.

Joking aside, Gordo was just in a playful mood. In fact, he has been in a really good mood all day. Suspiciously in a really good mood. I’m starting to wonder what is up his sleeve for the rest of the day…

Whatever it is, it is his choice.

As Diana said in this 2017 post, “Choice. This, above all else, is what increases primate welfare the most. When you think about it, much of what we share on the blog are the choices that the chimpanzees are freely making on a daily basis.”

The freedom of choice is by far the greatest enrichment chimpanzees in captivity can experience.

Foxie & Her Disney Princesses

August 16, 2023 by Kelsi

As we have mentioned the past few days, it’s HOT, but we are almost through our excessive heat advisory! Foxie’s way to beat the heat is to eat cucumbers and play with her new Disney dolls. This morning we gave Foxie a few new dolls that were belated birthday gifts! Foxie’s eyes lit up when she saw the princesses, especially Mirabel from Encanto! Later, we handed her a Bruno doll she has never had before. Foxie was very curious about it!

Foxie’s girl gang:

Bruno- (sadly Bruno eventually lost his head…):

Foxie crunching into her cucumber:

I think we should do some bonus photos!

Sweet Lucky. A world without Lucky would be a travesty:

Jamie:

Dora resting before breakfast:

Honey B eating chow series:

Gordo 🙂

Lifespan

August 11, 2023 by Jenna

What is the lifespan of a chimpanzee?

Any chimpanzee above the age of 30 is considered geriatric. Therefore, all of the residents at CSNW are considered geriatric!

In the wild, the life expectancy of chimpanzees is 33 years, but on rare occasions, some live into their 60’s. In captivity, chimpanzees can sometimes live into their 60’s and 70’s (although rare). Heart disease is the leading causes of death in captive populations. Female chimpanzees typically live longer than male chimpanzees, as males are more prone to heart conditions. Captive female chimpanzees are more prone to renal failure.

I will reference the article I used here.

Photos from today!

Rayne (33 years old) sleeping in the Riverview Greenhouse:

Jamie (45 years old) working on a boomer ball with peanuts inside:

Annie (~49 years old) walking bipedally out on Young’s Hill:

Cy (33 years old) laying in the Oakwood Greenhouse:

Gordo (35 years old):

Beautiful Negra (50 years old) in her morning nest:

Rayne waiting for breakfast:

Cy looking up from reading:

All Around the Raspberry Bush

July 25, 2023 by Chad de Bree

When caregivers are assigned to be the lead caregiver on a certain day, one of our first tasks is to “open up” the Chimp House. For me, this is one of the best times of day because it’s still early in the morning and some residents are still not fully awake. Case in point: Negra

To walk in the morning to see Negra still in bed, you kind of watch in real time what kind of mood she will be in that particular day. And yes. She has been in a really good mood today.

Since she was in a good mood upon awakening, and because today’s high temperature in Central Washington is 70º, it was a perfect day for a lunch forage on Young’s Hill. As of this typing (almost dinner time), they have been going on and off Young’s Hill looking for anything they may have missed. On today’s forage menu was: baby iceberg lettuce heads, prickly pears, and sweet potatoes.

Foxie