Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Grooming

Mostly Quiet Day

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It’s that time of year when it’s cold outside and the chimps are hard to find. It was a relatively quiet day, of course as I write this blog I can hear the three groups starting to shout back and forth to one another, but that is to be expected with sixteen chimpanzees. The chimps spent most of their day grooming and nesting in high places, so capturing photos were few and far between. However, we can always find Honey B in the front rooms! Honey B and Mave spent the morning napping close to each other or grooming quietly with one another. Please enjoy these images of Mave and Honey B, I really tried to get more photos!

Cy thought you might want to know we just added some magazine subscriptions to the Amazon wish list!

Grooming with friends

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The chimps were all warm and cozy inside this morning and most were taking some after breakfast naps. Not Rayne and Terry though! They were having quite the grooming session. Terry was very gently grooming Rayne’s face with his lips. Anthony happened to spot this and I rushed to get the camera. This went on for a long time and they groomed on and off. What a perfect way to groom when your stomach is full from breakfast!

Cy waiting for us to put out some new magazines for him to read.

Dora resting on one of the wooden toys.

On the other side of the building Katelyn was on snow treat duty! The chimpanzees in Negra’s group were lined up in the front rooms waiting for Katelyn to bring them lots of snow! Foxie’s snow had a special treat waiting in it.

Negra enjoying snow.

Jody patiently waiting for some snow.

Foxie with her shovel coming inside to join the snow party!

 

The Introductions Continue!

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The introductions just keep on coming. Today Cy and Willy B met! I would say it went pretty well. We always let them interact through the mesh before opening any doors between them. Willy B and Cy groomed for awhile at the mesh and had some amazing grooming sounds. They groomed everything from toes to heads to backs to faces. After we opened the door they played a little bit of chase from room to room. They did this on and off and was initiated a lot by Cy’s playful foot stomps. Even though the door was open they still preferred to groom through the mesh at first. Willy B would go over and sit on one side of it and head nod at Cy then Cy would join him in a grooming session. Eventually they felt comfortable enough to groom without mesh between them. They didn’t interact the whole time they were together and during these periods Cy would pull out his magazine to read while Willy tried to see what new potential friends were on the other side of the door.

Click here to see a short video from their grooming session today!

Willy B and Cy grooming.

 

Here are some bonus photos from today.

Lucky wearing a nice scarf.

Missy grooming Annie.

Chimp Activities

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Today the chimp house was a little busier than yesterday. We are making sure the two new Greenhouses are in order and ready for chimps soon! While waiting for some maintenance things to be completed we found Jamie and Burrito engaging in a long play session. I love hearing chimp laughter. To me, it is one of the best sounds in the world and always brings a smile to my face. There was lots of laughter today, as I saw Burrito playing with Foxie and Annie too.

I checked in on the three to see what they were up to and found Mave and Willy B in a grooming session. I’m still learning so much about Honey B, Willy B, and Mave. I didn’t work with them while I was an intern here, so I have been trying to get to know them better and learn more about their personalities.

Mave grooming Willy B.

Honey B looking to see what photos I was taking.

Willy B taking a break from the grooming session.

Missy resting in the Greenhouse.

Double the Drama

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Annie, Missy, and Jody passed the early part of the afternoon in the greenhouse, grooming quietly.

Annie gently passed her fingers through Jody’s hair as Jody basked in the attention.

Suddenly, there was a scream. Nothing for the girls to worry about, as it came from the other group. But they were compelled to see what was going on. Off to the hill they ran.

Having two chimp families on site means having twice the drama.

But other people’s drama is far different than our own. As social primates, both humans and chimps enjoy other people’s business a little too much. The girls gathered by the fence to catch a glimpse of the action.

“Riveting…” – Foxie
“★★★” – Jamie

To the dismay of our spectators, most of the neighbor’s drama is mild and short-lived, such as when Willy B gets a little too rambunctious or when Mave overreacts to his occasionally boorish antics. And this time, the drama was over quickly. Nevertheless, Jamie decided a patrol was in order.

Her crew followed her up the fence line and around the hill.

While Jamie forged ahead, Missy and Annie maintained an easier pace to accommodate Foxie, who is slowed by arthritis.

Upon their return, all was quiet.

The gang resumed their normal activities – lounging, grooming, napping.

And waited for the next exciting twist in the neighbor’s ongoing saga.

 

Back to normal

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Last week, as he was leaving work for the day, Anthony noticed that Betsy was no longer with her group. It’s unusual for anyone in this herd to be alone, but even more so for Betsy. Diana and I joined Anthony to check on her and all three of us could see that she was favoring her front right leg. Her family had gone on their last trip of the day for water and she was unable to follow them.

So we each grabbed an end and carried her across the pasture to the stock tank. Just kidding.

Caring for chimpanzees is incredibly difficult, but cattle present some of their own challenges as well. In this case, we had to move the water to her, along with some hay and a mineral block, so that she didn’t have to try to walk. Dr. Erin immediately came out to evaluate her. I sometimes wonder if in the history of the profession a veterinarian has ever eaten an entire dinner with their family.

While I’m sure Betsy was grateful for the dinner service, Nutmeg was the real winner. That guy loves the tractor.

Dr. Erin decided that it was likely a minor sprain and that with rest and some pain meds she should recover soon. Did you know that cows can take one of the same pain medications we give the chimps? Except Betsy’s dose is 49 pills. Imagine what it would be for Nutmeg.

For a few days, Betsy and her family stayed in the south pasture. While she was up and grazing, she hadn’t walked more than a dozen yards or so from where Anthony had spotted her that first evening. But on the fourth morning, the cows were nowhere to be found. Not in the south pasture, not at the stock tank. If Betsy were feeling better, I knew exactly where she would go: To the stream that runs through the middle of the sanctuary.

Who wants to drink water from a tank when you can drink water fresh from a mountain spring?

We’ve been pretty fortunate so far when it comes to the cows’ health. Our biggest challenges have been keeping weight on Betsy while keeping weight off of her son. Thankfully this was nothing more than a brief scare and the cattle are now back to their normal routine.

Mostly normal routine, I should say. Because Betsy and the gang have some new neighbors. I’ve been meaning to meet them so I went out this morning to say hello.

Apparently Nutmeg has taken an interest in them, but when I walked out to the south pasture this morning the cows were keeping their distance. Betsy and Nutmeg were alternating between grooming and play fighting. They knocked their heads together, butting and bunting for dominance.

But Nutmeg isn’t interested in dominance. He just wants to groom his mom. As does every 2,000-lb Jersey steer, I would assume.

Before long, Betsy turned her attention toward me.

If you are going to visit the cows, be prepared to stay a while…and get thoroughly cleaned.