Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Honey B

A gift a day

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These lucky chimpanzees have been receiving a new gift every day from the Comfort & Joy auction and Today they got TWO!

Kathleen C. won the bid for a giant sheet featuring photographs of Rayne and Honey B taken by sanctuary staff. Melody W. bid on a very cute, very soft smiling tomato blanket for Missy, who is famous for loving tomatoes.

Volunteer Lizz helping to display the giant Honey B/Rayne sheet

 

Honey B the chimpanzee juxtaposed with Honey B the sheet

 

This tomato blanket looks just right in the greenhouse, no?

 

Big thanks again to Kathleen C. and Melody W.! We know the chimpanzees are going to get good snuggly use out these gifts.

 

And just for fun, please enjoy the goofball video above of Burrito with a giant kong!

A Trip to the Clinic for Honey B(‘s skateboard)

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*Right off the bat I want to apologize to anybody who became worried after reading the title!* (The alternative was “Honey B is Wheelie Excited,” but that crossed over into a threshold of cheesiness even I didn’t want to cross into.)

If you have been following our blog for a while, then you know that enrichment can be difficult for Honey B and friends. Some in her group love to eat things they shouldn’t be eating (certain plastics, rubber, certain fabric, etc.). One of the unfortunate consequences of this is when her and Rayne’s group integrated together, that meant some enrichment items Honey B, Willy B, and Mave had would have to be shelved either temporarily or indefinitely as staff try to alter current items or find an alternative.

During this year’s Comfort & Joy Auction, one item being auctioned for the chimps was wooden wheels to replace the rubber ones that come standard on Honey B’s skateboard.

A big thank you to Donna T. who placed and won the bidding for the wooden wheels.

The wheels came in last week and work was immediately underway so Honey B could finally have her skateboard back. Some of the staff (ok, mainly myself) were absolutely determined to find a way to make it so she can have it back. So thank you so much Donna! We and Honey B thank you for making it possible for us to give her skateboard back!

The Patient

Good as new!

Rayne tried to hand it back

“I think you forgot something in the enclosures again.” -Rayne (probably)

Theme of the Day

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The theme of the day: a little bit of play and a WHOLE lot of grooming! Since the weather wasn’t very nice out (mostly rain), what better way to spend the day than grooming and playing with your friends? It was fun to see all the different pairings branching off to groom today. This afternoon, I found Cy and Gordo grooming, which is not a common occurrence in comparison to Cy and Willy B, or Cy and Terry.

Bonus photos!

Rayne:

Terry series:

Gordo series:

 

 

Honey B’s World

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…. We’re just livin’ in it!

Honey B is a complex, intelligent gal. She is very much like Jamie, in the sense that she does what she want when she wants. Her group has learned to accept that about her. She is not the most dominant member in their hierarchy, but she does control a lot of situations. She is very sensitive and does not let anyone mess with her! Sometimes, Honey B prefers her alone time and decides to not shift with her group. We shift the chimpanzees throughout the morning so we can clean each area. However, Honey B sometimes chooses to stay put. Which is fine by us! She just stays in one of the front rooms (her favorite place to be) and we clean the other spaces, minus the room she is in. Once we are done cleaning, we will shift again so Honey can go back with her group, and then we can clean that last room she was in.

In today’s video, it was a Honey B-not-shifting day! We gave her Front Room 7 to hang out in and she had the time of her life. Enjoy! It may be one of the most fun videos I’ve put together!

Random photos from today!

Lucky:

Honey B & Co.

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It is so fun to watch a chimp like Honey B, who has always preferred human interactions, to seek her chimp friends out instead. Watching Honey B and Dora both flourish socially in their group has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job, as well as witnessing Mave find her soulmate, Dora. Please enjoy this video of Honey B, Dora, and of course, Mave!

Chimpmas is right around the corner! We have started to add enrichment and items that we need around the chimp house on our wish-list!

Mora:

The beautiful Rayne:

‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving…

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‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, when all through the [chimp] house

Not a chimp was stirring, not even a Honey (B);

The chimps were in bed, tucked into nests

in hopes that sweet rolls would soon be at Chimp Sanctuary Northwest.

 

Today has been rather low-key, whether the chimps realize it or not, they are resting up for the big Thanksgiving celebration. I personally can’t wait to hear Negra food squeak for Hawaiian rolls – it’s something I wait all year for! I thought I would share a collection of photos taken from today.

Negra staring out the window this morning:

Terry playing chase with one of his caregivers:

Missy eating tomatoes at lunch:

Cy <3:

Burrito spying on the neighbors:

Jamie laying on a barrel:

Jamie off-duty:

Honey B during a lunch forage:

Gordo, isn’t he so handsome?:

Sweet little Dora:

CSNW Candid Camera

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Before we begin the blog, let’s play a game!

Can you spot the fierce predator stalking this herd of deer?

Answer will be at the end!

Now onto the blog!

As much as we try and would love to be everywhere to capture the chimpanzees throughout the day, we can’t. It really is unfortunate because outside of what gets published in the blog, there are hundreds of moments during the day that are amazing. Though we can’t be there to get photos or footage, every now and again we are lucky enough to glance over to the security cameras and see what some of their day consists of.

Here are some bonus photos from today!

Rayne seemingly really enjoying her mountain rose apples at breakfast

Really she was just caught mid-blink

Negra went out onto Young’s Hill this morning to check out the new climbing structures J.B. and Jake are building

On her way back inside, she ran into a potential snack. Literally!

But alas the young pine was not willing to be uprooted for her

Gambit Gordo

Missy and Annie enjoying the morning on Young’s Hill

Burrito and Jamie returning from a patrol

Terry showing and grooming his own foot

And this guy!

Burrito was on top of a bench playing with a giant stuffed toy goose, and would occasionally look down

Were you able to find the fierce hunter earlier?

It’s Barn Kitty!

Barn Kitty (aka BK) is such a fierce individual. He doesn’t seem to be intimidated by size. I once watched him hide behind some tall grass and stalk J.B. as he was driving the tractor up hill. If he had the chance, I 100% believe he was weighing his options of pouncing; tractor or no tractor!