Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

in memoriam

Love for Nutmeg

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Today is our first in a series of Valentine’s posts about each of the individuals in our care.

We are using the month of love to tell you more about everyone so they can gain more Chimpanzee Pals and Bovine Buddies. We hope to have 30 new pal or buddies by the end of the month!

I wanted to kick off the love with a post about Nutmeg, the steer we lost in March of 2024. Today would have been his 11th birthday.

As we share on his bio page, Nutmeg was born at Farm Sanctuary on February 10, 2015. His mom Betsy, along with Honey, were dairy cows purchased for a reality TV series called “Utopia”. When the show ended, after Honey’s daughter Meredith was born on set, the veterinarian and the show’s producer didn’t want to send pregnant Betsy and her new family back into the dairy industry. Seeking an alternative, and lucky for Nutmeg and his family, they found Farm Sanctuary. Like his cow companions, he came to our sanctuary on November 2, 2018 from Farm Sanctuary‘s Northern California shelter when it closed.

Nutmeg was best known for looking intimidating but being a big softie who still relied on his mom for comfort. He had a boyish charm that he shared with other sanctuary residents, which I wrote about in this blog post. Nutmeg was also known for his enviable curly red hairdo.

He liked tractors (seriously) and scratching his big, lovable head:

In the fall, he was most likely to be found picking apples right off the tree in the winter pasture. I will forever think of that particular tree as being Nutmeg’s.

What got Nutmeg out of bed in the morning was probably Betsy or Honey getting out of bed first and him dutifully following their cue.

Nutmeg was the first steer I got to know well, and I am thankful for every moment I was able to spend with him.

Nutmeg currently has two in memoriam Bovine Buddies. Thank you to them for continuing to honor his memory and his influence on the sanctuary. If you’d like to join their herd, you can become his Buddy here: https://chimpsnw.org/you-can-help/be-a-bovine-buddy/

Remembering Jody

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For me, almost everything about spring reminds me of Jody.

The lilacs are beginning to bud, and we’ll soon be into May, the month that we celebrate Jody’s birthday and her tender and motherly ways.

We are so lucky to have known her.

We are so lucky she was with us for as long as she was.

We are so lucky we got to be with her as she fully enjoyed her sanctuary life.

 

Champion Among Apes

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The fact that the apes exist and that we can study them is extremely important and makes us reflect on ourselves and our human nature. In that sense alone, you need to protect the apes.”

We join the primatology world in mourning the loss of researcher Frans de Waal. Frans was one of the bigger names in primatology. His studies on cognition, emotions, empathy, intelligence, (this list goes on) are widely regarded as some of the most important studies contributed to the study of primates, particularity those relating to chimpanzees and bonobos.

Though in his early years most of his studies we focused on captive lab settings, he started to champion for non-lab studies and conservation efforts. In fact, he has been associated with many sanctuaries either as a member of board of directors or as consultant on behavior and welfare.

Frans was the author of many books on the topic of intelligence and empathy. Some of those aren’t all centered around primates but go through a whole spectrum of species. I could list all the books I recommend to read, but it would be a just a majority of his works. I will though say if you haven’t read his most influential book “Chimpanzee Politics,” that would be the best place to start. “Chimpanzee Politics” is the book that actually set me down the path to where I am now. At the time, I was well down the rabbit hole of majoring in political science and only a minor in anthropology, one of the many umbrellas the field of primatology falls under, which I was unaware of at the time. That book allowed me to realize I could marry up my political science and anthropology studies together.

“Chimpanzee Politics” was so influential to me, I was able to get Frans to sign my copy when he was passing through Seattle and giving a talk about animal emotions in conjunction with the release of his book “Mama’s Last Hug,” which I also recommend. “Mama’s Last Hug,” was written after the viral video of Mama recognized one of her oldest researchers, Jan van Hooff, visited her as she was in her final days. Not only can you read all about Mama in the book, but you can also read about her in “Chimpanzee Politics.” She plays a HUGE role in that monumental book.

The world of primatology has taken two big hits recently. Other than Frans, influential researcher Christophe Boesch passed away in January. Christophe also contributed a lot to the field with his research on social cognition, tool use, and cooperation of the chimpanzees in the Taï National Forest of Côte d’Ivoire.

With that, I will leave you all with links to Frans’ TED Talks about “morality” and “alpha males.” The are both really great.

To not leave everybody totally down, here are some happy photos!

Rayne

Rayne put her breakfast pears in a cup from yesterday’s celebration to avoid walking with totally full hands.
Look at that happy face! Rayne’s play session with Honey B this morning was just like this photo; a blur of fur and laughs.

Cy

Cy watching the traffic go by on the nearby highway from Ryan’s Lookout.

Lucky

Check out those peanut butter lips from her afternoon Kong!

Gordo

On his way back in from today’s lunch forage on The Bray.

Mave

Waiting for caregivers to give her and her family access back to the Marmot Mountain Playroom after cleaning.

Mora

These next few photo are terrible, but also too good not to share.

Grooming each other while laying down.
Who knows what warranted this hug? These two seem to find ANY reason to hug.

Cy and Lucky

It’s actually a little difficult to get photos of these two siblings together.
So it was nice to capture a few when they were both on Ryan’s Lookout during today’s lunch forage.

Forever Be Mine, Jody

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I apologize in advance if I’m going to sound like a bumbling fool in today’s blog. This one isn’t going to be easy for me.

My dearest Jody/Jo/JoJo/Joji/Farmer Jo. It hasn’t even been a full year since you left, and my only hope is to be able to formulate my thoughts in a coherent way to fully encapsulate just what an amazing being you have been.

Jody was born some time in 1975. Her records during this time were spotty, so it is believed Jody was likely wild caught. During the first 33 years of her life was spent with the Buckshire Corporation in Pennsylvania. It was there Jody was lent out to different medical laboratories for hepatitis testing, including the notorious and (thankfully) now defunct Alamogordo Primate Facility. During her time in medical testing, Jody was used as a breeder, meaning she was forced pregnancy upon to her with the only intention for her children to become test subjects themselves. In her life, Jody became pregnant 11 times, giving birth to nine and miscarrying two. Her children Andrea, Bart, and Clay, were rescued by Save the Chimps. Her son, Levi, was rescued after a long fight to have him released after he was transferred from Alamogordo to a laboratory in Texas in stead of sanctuary. Thankfully, Levi was rescued and now lives his best life at Chimp Haven. Unfortunately, her other children, April, Adam, and Opy, were not able to experience sanctuary life and passed away before getting the chance. We currently do not know the whereabouts, history, or status of her remaining two children, Cliff and Taylor.

Andrea (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Bart (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Clay (Photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)
Levi (Photo courtesy of caregiver Ellen)

It’s obvious to me these kids got their good looks from their mom.

Jody arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in 2008 with the rest of the Cle Elum Seven. It was here Jody was able to live out her remaining days without fear of routine knockdowns and being forced into pregnancy to only give up her child. She gained the titles “Den Mother” and “Manager” to her group by caregivers because of the way she was able to ease tense situations or make a distraction from it. From my point of view, Jody seemed very fair when determining who was at fault starting a fight or protecting individuals who were unduly blamed by the rest of the group for causing a ruckus. There were countless times I witnessed Jody deflect the rest of the group’s attention from Foxie during a fight to herself, giving Foxie time to get away.

She also looked after Negra carefully. Jody seemed to know what would make Negra over stimulated or give her a scare, and do all that she could keep an eye on her and prevent any negative feeling Negra might feel.

Jody was a a master forager, hence the nickname “Farmer Jo.” If Jody did have a favorite food, it would be whatever food she got herself; something she was denied to do the first 30+ years of her life.  Jody loved to pick out her own food, whether it was food caregivers put out onto Young’s Hill or things that naturally grow on Young’s Hill.

And let’s not forget, Jody was the master nest builder of any chimpanzee that has called CSNW home.

And the Great Pumpkin Thief!

There are so many stories I could tell about my time with Jody. One though sticks out in particular though. It was during the summer a few years ago. Katelyn and I were standing right outside the entrance to the building. The sky was cloudy and the air was still. It was that feeling of right before a storm hits. Katelyn and I were looking out onto Young’s Hill and Foxie was about to set off on one of her own adventures. Out of nowhere, the was a blur that raced toward Foxie. It was Jody. Jody put her arm around Foxie and redirected her back to the indoors, looking over her should every few feet to ensure Foxie was still following. Not long after that, a thunderstorm hit. Katelyn and I summed it up Jody being the den mother that she was, running after Foxie and in her own chimpanzee way was yelling, “FOXIE! GET INSIDE!”

Note: This photo is not of the event described previously.

I only knew Jody for six of her 15 years here at CSNW. I fell and fell hard for Jody when I first met her. I mean, who wouldn’t? Always miss her. Everyday, when I walk into work, there will always be a part of me that feels it is missing. I can no longer get Jody’s enthusiastic bouncing to greet caregivers or kiss she would give me, especially if I had been a way for a while. I can no longer get lost in the sounds of her content of the low moan or “dinosaur noise.” I am self-aware enough to know I have not accepted or processed her passing, thus I haven’t grieved yet. (Side note: I do not recommend this avenue of approach. If you are going through a mental crisis, please seek help. There are many resources out there that can and will help.) I know eventually I will have to come to terms with everything so my own mental health doesn’t decline, and I’m hoping this blog is my first step toward recovery.

I was only part of Jody’s life for a fraction of it. She will, however, always be a part of mine for my remaining days on this earth.

I will miss and love you eternally, my sweet Joji. Grunts and hoots forever.

A big thank you to those who continue to be Jody’s Chimpanzee Pal:

Vicki, Monica, Chris & Lee Ann, Donna, Sandy, Sharlene, Sandy, Barbara, Rebecca, Amy, Jean, Laura, Shari, Jill, and Carole.

Though she is gone, she is not forgotten. You can still become Jody’s Pal in her memory by signing up here!

Come on Down!

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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.