Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jamie

Photo Highlights From Today

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It can be a challenge to get photos of the chimps this time of the year. When it’s as cold as it has been, the chimps tend to hunker down and make themselves comfortable throughout the indoor enclosures. Often times, that means they are out of our sight, other than a foot or hand, or some other various body part. So, I consider it a success when I can get some photos, especially closeups, to share on the blog, because who doesn’t like looking at these chimps?

Annie

Missy

Burrito

Jamie

Jody

Negra

Foxie

Slo Mo Dominance Display

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What’s more terrifying than a chimpanzee dominance display? A dominance display in slow motion.

The chimps have been crazy all day. Burrito can become very sexually aroused when the girls have their swellings, particularly when all three girls who cycle are in estrus at the same time. But because he was raised by humans (like most entertainment and research chimpanzees), he doesn’t exhibit normal sexual behavior. The result is a lot of tension, a lot of frustration, and a whole lot of chaos.

Jamie stepped out of the playroom during the afternoon to release some of that tension in the form of a dominance display. Displays are partly under conscious control and partly not. In this case, it seemed clear to me that Jamie climbed to the top of the platform with the intention of displaying. But at the same time she wasn’t fully in control of the display. We often liken displays in this way to sneezes. You know when you have to sneeze but you just can’t? And you can’t do anything else until the sensation either dissipates or culminates in a sneeze? That’s what displays can seem like for chimpanzees. Jamie stood on that platform for three minutes, rocking back and forth, softly pant hooting, and then repositioning and hooting some more, until she finally got everything out in a two-second display. When she was finished, she went about her business as if nothing had happened.

I think we’ll all be a lot happier in a few days when Burrito can start to focus on other things…

Jamie’s Snow Day

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Winter can be tough on Jamie sometimes – her frequent perimeter walks have to be put on pause if she doesn’t want to trudge through inches of snow. But winter’s not all bad. When the chimps don’t want to go outside, we bring the outdoors to them.

The things we do.

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We are supposed to have a big winter storm headed our way tomorrow, but today has been dry and sooooooo cold, remaining well below freezing all day. So the chimps have been hunkered down in the toasty chimp house for the most part. They are handling it like troopers, but it can be extra challenging to try to pre-empt the inevitable boredom that comes with being stuck inside all day. So it’s in our mind throughout the day to come up with new, interesting, and even silly things.

One way to break up any tedium is for the humans to act as enrichment and attempt to entertain the chimps. So volunteer caregiver, Holly, and I took turns wearing a vibrant purple wig she brought in. Sometimes we get mixed reactions. Jamie will often look us up and down and just stare at us as if to express how embarrassed she is for us given our foolish behavior. Foxie will sometimes spit at us. And sometimes they will completely ignore us. But the wig was a hit with all today and had Foxie hanging upside down laughing and kicking the ceiling with her feet! Burrito was full of kisses for us and Missy thought it was pretty hilarious. Even the boss gave several head-nods of approval. So naturally, I had to have ever-the-good-sport Holly don the wig for lunch service. It’s the little things…:

Holly serving Jamie as Annie and Jody wait patiently:

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Jody, Annie and Jamie (and Holly, of course):

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After lunch, Jamie decided freezing temps or not, we were going for a walk. Missy is a good right-hand gal to Jamie and reluctantly, braved the cold with her. Missy kept stopping to wait for Annie who gave it a go, but in the end stood huddled with her arms wrapped around herself and then hightailed it bipedally back to the warm chimp house:

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So Jamie and Missy and I carried on:

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By the time we reached the downhill back to the chimp house we all decided to pick up the pace:

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When it’s below 20 at night we close off the greenhouse to help maintain heat in the chimp house overnight. And the chimps wouldn’t be out there when it’s this cold anyway. After a warm dinner of roasted acorn squash, mini-peppers and onions along with peanut butter and banana inside cups for evening enrichment, and extra blankets still warm from the dryer, everyone is settled inside for the night. Jamie just asked for her favorite boots to sleep with and I just turned off the chimps’ lights. Everyone is tucked into their nests safe, warm and cozy for the night. So goodnight from the chimp house!