Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
It’s been a warm, sleepy, happy day at the sanctuary. Here are my favorite snapshots from today.
Negra waking up in the greenhouse this morning:
Boss Jamie with a rare playface:
BFFs Annie and Missy grooming:
Burrito in a quiet moment:
Foxie and Dora:
Jody enjoying some wild plants she harvested from Young’s Hill:
At Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, we have three levels of volunteers that work in the chimp house. As a level one volunteer, you get to work in the chimpanzees’ kitchen, washing produce, preparing enrichment and meals, etc. As a level two volunteer, you get participate in cleaning enclosures and performing safety checks (in addition to the level one duties). Level three training is all about learning to serve meals and interact with the chimpanzees safely (always from outside of the chimpanzees’ enclosure). For many, level three training is very exciting as you start to develop a more personal relationship with each of the chimpanzees. But let me tell you, getting to know the chimpanzees is not all sunshine and roses (or food grunts and play faces).
Chimpanzees can be relentless with their initiation rituals. They will make sure you know safety rules as well as obey the hierarchy of the group as soon as you serve your first banana. Jamie especially, will come down hard with her trial by fire. She often seems to make up rules as she goes along, just to make you suffer. The consequences for “disobeying” her (and trust me, everyone does at some point) are fierce. Getting a face full of smoothie or water spit at you (with the other chimpanzees threat barking their encouragement) is a kind punishment as far as Jamie’s concerned.
Volunteer Yuri demonstrates how to wear blueberry smoothie and look happy doing it. Today was his first morning serving breakfast as a Level three trainee and Jamie gave him something to remember her by.
Speaking of having things spit at you…and this is not a proud moment for me… but I will tell you that I once had a protein drink spit at me (at a different sanctuary) with such force that it went up my nose and I tasted it in the back of my throat. Gross, right?
It’s hard to believe that this sweet looking chimpanzee was throwing unspeakable things at us just this morning, but that’s part of the fun and intrigue of working with beings that wear their emotions on their sleeve.
You never know just what the day will bring you (and it will often be disgusting). One thing remains the same at the end of each day: you still love your chimpanzee friends.
Fruit smoothie is a perpetual highlight of the chimpanzees’ day.
This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Rachel Ruggeri! Rachel is such a wonderful friend to the chimps and she shared this lovely message about today:
“The chimps at the sanctuary are always first every year to send me a birthday card. And that card makes my day! So in honor of them, I want to celebrate by starting my year off with a donation to them. Happy Birthday to us all!”
Rachel, thank you SO much for celebrating your special day by ensuring the chimpanzees’ lives remain full of comfort, safety, adventure, love, laughter and goofiness! Our hearts are full of gratitude for all you do for these seven amazing people. Happiest of birthdays to you and we all send you wishes and hoots for a beautiful year ahead!
Annie:
Burrito:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Jody:
Missy (Annie in foreground):
Negra:
After breakfast was served this morning everyone took their chow bags to go, be it to work (Jamie walking the perimeter), explore (Foxie and her Doras), or just head back to bed (Negra). We serve the chimps two small bags of primate chow biscuits each after breakfast and lunch and the chimps are usually anxious to receive them. But Missy was so anxious to go outside that she didn’t even stay long enough to take both her bags! She took one and rushed up the hill behind Jamie before setting off on her own.
Jamie headed straight for her beloved lookout on Twister, below the crow’s nest, followed by Jody (at base of Twister), Burrito and Annie (in lower right corner). It didn’t take long for Burrito to realize he’d gotten himself into a long walk, so he stopped briefly to stuff BOTH bags full of chow into his mouth before continuing on his way with the others:
Jamie and Jody at the top, as Burrito and Annie look around below:
Jamie enjoying her chow while somehow managing to look cool and relaxed. That foot!!
Missy quickly made her way to the top of Carlene’s Tower to enjoy her chow in solitude:
Foxie initially stayed below and explored with her twin Dora dolls:
But she eventually decided to follow the others up to the top of the hill and stopped briefly to toss the dolls on her back. This is how chimp mamas carry their children when on the go. We don’t know if Foxie does this as maternal behavior toward her dolls or if it’s just an easier way to carry them when she’s on the move, but nevertheless it’s always endearing.
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Kathy Sorensen! The chimpanzees are so fortunate to have so many people who contribute to their lives in so many ways and we are so grateful. Kathy shared this beautiful message about today:
“I am sponsoring the chimps to celebrate my 60th birthday. I visited last year around my birthday and this year being a significant day for me I thought how better to celebrate! I get such joy each day from the group. Their new adventures and freedom are exciting and peaceful at the same time. I am so glad I found them and the organization.”
Happy Birthday, Kathy! Thank you so much for giving the chimpanzees this special day along with your own, helping to ensure that the hope, love, home and sanctuary made possible for them through people like you is something they get to celebrate and relish every single day of their lives. This was such a lovely thing to do and all of us here at CSNW hope you have the best birthday yet! Thank you so much for sharing your life and your heart with these amazing chimps!
Jamie surveying her home from the crow’s nest of Twister:
Missy and Jamie playfully brachiating (swinging arm over arm) through the green house:
Jamie, Burrito, and Foxie patrolling the perimeter of Young’s Hill together:
Jamie enjoying a magazine:
Jamie nesting with a beloved cowboy boot:
Every morning before we give the chimpanzees access to Young’s Hill we do a perimeter check, walking the fence line to ensure everything is secure. I did this from inside Young’s Hill today as I was picking up around the chimps’ outdoor habitat. Every time I am out there I am in awe of the views so I can only imagine what it means to the chimps.
This is the chimps’ view as they enter Young’s Hill from the greenhouse. Imagine going from a view of the wall in a windowless basement from behind bars to having your door opened to this each day:
These are the chimps’ views from atop Carlene’s Tower of the wooded hillside across from the sanctuary and where Missy and Annie often like to enjoy their morning chow or wild greens:
And in the opposite direction toward the mountains and river below (and also Jamie’s current favorite when she sits atop the crow’s nest):
The beautiful valley below from the chimps’ log bridge atop the wild mustard and lettuce mounds (the spot Negra has been hiking to almost daily this summer!):
Negra:
Jamie’s pathway when she walks the perimeter every day with her caregivers following along on the other side of the fence:
Jamie:
The bamboo tunnel in the middle of the hill:
As the chimps had breakfast, lunch and dinner today there were so many fresh, healthy, yummy foods for them to choose from that I noticed the majority of them were quick to let us know exactly what they wanted to be served first, what they wanted to pass on and even what color of a certain food they preferred. To see the chimps not only have choices, but see them recognize and KNOW that they have choices and make those choices from a sense of abundance is an incredible thing.
This freedom, abundance and love that fills each of the chimpanzees lives is because of the many forms of support you provide them. Every day is one of celebration and we couldn’t be more grateful to you.
And because we believe the chimpanzees can never have too much to celebrate, if you haven’t yet heard we have some exciting Christmas in July festivities happening! Check out our Christmas in July video starring Foxie and Dora on the GoPro on Young’s Hill (trust me, you don’t want to miss this one) and then help us fill up our stockings! We’ve stocked up our Amazon Wish List with things the amazing chimpanzees need and things the caregivers need to take care of the amazing chimpanzees and we’re going to have a party for the chimps on July 29th to celebrate!
Foxie and Dora send hoots upon hoots of thanks to you (as do we all)!
