Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jamie

Thinking inside the box

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Last night, volunteers, interns, and primate behavior students from Central Washington University got together to make some enrichment for the chimps. Their club is Primate Awareness Network—if you’ve been following the blog for awhile, that might sound a little familiar to you—they’ve hosted talks by CSNW staff during their annual spring speaker series several times.

We are so appreciative that they spent some time putting together boxes for the chimps, with nuts hidden in paper inside. The chimps seemed to enjoy their fun forage!


Annie:

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Jamie:

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Jody:

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Negra:

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After Missy went through a couple of boxes, she surveyed the situation to see if anything else was up for grabs:

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Today is in memory of Leonard Nimoy

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Eric Dodge in memory of Leonard Nimoy. Eric has been a long time supporter of chimpanzees and a friend to the Cle Elum 7 for many years. And today he wanted to make a difference for them while honoring the many contributions of Mr. Nimoy.

As many of you are probably aware, Leonard Nimoy, perhaps best known for his role as Spock on “Star Trek,” passed away on February 27th. As an actor, director, writer, musician and artist, Mr. Nimoy leaves a lifetime of accomplishment in the arts and humanities and used his position from a creative, progressive and inclusive standpoint, often at a time when social issues were not directly addressed.

In honoring Leonard Nimoy’s many contributions in life, Eric also aptly noted the worldwide appeal of his character, Spock, to so many of us who struggle to fit into our communities. This brings to mind the chimpanzees who, having been raised in captivity, in some cases to include human homes, often find themselves struggling with a cultural identity of their own.

While nothing replaces the natural lives the chimpanzees were meant to live with their families, we are so grateful that they can now spend their days in a sanctuary all their own, finally getting to call the shots and be loved and cared for as the unique individuals they are. Every day we see how life in sanctuary allows them to more easily integrate their conflicting natures and just be themselves. Whatever that means to each of them.

Eric, thanks so much for thinking of the chimpanzees and continuing to make a difference in their lives!

Jamie:

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Jamie looking over Young’s Hill:

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Jamie, Foxie, and Dora:

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In remembrance of Pat Trotta

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This day of sanctuary was also sponsored in remembrance of Pat Trotta by a wonderful friend of the Cle Elum Seven, Wanda Trotta, and her family:

“A day in remembrance of Pat Trotta who when we visited the “7” a couple of years ago was also taken by them.  He, like Jamie, was a leader –  in his field of optics. He leaves an enormous hole in our lives but fills our hearts with a 1/0 of love.  Enjoy being whole again, Pat and we’ll see you soon.

We love you 1/0, The Trottas”

We’re so glad that the chimps touched your lives, and honored that you chose to remember Pat in this way. In memory of Pat, here’s Jamie, as she so often does, leading her family on a walk around Young’s Hill:

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Another Sunny Day and Time Spent on Young’s Hill

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Sometimes looks can be deceiving. The sun was shining bright this morning, but there was still frost on the ground and a chill in the air. I figured the chimpanzees would wait for the temperature to rise a little before they would spend a good chunk of time on Young’s Hill, but that wasn’t the case this morning.

Volunteer caregiver Patti served breakfast in the Greenhouse and had just finished serving chow bags as I opened the door between the Greenhouse and Young’s Hill. Jody was actually waiting right by the door and walked out onto the hill, positioned herself in the sun and ate the contents of her first chow bag. Her breath was visible as the temperature was still in the 20’s.

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Annie soon followed Jody outside and sat on the logs to eat her chow.
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Missy followed Annie outside and took a few moments to sit on the logs and check out the scene.

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After finishing her first bag of chow, Jody made her way further up Young’s Hill before returning to her previous spot. On the way back down the hill, Jody greeted Missy who was on her way up the hill.

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Next to venture out onto Young’s Hill was Foxie, accompanied by her dear troll friend. She chose to enjoy her chow bags from the top of the platform in the sunshine.
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Jamie chose to finish her chow bags inside the Greenhouse before venturing out onto the hill. She walked around, stopping to listen to the ducks who were making noise nearby.

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Negra chose to enjoy her morning chow bags in the sun as well, just inside of the Greenhouse where it was warmer.

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Burrito on the other hand, spent most of his morning on top of the platform in the Greenhouse (possibly enjoying the quiet as most of the ladies were on the Hill).

I’ll never get tired of seeing these chimpanzees on Young’s Hill, where they can actually feel the grass below them and the warmth of the sunshine on their faces.

Mardi Gras after party

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To start the day off with some excitement, you may have heard that we had a 4.4 earthquake here in Cle Elum very early this morning! It definitely shook things up a bit, but for the most part it seems to have just woken people up with a start. The chimpanzees remained quiet and have appeared unphased today, though Jamie was uncharacteristically still in bed when I arrived this morning.

To add to the excitement the chimpanzees celebrated Mardi Gras today! A bit late, but that’s no reason for them to skip a party! We decided to have a partial breakfast forage in the greenhouse this morning with banana and strawberry smoothie in fancy cups, peanuts in gift boxes and chow. And of course, what Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a couple of bald, eyeless trolls?

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Burrito was beside himself and sat in the window fear grimacing with excitement and food squeaking as he watched one of our interns, Ally, and I set things up. His plan seems to have been to get as much chow as he could hold (mouth and hands both count):

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Jody was the first one out to the party and went straight for the fancy looking smoothies:

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It is Mardi Gras…

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Fancy drinks are always one of Jamie’s favorites and she typically collects as many as she can:

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Foxie was really in the spirit of things and doing a lot of her signature “spider chimp” moves, but was so fast I could only capture a couple of photos:

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Negra really enjoyed the chow and gift boxes with peanuts (both her favorites) and spent her time looking for them. Though judging from her clapping in a demanding manner at us, it would seem she didn’t think we put out enough! I believe she was appeased by J.B. dancing for her though (don’t tell him I told you that 😉 ). But hey, what’s Mardi Gras without dancing? Though I am sorry there is no photographic evidence of this portion of the revelries.

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Annie and Missy enjoyed the hoopla as well, but both preferred to avoid the paparazzi.

And what better way to end the day than with a walk around Young’s Hill:

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President’s Day Equals Jamie’s Day

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Since today is President’s Day, we decided to make it all about the “president” of this group of chimpanzees. As many of you may know by now, Jamie is the leader; the one to call the shots around here. She is certainly one of the most determined, demanding, project orientated ladies I know. So, today’s enrichment was focused around Jamie’s love of boots, brushes, scarves and walks around Young’s Hill.

When I arrived this morning, I went in to greet the chimpanzees and Jamie had tied a scarf around her neck. Apparently she knew it was boss day and was dressed for the occasion. She drew the line at me taking any photo evidence though. Burrito may have known it was going to be her day today because he spent the better part of yesterday late afternoon grooming Jamie in the Greenhouse and joined her in a walk around Young’s Hill.

Here’s the two of them sitting next to one another looking out onto Young’s Hill.

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And here’s Jamie rescuing Foxie’s troll dolls this afternoon. She spotted them on the ground near the top of Young’s Hill (I think Foxie left them there yesterday when she went for a walk), picked them up, sniffed them and decided to carry them back to the Greenhouse with her. Once in the Greenhouse she dropped them and walked back outside to go for another walk around the hill.

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The Day After

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All the excitement from yesterday’s big Valentine’s Day celebration has left the chimpanzees pretty quiet today. All of them spent time on Young’s Hill (some a little longer than others) in the sunshine. And this afternoon, most of them relaxed in the Greenhouse.

Jamie, as you may have guessed, took quite a few walks around Young’s Hill, before grooming her boots in the Greenhouse this afternoon. After our morning cleaning, I put on two black boots and went out to accompany her. I must have took too long because when I went outside, she and Missy were already at the top of the hill. Once she saw me, she walked back down to meet me (Missy took off running) and we continued back up the hill.

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Missy accompanied Jamie on a few of her perimeter patrols, half the time walking, half the time running. After that, she spent time chewing on an alfalfa cube in the Greenhouse.
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As you may have guessed already, Foxie spent her afternoon with her troll and dora dolls.
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Jody took a little time to stretch her arms from the tire swing. She also inspected the tree to see if there were any leftovers from yesterday’s party, although by the angle of the photo it seems she was deep in thought.
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Annie was all about kicking her feet up and relaxing in the Greenhouse.
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Burrito followed up his walk around Young’s Hill by sitting in the doorway leading from the Greenhouse to outside, looking out.
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And Negra. She went outside for a few moments, looked up to the sky before going back into the Greenhouse, where she could be sheltered from the cool breeze. Unfortunately, for photo purposes, she spent her time on top of the platform out of camera reach. But here’s one of her resting in one of her favorite spots in the Playroom.

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Thanks too all those who helped share the love for these beautiful chimpanzees!