Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jamie

Cowboy Party

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What’s one way to make seven chimpanzees awfully happy? Throw a spontaneous party. Supporter Lisa Stuverud sent us a box of decorations and enrichment for a cowboy party (and of course we already had dozens of cowboy boots thanks to Jamie’s obsession), so we had everything we needed for a good time.

Jamie was the first into the greenhouse, and she was throwing back her first drink before most of the others even made it out the door.

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She checked high and low for hidden treats. Here she’s getting ready to use a fire hose to swing up into one of the windowsills where we often hide food:

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Foxie sampling the pomegranate juice:

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Annie:

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Negra went through several of these boot bags filled with shredded paper searching for sunflower seeds.

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Burrito’s strategy was simple: to find as many pieces of chow as one man could hold.

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Thanks, Lisa, for making the chimps’ day!

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Jessica Larson! Today also happens to be Jessica’s 30th birthday and she shared the following message:

“I honor the chimps who have taught me so much about myself and my world on this day. May they enjoy 30 plus years of happiness and health in the sanctuary.”

We often hear from people how much the chimpanzees inspire them. Even people who have not had the opportunity to meet the chimps in person often share the profound difference they bring to their lives. We are so grateful that the chimpanzees are recognized not only as the special individuals they are, but for the value and significance of what they contribute to life, in no other way than just being themselves.

Jessica, thank you so much for honoring the chimpanzees on your own special day and for your generosity and compassion of gifting them with a day of sanctuary! All of us here at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays!!

Jamie bright eyes

No time to rest

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I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve walked around Young’s Hill today. We started just after breakfast, with Jamie frantically gesturing towards the bin of boots in the kitchen, letting us know that is was time to begin the daily ritual. After exchanging one of my sneakers for a bright red cowboy boot, we set out together to patrol the perimeter of her two-acre enclosure. There was another walk before lunch, and then another just afterwards. Steph and Debbie went on a patrol with Jamie in mid-afternoon, and then I rejoined Jamie for another before dinner. As soon as dinner was over it was time to head out again for a couple more. And just a moment ago, at a little after 7pm, I handed my red cowboy boot to Diana, who will walk with Jamie as the sun starts to set. This might be the last, but somehow I doubt it.

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Mixing it up a bit

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Many folks have come to know the chimpanzees and their special interests. For instance, Foxie and her love of troll and dora dolls, Jamie and her love of boots and Negra and her love of nesting with a lot of blankets. Well, today, the chimpanzees decided to mix things up a bit.

Annie is usually shy in front of the camera, but not today. Here she is blowing bubbles.
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Then she licked the bubbles,
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and then blew more bubbles,
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and even more bubbles.
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Foxie, who can usually be found with a troll or dora doll had one of Burrito’s favorite toys in her mouth.
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Jamie usually lets us know when we pick out the right boot she wants us to wear for walking around Young’s Hill. Today she did not seem content with just one boot. After I showed her each boot in her boot bin, she continued to stomp on the second story of the playroom floor and motion toward her bin of boots. Turns out she wanted two boots not just one!

The boots on my feet during a walk around Young’s Hill with Jamie.
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Jamie with her boots after the walk around Young’s Hill.
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And finally, while cleaning the Playroom, we discovered an unusually large nest of blankets in Negra’s favorite nesting spot. Thinking that it was a little bit on the large side, we decided to count the number of blankets and found that she had made her nest with 31 blankets!! Throughout the course of a day, we place a total of 60 blankets in the Playroom, Greenhouse and Front Rooms, so a 31 blanket nest is quite large and probably quite comfortable. I wonder how many blankets she will use to build tonight’s nest. Unfortunately, I did not think to take a photo, but thought I would share that with you.

Everyone Loves Tomatoes

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There’s no denying Missy’s love of tomatoes, as Diana mentioned in her blog post recently, but today, all of the chimpanzees showed their love for Missy’s favorite food.

As soon as caregiver Katelyn walked into the garden, Missy was quick to get in position for Katelyn to serve her.

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Jamie quickly joined Missy at the window directly above where the plants are growing to get her share.

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Foxie realized what was happening and joined Missy and Jamie.

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It quickly became apparent to Katelyn that there was not enough room left in the window for the other chimpanzees. So, she moved over to the barn doors to serve the tomatoes. It didn’t take long for Negra, who was sleeping on the catwalk right above the window overlooking the plants, to climb down to get some tomatoes as well.

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Jody approached the barn doors to join in on the tomato fun with Negra on her left and Foxie on her right.

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As soon as Burrito and Annie realized Katelyn was serving tomatoes by the barn doors, they quickly joined the party. But, somehow they managed to avoid the camera and I am left with no photographic evidence of them eating any of the tomatoes (although I promise you, I saw tomatoes in their mouths).

Waiting Out the Storm

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For the last couple of days, we’ve gotten a much needed break from the hot and dry conditions here in Cle Elum. It’s been overcast and cool, with some rain and thunder. While the chimpanzees don’t love to be outside when it’s raining, they do seem to love cool, gray days, so they’ve been enjoying exploring Young’s Hill whenever the rain stops for a bit. When it starts up again, they head inside and cuddle up with some blankets or a favorite doll. Katelyn snapped these photos yesterday of Jamie and Negra keeping dry indoors.

Jamie:

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Negra:

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The train

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There is a train that goes along the river that is in the valley below the sanctuary. Negra often likes to watch the train go by at her window spot from the playroom—the train can be seen on the south side of the building and Young’s Hill. Jody however, was on the north end of the hill this morning when the train started to go by. We don’t always hear the horn blowing (because there aren’t any large train crossings near us) but you can sometimes hear a slight screech of the wheels against the tracks.

When Jody heard that this morning, she got a little spooked, and approached Jamie for some reassurance by reaching out and hugging her back. Jamie grunted (sorry, the photos don’t show that!) to sort of affirm, “yes, I heard that, too, and it’s okay.”

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Still somewhat spooked, Jody retreated toward the safety of the greenhouse.

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But before she could reach the building, she saw the train passing by, and I think she was comforted in seeing that the strange noise was really coming from something quite normal in their lives.

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