Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jamie

Blankets and Nests Type of Day

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As part of today’s daytime enrichment we pre-made nests for the three groups of chimpanzees. They are clearly capable of making their own nests with the special modifications to meet each of their personal needs, therefore our pre-made nests might not be up to their standards. We won’t get offended if some rearranging and redecorating occurs, if anything it makes for good enrichment. For example, Jamie likes to incorporate boots and books to hers so tomorrow morning we might see some boot or book additions in them. In the wild their night nests are complex and are made by arranging tree branches and lining them with leaves, while their daytime nests are usually closer to the ground and less time consuming. Just in case, we made some in all areas of the enclosures to allow the chimps to pick and choose where they want to rest, after alterations are made. We mostly used blankets and different fabrics to design them today but other days we provide the chimps different materials to make their evening or daytime resting nests like paper, plant material, clothing, silk scarves, etc.

Last week was busy with introductions so as caregivers were making nests in the different enclosures, some had the same thought I had: let’s just lay down here for a bit.

Caregivers Kelsi and Sam testing out some nests in the front rooms.

What do you guys think about this pre-made nest?

This morning I saw Negra nesting while enjoying squash browse that Dr. Erin brought yesterday.

Jamie on one of the pre-made nests caregivers prepared today in the green house.

Annie nesting in the greenhouse. Note how she is holding her hand and foot.

Missy and Jody on the greenhouse platform, Jody arranging blankets for her nest.

Enjoy some extras:

Burrito sitting peacefully on the platform of the greenhouse. Don’t be fooled, this guy does not let us skip our daily cardio.

Foxie in the greenhouse looking straight at the camera.

Honey B chilling in the playroom.

Missy looking towards the hill on this chilly and cloudy day.

Dora about to eat the raisin she successfully retrieved from the raisin board using a chopstick.

Rayne carrying around a chopstick after going through most of the raisin board enrichment.

PS. Check out our Amazon wish-list for a list of books for this years Jamieween celebration!

Leadership

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Jamie has always held a dominant position in her group but she’s generally not what one would consider a leader. Leaders don’t scream and throw fits when they don’t get their way or harbor grudges for days only to attack without provocation (see: Missing Toe, Jody). Jamie’s drive to be on top is fueled by a deep insecurity and the mantle of leader never quite fits.

Until she steps out onto the hill.

Once she crosses the threshold of the raceway, she emerges as someone else entirely. She supports her friends when they are scared or anxious. She bears the burden, often single-handedly, or protecting her home and family. It’s a version of Jamie almost unseen within the confines of the greenhouse and playroom walls, where petty squabbles for food puzzles and attention from humans dominate.

So many examples of leadership in our own species are born from moments or situations that are larger than ourselves. Perhaps it is just as true for Jamie. Outside, there are cows to supervise, snakes to kill, and boundaries to patrol. There’s a vast and constantly changing horizon. The world is bigger out there and it requires cooperation and teamwork to manage. And a team needs a leader.

Once the outside world is sufficiently conquered, however, she calls dibs on all the raisin boards. Touch one and she will scream.

Snippets

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Here are a few moments that I captured on my phone throughout the past week.

People often ask if it’s difficult to care for chimpanzees without being able to touch them outside of the very limited contact we have through the mesh. Perhaps it’s a function of the institutional cultures in which we were trained, but it’s not something I really think about. Nor do I care much about it when it does cross my mind. They have their world, we have ours, and there are clearly-defined, logical rules for the areas where those two worlds meet for the sake of everyone’s safety. The way we interact with the chimps in our care becomes natural and comfortable for both them and us, and pushing those boundaries does nothing but put our own desires above their best interests.

That being said, there’s not a person on earth that’s seen Mave in action and not wanted to be enveloped in her soft, fuzzy embrace.

So sue me.

Isn’t Sanctuary Life Grape?

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A million thanks to all Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest supporters that participated yesterday in our HOOT! For The Holidays virtual celebration to welcome the Lucky Six. We are all so grateful for the generous donations and bids because we surpassed our goal by plenty and more, assuring future plans to develop. Sanctuary life for these amazing 16 chimpanzees could not be possible without all of you amazing souls. We hope that learning more about the Lucky Six and their past brought everyone a bit closer to them.

To continue the celebration we harvested some grapes directly from our small vineyard and gave some to the chimps as an afternoon snack. Everyone was very excited about fresh grapes!

I walked to the green house and noticed this chimp lineup. Caregiver Katelyn had many sets of eyes looking at her while she harvested grapes from the vineyard.

Caregiver Katelyn serving Missy some grapes fresh from the vine.

Negra all cozy this morning in the green house. Thanks to everyone that has donated blankets, they certainly appreciate it!

Foxie coming in from Young’s Hill after enjoying a beautiful sunny day.

Gordo resting high up on the green house platform after a scrumptious lunch.

Mave looking into the camera while enjoying the breeze in the outdoor chute.

Rayne looking down from a platform in the green house with a wooden toy in her mouth.

Boxes, BidWars and Blankets!

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Just like the title says this blog involves boxes, BidWars, and blankets! Gordo enjoyed his lunch while sitting in a box today. After lunch he found another box in the Greenhouse to soak up some sun.

The HOOT! online auction is still going strong! Bidding will end at 7:00pm Pacific tonight unless an item goes to BidWars. Even if you aren’t bidding, you might want to tune in to the auction site to see BidWars (explained on the FAQ page). If you missed the exciting live-streamed virtual event last night, you can still watch the recording on YouTube or Facebook.

Lastly, Jamie was spotted looking mighty comfy in a blanket nest today. The weather was a bit cooler, so big blanket nests seemed to be the theme of the day for a lot of the chimps. At one point Missy was so wrapped up in a blanket we couldn’t tell who it was until she poked her head out!

We can’t thank everyone enough who has participated in HOOT! this year. It’s so amazing to have so much support and help in expanding the home for these wonderful chimpanzees (and bovine!). You all are amazing!

Gordo looking fabulous in his box!
Honey B always watching.
Terry resting between a game of chase
Jamie in her blanket nest.
Burrito resting after a run around the hill with Chad. Katelyn and I were ahead of them racing Jamie in the gator!

Everybody Loves Dora

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Humans and chimps all really do love Dora, who wouldn’t! As I walked by the front rooms I found Rayne and Dora playing. Eventually, Lucky wanted to join the fun. Dora may be teeny tiny, but she can hold her own if she needs to! Dora may be small, but she sure is mighty!

After the play session Lucky needed to rest.

Cy guy <3. I think Cy has stolen everyone’s heart in this chimp house. I truly have never met a chimp sweeter than Cy.

Missy spying on the neighbors, while wearing a stylish grape sock.

Burrito being his perfect self!

And Jamie! She built this incredibly cozy, comfy, HUGE nest and then tucked herself in.

 

 

Exhilarating Day

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Today was a pretty exhilarating day. Burrito is doing really well, so well he got to go back with this group! Burrito is truly inspiring, he never gives up and through his struggles he somehow finds a way to be more positive and goofy through it all.

Foxie greeted Burrito by giving him a hug.

Dr. Missy checking Burrito out.

This other amazing thing happened today! Willy B got to hang out with Terry and then later Willy B met Lucky! Terry and Willy B did so well! Willy B was having so much fun he almost didn’t want to leave. There was a moment when they were grooming so intensely I felt a little emotional watching because they seemed so happy and were breathy panting so loudly! Willy B and Lucky had great interactions too! They had a really nice grooming session. I mean who wouldn’t have a good time with Lucky!

Willy B and Terry!

Lucky and Willy B!

Bonus photos!

Negra looking out the window in the portrait studio.

Lucky in her new favorite spot.

Willy B looking at himself through the camera.

I love this picture. Jamie is playing keep away with Foxie’s France Dora. Foxie just peaking out behind Jamie.