Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jamie

Bathed in light

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The past couple of mornings have been our first breaths of winter dawning at around 18-20 degrees, frost covered land and bluebird skies. Beautiful. While the chimpanzees were being served breakfast I was completing the perimeter check of Young’s Hill (making sure their outdoor habitat is safe before giving them access to it). When I got to the top of the hill, the fields up there were breathtaking!

Once the sun comes up over the hill it warms up to some degree, but I wasn’t sure the chimps would do their usual dash onto the hill. But again and again, we learn never to underestimate their  joy of life and curiosity. Negra, naturally, chose to remain in a sun puddle in the greenhouse, but everyone else rushed onto the hill to soak in the beautiful morning light. Missy and Annie stopped briefly to check out construction noises before making their way to the structures to eat frost:

Burrito, extra floofy in the cold morning air:

After spending a good length of time sitting in the sun and licking the frost off everything they could find, everyone made their way back to the greenhouse and playroom to bask, quite literally, in the sunshine streaming through the windows. This entire day the chimpanzees have been utterly quiet, content and bathed in light.

Foxie sat like this, unmoving, for nearly an hour. Keeping an eye on me at the computer, soaking in all that sun:

Jamie remained in this position the entire time we cleaned the playroom. I thought she was asleep, but every time I looked, her eyes were wide as if in a daydream.

Annie, in all her grace:

Cold, but cozy

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The mornings here at the sanctuary have been clear, but icy cold. The chimps have all been in good spirits despite choosing to spend a little more time indoors and most of them spent the morning thundering through the chimp house and anxious to play. But the afternoon has been for snoozing in warm, sunny spots.

Foxie was the most joyful, wild woman when we arrived this morning. Granted, she usually is, but this morning was next level! The second I walked into the chimp house she greeted me by repeatedly jumping up and play thumping the ceiling of the loft (my cue to jump up and hit the arch of the doorway in return – silly human can’t jump far) and then playing chase. It’s a thing. She spent the entire morning doing somersaults, pirouettes, hanging upside-down and playing chase with all her caregivers. As a result, she needed a few naps later in the day and curled up on the heated floor of the playroom in a sunny spot:

We refer to this as Foxie’s “dead beetle pose” which she usually does when she’s feeling playful or relaxing:

Once Foxie started dozing off, I saw Jamie standing over her attempting to get her to play by pinching her toes. But Foxie was too exhausted for any shenanigans so Jamie eventually gave up and decided to bring her new boots over to just hang out with her friend:

Jamie has been carrying her new boots from friend, Kelsi, around all morning to nest with:

Sooo sleepy:

The chimps aren’t the only ones feeling sleepy and looking for sun puddles on these frosty cold mornings:

Nutmeg and Honey:

Betsy:

As soon as J.B. put fresh hay out for them yesterday they all four promptly curled up on it together in the sun, enjoying breakfast in bed.

Meredith and sleepy Nutmeg on a hay pile in the sun:

Betsy and her “baby boy,” Nutmeg:

Nutmeg:

Kelsi and Jamie are out for a pre-dinner walk before the sun sets over the hill and Negra should be clapping her demands for dinner service from the loft any second. Hoping you all are also finding the joy and cozy in these beautiful crisp mornings, be they your autumn or spring.

Morning Sun

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What a beautiful morning!

However, even with all this beauty Jamie had some supervision to do early this morning! Construction on our new driveway is in full motion and Jamie wanted to make sure it was going smoothly. After, she made sure to get her other morning patrols in, such as, perimeter walk and laying on her barrel to supervise the volunteers cleaning.

Jamie:

Jody kept Jamie company:

And Burrito surveyed Jamie and Jody: