There is nothing quite like sitting down with your chimpanzee friend for a long afternoon grooming session. Jamie loves to groom her caregivers through the caging using a carefully selected tool, but seems to equally enjoy a relaxing moment where her caregivers return the kindness.
Jamie
Unwind
We had a nice relaxing day here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest!
Burrito was following Jody around a lot today (on the Hill, in the Playroom, and laid close by her side in the Greenhouse):
But Jody was still able to make sometime for herself:
Annie, Burrito, & Foxie all went off to venture out on the Hill. Everyone eventually went on a walk with Jamie, except Neggie who stayed in her nice warm bed:
Annie did quite a bit of solo walking on Young’s Hill (maybe taking in the nice view or the gentle breeze):
Afterwards Annie was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open:
Jamie was watching the volunteers clean the Playroom in the utmost comfort:
However, Jamie also became so sleepy she couldn’t keep her eyes open:
Ahhh, summertime…
Jamie has been a happy chimp woman today as indicated by her lying upside down on her favorite barrel watching the happenings of the chimp house, occasionally kicking and flailing about when she’s feeling silly. I thought she might enjoy a drink from the mister on this warm summer day and she responded with a definite “YES!”
Though the chimpanzees really enjoy drink buckets and frozen treats, they don’t really like to get wet and while Jamie enjoys the mister, she typically only likes to catch it in her mouth. But today she was thoroughly delighted with a steady misting by her staff. And we were thoroughly delighted by her joy. Ahhh, summertime…
Beat the Heat
The chimps were proactive this morning to beat the heat! First they got all their strenuous tasks out of the way. For example, today was a whopping 96 degrees and tomorrow is only going to get hotter. So Jamie decided to get her walks in right away in the morning:
Second we kept everything closed off to keep it cool all day, but before we crawled into our dark den (we have all been there on a hot day) we got some grooming done:
Missy, Annie, and Jody thought they should groom in the Greenhouse early:
Annie grooming Jody:
Missy:
And Burrito decided to have a lazy day and just watch the volunteers clean:
In the playroom we set out water in buckets (the chimps always have access to water but sometimes drinking water out of buckets is fun!) and in between cleaning areas I would serve water out of the hose or spray our handled mister/fan (really only Jamie like that…).
However, as our third way to stay cool we had a vote and the chimps decided to have watermelon shaved ice boats. So that’s what we did!
Staff caregiver Katelyn was kind enough to help me with this task (Foxie observing closely):
Jamie:
The watermelon was so juicy:
Burrito:
Burrito was so excited you can see how pilo his hair is:
Annie:
I don’t think anything is more refreshing than watermelon shaved ice!
Chimp Proof
One of the chimpanzees’ front rooms was closed off for maintenance recently. For seven straight days, the chimps watched as Co-Directors J.B. and Diana stripped the walls and gave the room a facelift. Most of the chimps took it in stride, but boss Jamie is always very interested when maintenance is happening, and she did not appreciate being locked out of the room (on principle only – it’s not a room where Jamie chooses to spend any significant amount of time). Because chimps are very strong and very destructive, any maintenance done to their enclosures has to be chimp-proof. Jamie, especially, can always be relied upon to point out any flaws in workmanship.
Jamie Tries to Undo the Humans’ Hard Work: A Photo Essay
Eagle eyes
There are moments in every caregiver’s life when a chimpanzee is wildly gesturing for something that they want, but we simple minded humans just can’t decipher their communication.
This afternoon Jamie spotted something on the ground that she needed me to give her.
After several minutes of frustrated gesturing. I spotted this single tiny black currant that had fallen on the ground at breakfast.
All is well.
Bonus!
Annie has chosen to make the switch from yellow to orange.
The portrait studio recently received an extreme makeover (more on that tomorrow). Look for portraits to feature a lovely grey backdrop from now on. Here’s Jody:
The Chimp Days of Summer
It’s hot y’all. We’re in the midst of a heatwave here, but it is summer after all. Being in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains we’re fortunate to usually cool down at night so mornings tend to feel refreshing and cool for a short time before it heats up again. So the chimpanzees have been enjoying breakfast forages on Young’s Hill in the fresh morning air for the past few days. Negra headed straight for her cabin where she could enjoy her fruit in the shade:
The day has been playing out more and more slowly as the heat rises and the chimps have been making their way between ice cubes snacks, ice water buckets, and lounging in the cooler playroom. In fact right this minute, I can hear Foxie in the playroom slurping repeatedly on the straw of the water bucket, meaning it’s time for a refill! (As a sidenote, the chimps have access to water any time they want via several spigots throughout the chimp house. But it’s always more fun to drink from buckets and straws and cups, right?!).
Burrito and Jody chose an after lunch nap on the bench between the playroom and greenhouse where they were shaded, but could catch a good cross breeze:
Jody made sure to leave her corncob wadge within close range so she wouldn’t have to move too far when she wanted it:
Foxie and her Strawberry Shortcake dolls were the only ones dozing in the heat of the greenhouse, but the breeze blows right through. Summer, in full swing:
I was reading about the “Dog Days” of summer, a saying that originated from ancient Greek and Roman beliefs that the hottest days of the year occurred when Sirius, the dog star, appeared to rise just before the sun which they believed compounded the heat. There isn’t a chimpanzee star, but of course, we would all vote that there should be. Nevertheless, the Chimp Days of summer seems apropos in our world and are definitely upon us.
