Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jody

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by the chimpanzees’ good friends, Jennifer and David Roers, in honor of Hannah Tracy! Jennifer and David shared this lovely message about today:

“Happy 40th birthday to one of the best people we know. Hannah is an amazing person and a joy to have in our lives. We love you, pretty lady. Have a fantastic birthday.”

Jennifer and David, we have so much gratitude for all you do to fill the chimps’ lives with love, comfort, and care! It means so much to us that you would think of them as you honor Hannah today.

And Hannah, happiest of birthdays to you from all the primates here at CSNW! We hope this is the best one yet and wish you a day filled with all the joy and celebration of life the chimpanzees are being provided with in your honor! Thank you for sharing your special day with them!

Here’s one of the pretty ladies of the sanctuary, beautiful Jody, doing what she loves best: enjoying her forage goods and nesting with abandon!

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Then and Now

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For lunch today, we set out a forage on Young’s Hill.

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Life is so dramatically different for the Cle Elum Seven these days than it was just eight years ago. Gone are the days of climate-controlled, windowless buildings, hard surfaces, and cramped spaces. Life now is bright green grass, warm sun, gentle breezes, and roses for lunch.

Missy:

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Jamie:

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Negra:

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Annie:

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Foxie:

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Burrito:

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Jody:

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The sound of Sanctuary

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One of the great things about Young’s Hill is that each morning it has something slightly different to offer the chimpanzees as far as enrichment goes. Some days the chimps might find a snake that causes alarm , while other days there might be a new plant in season to be sampled. Or maybe, there might be something as simple as a noisy cricket to grab your attention. Make sure to have your volume on when you watch the video so you can hear the sounds of Young’s Hill first thing in the morning!

Happy Birthday, Marsha!

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Bruce Wagman in honor of Marsha Perelman on her birthday! Bruce and Marsha are both amazing friends to not only the chimpanzees, but to animals everywhere, and we’re thrilled to celebrate Marsha’s special day here today! Bruce shared this wonderful message about today:

“About ten or more years ago, through the most random of coincidences involving asbestos, I was introduced to Marsha.  Over the course of time since then, she has been a client, a teacher, a student, a partner, and most important of all, a dear friend.  And she has been an invaluable supporter of the Cle Elum Seven and other chimpanzees, in more ways than anyone can count, but in essence, by giving them her heart (while keeping big chunks of it for her dogs).  All sorts of animals are so lucky Marsha’s heart was born.  As an example of Marsha’s heart in play:  When I told Marsha about the lives of the CSNW chimps before they got to their Cle Elum bliss, her immediate response was, “I just want to go there and meet them and tell them I’m sorry.”  No need, Marsha.  Your actions have made that clear.  Happy Birthday to a true companion along the road to make up for what has been done to the world’s superior species.”

Many thanks to you, Bruce, for sponsoring such a special day in honor of Marsha! We are so full of gratitude to have humans such as yourselves sharing your incredible hearts in the world and for all you both do to make the lives of not only these seven very special chimpanzees better in every way possible, but for the countless other amazing beings whose lives you’ve made a difference in.

Happiest of birthdays to you, Marsha, we hope your day is full of all the love, joy and comfort you provide to so many others! Thank you so much for being part of our chimp family. And hoots of happiness to you from these seven beautiful chimp people:

Annie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie:

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Jamie:

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Negra:

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Snake alarm!

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Chimpanzees are very territorial and they are quick to respond if an “intruder” is spotted in their territory. If the intruder is someone who elicits fear or concern in the chimps they will respond by a vocalization known as “alarm calling.” This morning while the humans were cleaning the chimp house we suddenly heard loud alarm calls coming from Young’s Hill. When I ran out to see what all the hubbabaloo was about I could tell the chimpanzees had discovered a snake basking in the warmth of “Negra’s Cabin” and were banding together (well, with the exception of Burrito and Negra who watched from the safety of the greenhouse) to handle the situation.

After the crisis was averted everyone gathered in the doorway to Young’s Hill, their heads sticking out to survey the hill. But fierce Foxie bravely marched out all on her own, stood bipedally a safe distance from the cabin and gave things a final look to make sure the coast was clear for her family. Foxie may be little, but she is fierce.

Garden anticipation!

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When caregivers so much as glance towards the garden growing outside the walls of the playroom, there is always a chimpanzee or two keeping a watch to make sure they aren’t missing out on something.  Today was no different, as volunteers Denice and Yuri tackled the weeding in the garden beds, I caught several members of the Cle Elum 7 spying from various vantage points.

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My favorite photo of this morning was of Jody peeking around the corner of the raceway to Young’s Hill so she can see just exactly what’s happening to her vegetable patch:
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It’s not really a big surprise to see so many watchful eyes on the garden when it’s already starting to produce!
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